I've decided to start numbering my questions. In your responses, please make reference to the question number. I think this will help keep us organized.
1) Pip is led into a room with 3 ladies and one gentleman. These are Miss Havisham's relatives. In order to keep them straight......can you identify each by name, and give a quote or two that sums up what kind of person each is.
2) Pip draws the conclusions that these relatives are "toadies and humbugs". What is a toady and what is a humbug? How do the actions of the characters fit these definitions?
3) Once Pip is admitted to the house, Miss Havisham directs him to the "room opposite". Look carefully at the diction used to describe this place. What words and phrases stand out? What one word describes this room for you? Put your conclusion in bold print at the end of your response.
4) Why have all the relatives (except Matthew Pocket, apparently) come to visit Miss Havisham...the REAL reason? What is Miss Havisham's attitude toward her relatives?
5) We're still looking for some answers about the narrative style......so......I'll quote a line and ask you what you notice about the narrative manner. (Hint: we've see this before in another novel this semester) "'Because I'll never cry for you again." said I. Which was, I suppose, as false a declaration as ever was made; for I was inwardly crying for her then, and I know what I know of the pain she cost me afterwards" (94).
6) The pale young gentleman - What's your impression of him based on the way he fights?
3) The opposite room is described as a room where “the daylight was completely excluded,” (Dickens, 82) This room had “once been handsome, but every discernible thing in it was covered with dust and mould, and dropping to pieces.” (82) Those descriptions stood out to me as it gave the room an overall darkness and I could picture the destruction. The description that was the most effective to me was, “An épergne or centre-piece of some kind was in the middle of this cloth; it was so heavily over hung with cobwebs that its form was quite undistinguishable; and, as I looked along the yellow expanse out of which I remember its seeming to grow, like a black fungus, I saw speckled-legged spiders with blotchy bodies running home to it,” (82-83) I can really picture the decay that the room was going through and it gave me the idea that if you leave something like anger or a grudge for a long time, it only grows like a fungus and tears everything apart. If I could use one word to describe the place it would be misery. It seems that Miss Havisham is holding onto a grudge from the past and it is only causing her great sorrow in her life. These descriptions represent misery in not only the room but in Miss Havisham’s life.
ReplyDeleteGreat conclusions!
DeleteI tried to bold my conclusion but it didn't come up when I published it. My conclusion starts at "I can really picture the decay," and goes until the end.
ReplyDelete1) "...Camilla, very much reminded me of my sister, the difference that she was older and (as I found out when I caught sight of her) of a blunter of cast features." (Dickens, 79) This is to suggest that Camilla has a similar, strong and intimidating aura about her. She also resembles his sister, perhaps by also having black hair but the rest of Camilla's features don't seem to quite match up with those of his sister. It's shown later that the manner she speaks in remembers Pips sister, at least, in the eyes of pip. "Said this lady, with an abruptness of manner quite like my sister's." (Dickens 79) Camilla also seems to take pride in her stories, much like Pips sister took pride in him being brought up by hand.
ReplyDeleteCousin Raymond is the next lad we see.He is wary and distrusting of Pip, possibly towards the point if suspicion, as he does not personally know him. "If a man is not his own neighbor, who is?" (79, Dickens) Mr.Raymond was the one to compare Pip to someone he knows, and it seems that he's fully aware that he is talking in a man armed about Pipnthat is distasteful and rude, without talking to Pip, who is listening in the room.
Sarah Pocket first seems to treat everyone as an equal, (as like any normal person, she wouldn't fully trust someone right away.) "We are to love our neighbor." (79, Dickens) Thiugh she is later laughing up with the others, at Pips expense. I don't think Pip likes any of the guests, and Ms.Pocket is one one them, who looks like a "brown corrugated old woman..." (Dickens 85)
The final lady is rather quiet.but agreeing with the others. She is referred to as "the grave lady," so I should think that perhaps out of all the guests, she looks the oldest and most closest to death itself. When Ms.H was referring to the guests viewing her on the table, she mentioned the name "Georgiana," which would be the final name to all the guests.
In the end, they all seem like stingy high-end people.
Good details....and conclusions
Delete2) A "toady" is a person who behaves in a different way towards people of importance. Modernly; a toady could be a "suck up", possibly a child that acts obediently towards a parental figure and rudely towards peers. A "humbugger" is a person quite different than what they claim to be. They might seen as boastful or hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Havisham's relatives are protrayed as prideful. They visit her on her birthday, yet "dare not refer to it"(Dickens 100). They an be seen as boastful in how -aside from Sarah Pocket commenting on Miss Havisham's wellbeing- they don't seem as though they want to be there, and make no objection to leaving. Camilla, the "most talkative of the ladies"(92) seems to be rather blunt and easily bored. She stirs up conversation, and yawns when she isn't apart of it. The others laugh along and agree with her, perhaps subconsciously not wanting to contradict her; much like a "suck up".
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ReplyDelete-Camilla: "The most talkative of the ladies..."(92, Dickens) "[She] reminded me of my sister...The difference that she was older, and...[Had] a blunter cast of features." (92) "I began to think it was a mercy she had any features at all, so very blank and high was the dead wall of her face." (92) "You know I was obliged, said Camilla, I was obliged to be firm" (93) "Very easily said!" remarked Camilla, amiably repressing a sob, while a hitch came into her upper lip, and her tears overflowed." (98) "If I could be less affectionate and sensitive, I should have a better digestion and an iron set of nerves." (98)
-Sarah Pocket: "Miss Sarah Pocket, whom I now saw to be a little dry brown corrugated old woman, with a small face that might have been made of walnut shells, and a large mouth like a cat's without the whiskers..." (98) "Dear Miss Havisham, said Miss Sarah Pocket. How well you look!" (97) "Sarah Pocket then made her separate effect of departing with, "Bless you, Miss Havisham dear!" and with a smile of forgiving pity on her walnut-shell countenance for the weakness of the rest." (100) "Sarah was too knowing to be outdone, and ambled around Georgiana with that artful slipperiness..." (100)
-Cousin Raymond: "The Raymond referred to I understood to be the gentleman present, and him I understood to be Mr. Camilla." (98)"It would be much more commendable to be somebody else's enemy" said the gentleman; "far more natural." (92) "Good points in him... said Cousin Raymond; "Heaven forbid I should deny good points in him; but he never had, and he never will have, any sense of the properties." (93) "He came to the rescue at this point, and said in a consolatory and complimentary voice, "Camilla my dear, it is well known that your family feelings are gradually undermining you to the extent of making one of your legs shorter than the other." (98)
-Georgiana: "The other lady, who had not spoken yet, said gravely and empathetically, "Very True!" (93)"I am not aware," observed the grave lady whose voice I had heard but once, "that to think of any person is to make a great claim upon that person, my dear." (98) "Thinking is easy enough," said the grave lady." (98) "Sarah Pocket and Georgiana contended who should remain last..." (100) Georgiana doesn't seem like a very talkative person. I think she is the type of person either to agree with what most people have to say, or the type of person that would just prefer keeping their thoughts to themselves.
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ReplyDeleteI think this pale young gentleman is cocky, not the brightest, and that he is determined and doesn't give up. Maybe he had a reason for wanting to get into this fight with Pip. I think it could be because he's been staying with Miss. Havisham for a while and he's forgotten what reality is and what it feels like. Since all Miss. H does is live in the shadows, he probably has been doing the same, that's why Pip didn't see him or hear about him until now. It could also be because he wants to get attention and to get nurtured either from Miss. H, or Estella. Another reason could be because he wanted to see what type of person Pip was, the type of person to walk away from a fight, or to face it head on.
This young man seems like he would be cocky in certain situations based on the way he fights. I think he thinks to much of himself and that he sometimes gets himself into trouble because of it. The young man doesn't seem to be the brightest either. Why would he want to get into a fight over nothing and with a complete stranger, he either had a good reason behind it all, or he's just an unintelligent young man who likes to get himself in trouble. This young man is also very determined and doesn't like to show his emotions. Throughout the whole fight, he kept on coming back after each blow he received, and he didn't shed a single tear. This tells me that he doesn't feel pain/ he can handle pain very well, or that he doesn't like showing his emotions.
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ReplyDelete-Humbug: deceptive or false talk or behavior
-Toady: a person who behaves obsequiously to someone important
~I think the actions of these characters fit well with these definitions because all the characters seem to obey Miss. Havisham who seems to be the ruler and leader of the house hold. Miss. H's relatives also talk about people behind their backs. They were talking behind Pip's back, Matthew's back, and Miss. H's as well. They all have a lot of respect for Miss. Havisham, but they still have a lot to learn and understand about her and the others. Her relatives do everything she asks, which is directly connected to the term "toady." Miss. Havisham's relatives also talk behind peoples back and assume things about other people, and this is connected to the term "humbug."
4)
ReplyDeleteMiss. H's relatives went to visit her because it was her birthday. Her relatives know how protective, strict, and alone she is. They wanted to spend time with her on her birthday and to try and keep her mind off of her rough past life. Miss Havisham seems very secretive and sensitive when it comes to her past, so it seems to me that she's had a tragic event occur sometime in her life and that she still hasn't recovered from it yet. It seems like her relatives actually bring back some sort of memories of the past to her and maybe that's why Miss. H doesn't really respect them. Miss. Havisham seems very selfish, she wants what she wants and everyone has to do as she says. The only person she gives exceptions to is Pip. Miss. H puts Pip as first priority whenever he's around and she ignores everyone else when he is present. Maybe Miss. Havisham has a better connection with Pip because he doesn't know who she truly is and what her past life is really about.