Dickens LAQ's

Great Expectations

GENERAL 
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Pip is a poor orphan who helps a convict after being startled by him. The convict is captured but lies for Pip and says that he stole the supplies himself. Pip then is taken to Miss Havisham´s house where he meets Estella. After meeting Estella he wishes to become a gentlemen so he can marry her. Pip continues to go to Miss Havisham´s house until he is ordered to become a blacksmith. He is then granted his wish of becoming a gentlemen, mysteriously, and goes to London where he finds out the man who gave him the money was the convict, who is also Estella´s father. The convict dies, Pip wants to go and marry Biddy but he discovers that she is married to Joe. At the end, Pip finds Estella and they live happily ever after.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

The theme of Great Expectations revolves around social class. He has to deal with feeling unwanted because he wasn’t a gentlemen and once he became one he lost a lot. In the end where you stand does matter. It can open doors like it did for Pip, or it can hold you back and not they you move forward with yourself.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

Pip’s tone is somewhat sad, but hopeful. He mentions the things that happened in his life and uses his tone and diction to paint a picture. His tone demonstrates the hope for his expectations and desires to be loved.

--"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

Narration:

"...I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip”

Personification:

"He gave me a most tremendous dip and roll, so that the church jumped over its own weather cock."

Colloquialism:

"You fail, or you go from my words in any parickler, no matter how small it is, and your heart and your liver..."

Foil:

"Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!"

 Simile:

"So, we had our slices served out as if we were two thousand troops on a forced march instead of a man.”

Point of view:

"I looked all around for the horrible young man, and could see no signs of him."

Allusion:

"...and give us Mark Antony´s oration over the body of Caesar."

Apostrophe:

"Ah! poultry, poultry! You little thought," said Mr. Pumblechook, apostrophizing the fowl in the dish,"

Chiasmus:

"Yes a gentleman may not keep a public-house; may he? said I. "Not on any account," returned Herbert; "but a public-house may keep a gentleman."

Anaphora:

"... one [man's] a blacksmith, and one's a whitesmith, and one's a goldsmith, and one's a coppersmith. Divisions among such must come, and must be met as they come."

CHARACTERIZATION 
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
Direct Characterization: 

The author uses direct characterization to describe the characters physical features. We can see this when he introduces several characters.

--"mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow.."

--"A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head."

Indirect Characterization:

The author uses indirect characterization to describe a character´s personality. We can see this when the characters talk with one another.

--“You made your own snares."

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
The author's syntax does change. When not focusing on a character he writes using the same style, but when he does focus on characters his syntax changes.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
Pip is dynamic and round character. In Pip's life, his surroundings dramatically change, causing his character to learn countless lessons. He becomes a completely different person once he moves to London and at the end of the story is left as a round character because of his dynamic experiences.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

It felt like I read a character because not everyone would take the route Pip took. Pip has feelings and a heart that feels for another person. But when you consider the actions he made after becoming a gentlemen, I knew I was reading a character.