First, I'd like to mention how unsatisfactory it was for me, to choose between two endings.
Personally, I like Dickens' original ending more than the new ending.
The new ending, however, I think better suits the books voice. It stretches out the last scene, giving us hope that they might end up together-or at least stay on good terms. Estella in this last chapter contradicts everything we previously know about her, outright telling Pip that "[She] [has] greatly changed."(Dickens, 519) This is much like the events of the third stage of Pip's expectations; where none of my predictions of the stories' plot becomes correct.
The original ending is more abrupt in its events; stating in two paragraphs that Estella has remarried and has a change of heart. Young Pip leads Estella to believe that Pip is also happily married; which I find to be of a cruel sort of irony-that I favor over a completely satisfying ending.
All in all, I think the new ending best fits the story, simply because it is the new ending. If Dickens thought the original ending perfect, he'd have no reason to write a new one.
Both endings were unsatisfactory. Pip meets with Estella either way. Even though she has been humbled, I still do not like her. Though the new ending seems better, like milk&scoop ies said, it stretches out the scene. In result of that, it gives us more insight on Estella and the "hardships" she faced, which compared to Pip and all the plot twists with him, is absolutely nothing and is a breath of hot air on Estella's part.
I also find it cute that Biddy named her first born after Pip. :) In a way, she still loves him, but platonically. I do wonder what Biddy's daughter is named- perhaps she is actually called Estella? This is all speculation, however, but who knows?
milk&scoop ies summarizes my thoughts on the endings with their last line: "If Dickens thought the original ending is perfect, he'd have no reason to write a new one." As a writer myself, I agree. In the editing process if books, they are constantly changing and evolving into something better, something that people would WANT to read and enjoy. Books need to have a good ending in order for the reader to not feel like their time and money was wasted in an unsatisfactory novel.
First, I'd like to mention how unsatisfactory it was for me, to choose between two endings.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like Dickens' original ending more than the new ending.
The new ending, however, I think better suits the books voice. It stretches out the last scene, giving us hope that they might end up together-or at least stay on good terms. Estella in this last chapter contradicts everything we previously know about her, outright telling Pip that "[She] [has] greatly changed."(Dickens, 519)
This is much like the events of the third stage of Pip's expectations; where none of my predictions of the stories' plot becomes correct.
The original ending is more abrupt in its events; stating in two paragraphs that Estella has remarried and has a change of heart. Young Pip leads Estella to believe that Pip is also happily married; which I find to be of a cruel sort of irony-that I favor over a completely satisfying ending.
All in all, I think the new ending best fits the story, simply because it is the new ending. If Dickens thought the original ending perfect, he'd have no reason to write a new one.
Both endings were unsatisfactory. Pip meets with Estella either way. Even though she has been humbled, I still do not like her. Though the new ending seems better, like milk&scoop ies said, it stretches out the scene. In result of that, it gives us more insight on Estella and the "hardships" she faced, which compared to Pip and all the plot twists with him, is absolutely nothing and is a breath of hot air on Estella's part.
ReplyDeleteI also find it cute that Biddy named her first born after Pip. :) In a way, she still loves him, but platonically. I do wonder what Biddy's daughter is named- perhaps she is actually called Estella? This is all speculation, however, but who knows?
milk&scoop ies summarizes my thoughts on the endings with their last line: "If Dickens thought the original ending is perfect, he'd have no reason to write a new one." As a writer myself, I agree. In the editing process if books, they are constantly changing and evolving into something better, something that people would WANT to read and enjoy. Books need to have a good ending in order for the reader to not feel like their time and money was wasted in an unsatisfactory novel.