Thursday, September 18, 2008
September 18 post: The two Christmas dinners
Re-read the passage in Chapter III that describes Magwitch eating his dinner (from the paragraph that begins “I was soon at the battery. . . “ through the paragraph that begins “I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food . . .”). Contrast this picture of the convict's repast to the Chapter IV account of the Gargery family's Christmas dinner with Uncle Pumblechook, Mr. Wopsle, and the Hubbles (from the lst page paragraph that begins “We were to have a superb dinner. . .” to the end of the chapter and the prospect of yet more food in the form of Pumblechook's pork pie. What ironies can you find--among other things.
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One of the bigger ironies I picked up when reading these two passages was that Pip seemed more at ease (especially more than his first encounter) with the convict than when eating dinner with his own family and company who he knew.
I am unsure if this was Dickens’ plan, but from what I read, he reverses Pip’s attitude toward the convict. In the beginning of the novel, he uses Pip to show how scary the man is. But in the second appearance, he re-depicts the convict as a less hostile character; essentially he tones down the convict’s actions and portrays him as virtually defenseless.
There a very large and widely varied number of ironies between the two passages. I agree with Jackson about Pip's nature during the two different dinner's, i think he is much more relaxed with the convict which seems odd. But I also wanted to add that this is due, i believe, to the fact that the convict does not look down upon Pip. He sees him as a small innocent child, naturally, but he does respect him in his innocence and his willingness to help him.
I also think that Pip's being comfortable with the convict is a result of the responsibility given to him. He was given the responsibility of feeding the convict, he fed the convict and therefore the convict trusts him and respects him, and Pip feels important. This relationship with an adult is in sharp contrast to that between Pip and Mr. Pumblechook. Pip feels that under Pumblechook's cruel remarks and constant degrading of his attitude toward life, that he is insignificant. because of this, Pip feels uncomfortable and doesn't make an effort in that relationship.
His relationship with Magwitch could also be a precedent for the relationship between the two. later in life, when Pip is taking care of a very sick and dying Magwitch he is much more comfortable. He feels more productive and comfortable around Magwitch. One might argue that this is becuase Magwitch is lower in station than Pip, but i choose to believe that it is because he and magwitch have a special connection that only Dickens could create.
Another Irony could be that despite Pip's best efforts and desires to be a gentleman and be refined he is most comfortable around Magwitch, a lowly convict.
The irony that Dicken's was trying to show between these two dinners was the difference in Pip's relationship with the convict (Magwitch) and Pumblechook and his sister.
When he goes to bring Magwitch the food, at first he is suspected of being a traitor and is questioned as such. But, when he denies that he did anything Magwitch almost immediately believes him and then treats him politely and with the respect of someone who has helped him.
Pumblechook and Mrs. Joe on the other hand, treat Pip with no respect and tell him that he doesn't deserve it because he doesn't respect those who "bring him up by hand". The Christmas dinner
These situations are ironic because in reality the situation with the convict threatening Pip into bringing him food should have been much more unpleasant than the Christmas dinner with his family and friends, but it was opposite that.
I find the comparing of the two dinner experiences interesting and while also ironic, some what of a foreshadow even though it may be a weak one. Pip is unhappy and rather stiff in his family dinner. One expects this dinner to be more enjoyable than dinner with Magwitch. His family is having a more "rich" dinner than Magwitch. Even so Pip, though scared, seems to enjoy dinner with Magwitch more. This may be also that he was the one who provided the dinner and did not just get it on no self initiative. This may also be that he feels a bond with Magwitch and is annoyed at his family's condescension towards him.
I also see a slight foreshadow that may be intended or might be just a thought that came across by me. In the dinner where he works for it but is in much worse condition he feels more at home. We see this later in the book, that even though PIP gains such a large fortune he is not happy and feels his life as void. This rich life could possibly be related to the relatively richer dinner he had with his family. This type of irony is used throughout the whole book to show Pip's unhappiness even though he amassed such a wealth.
There are a variety of ironies between the two paragraphs indicated. The main one that jumped out to me is the different atmosphere given to each scene depicted.
Naturally one would assume that Pip, just like any child, would be most comfortable at home, especially on a festive day like Christmas. However, as the story unravels, it appears that despite Pip’s initial fear for his life, his encounter with the convict was relatively civil (in comparison). Pip’s family never treated him with respect or kindness, but in his darkest hour of need, a lowly convict was able to demonstrate consideration.
I think another irony, or maybe more of a foreshadowing, could be Pip’s contentment and concern for the convict. He risked his family’s welfare and suffered a guilty conscience for a guilty man he never met, but when he came into fortune he rarely came to visit the family that had raised him. Then later on in the story the convict appears again, and so does Pip’s compassion.
One of the more obvious things that I noticed is that Pip seemed to be one with Magwitch in the graveyard scene, watching the prisoner wolf down his food pausing only to take swigs of brandy, all the while not saying a single thing. At the family dinner, he is fearful of every little object in the room which may betray his secret, mortified when he realizes that there is tar in Pumblechook's mug. I suppose this wouldn't be so much ironic as it would be an interesting observation of a character's shift in personality, even though the circumstance is the same. It even makes sense that Pip has a different outlook when he is with Magwitch as compared with his family since most people act differently around different people.
As for irony, the fact that he seems fearful that every thing may betray his secret is ironic. He doesn't seem to worry about it when he's with Magwtich; he seems only to want to make him happy. I would label this as situational irony from Pip's point of view.
It is very apparent how much more Pip can connect with the feelings of the convict than with the feelings of superiority in Pumblechook, his sister, Mr. Wopsle, and the Hubbles. What is ironic is that while the appreciation of Magwitch is much less vocalised and made obvious, it is more sincere and more powerful than the overabundance of praise in the family meal. Pip aspires to be a gentlemen, but the closest people in his life to gentlemen repulse him, while the convict is someone he can connect with. The constant badgering of his family and their friends almost mirrors the literal soldiers chasing the convict. Magwitch and Pip understand each other even then, and that connection is apparent in the level at which Pip analyzes and understands Magwitch.
Pip can not help noticing the convict's mouth as he eats, nor can he help noticing Mr. Wopsle's large nose as he does the same. The convict and the men eating along with Pip for Christmas dinner are very different, yet there are some similarities. The convict, Mr. Wopsle, Mr. Hubble, and Mr. Pumblecook are implicitly and explicitly described to be very hungry; although, only the convict has a reason to be. The two sets of very different men both threaten Pip with hurting him (I believe the more civilized set would be more likely to harm the boy). The convict and Mr. Pumblecook both have spasms in result to drinking "brandy" (Pumblecook doesn't drink the real liquor, creating situational irony). Watching everyone eat does not bring relief to Pip's uneasiness.
The convict eats portions of the Gargery family's Christmas dinner, without them knowing. The reader, however, knows (dramatic irony). He eats the food like a dog. The dirty man acts like the family's dog who would eat the leftovers, except probably not those important dinner staples in particular. Pip is worried throughout the dinner about the adults figuring out the food has been meddled with. Towards the end of dinner, he panics and rushes away from the table to the door. At the door are soldiers (situational irony, Pip did not expect this). None of adults noticed. They were too occupied with eating and talking. In contrast, the convict stops eating occasionally, and tries not to talk, while keeping up with the status of his environment.
Pip is very uncomfortable with either environments protrayed, but however is more settled in the earlier event. The convict is a very scary man, but not so terrifying that Pip can comment upon things without being scorned. If he were to try that with his aunt, or with her peers, he would receive harsh words (sometimes getting some without even doing anything!). Pip is much less comfortable with his family - excluding Joe. One would think a boy should be more at ease with his own family than a dirty, portentially dangerous stranger (more irony).
I liked how Joe gave Pip more and more gravy while the other adults verbally beat him more and more. That was nice.
Like others who've left comments here, I found it quite ironic that Pip should feel so uncomfortable at dinner with his family and yet somehow remain at ease when dining with Magwitch, a dangerous, coarse-mannered convict and relative stranger to Pip. I also found it quite ironic that he should feel as much at ease with Magwitch initially, when possessing no ties whatsoever with him, and yet feel as embarrassed and ashamed of him as he does when he encounters Magwitch next, as a young man, despite owing all his good fortune to him. That he should speaks volumes about Pip's character and makes me wonder if it was ever really nobility that he sought or if it was just a sense of belonging, a relationship with someone who understood him. After all, he is no less at odds with his surroundings after gaining his inheritance than he is before, when only a simple blacksmith's apprentice.
The irony that exists in the two scenes is definitely a foreshadow for the latter events in the book as Aditya states. When we examine Pip's life with his family and the life he lives as a gentleman in London, Pip seems very dissatisfied with the lowness of his family and his status in society. Also, because of the manner that his sister and his relatives treat him, he feels even more out of place from his home. However, when he is with Magwitch, oddly, he is much more at ease, which foreshadows the part when Pip receives the inheritance from Magwitch and shares a special bond with the convict.
I find Pip's connection with Magwitch to be very ironic because though Magwitch is a stranger and a convict who threatened to kill Pip, Pip still found the convict a more comfortable company than the company of his family.
With this connection with Magwitch, it builds a platform for them to continue their unknown, but ongoing relationship for the remainder of the book.
I thought the irony was that Pip is uncomfortable at the dinner with his 'friends' and family, but perfectly fine while with the convict. Pip connects with this convict on a higher level then he does with his relatives. I think this is because the convict questions him at first, but then quickly believes him to be honest and accepts him. But then at the dinner table he is called 'ungrateful'and treated poorly even though he really didnt do anything.
As other students have explained, one of the obvious ironies between the two passages concerns Pip’s comfort in both situations. He’s kind of comfortable in the brief scene with the convict, likening the whole situation to one with a familiar canine companion--while he’s obviously on edge while eating Christmas dinner with his usual family. Unexpected from a young boy, though it does makes sense if you think about it. Situational irony, if there ever was one.
It’s also interesting how the grimy Magwitch’s eating to satisfy ravenous hunger stands in contrast to Pumblechook’s vast gluttony. Somehow, the miserable criminal demands more respect in all his helplessness and simplicity than the pompous fool that indulgently dines in mock civilizedness. Ironic, in my opinion--though you may disagree. One would expect a somewhat well-to-do man, especially in Victorian England, to command more respect than a miserable convict found hiding in the marsh. The theme behind this appears in various forms over and over again as the novel develops. Social designations aren’t always what they seem.
(I guess you could argue that the rough convict isn’t really commanding “respect,” even less than Pumblechook. I guess “respect” isn’t really what I’m getting at, but I’ll offer it in lack of a proper description.)
The most interesting thing that occurred to me in considering this prompt, however, was not anything ironic at all. It has to do with a recurring motif of duality--the remarkable and intricate balance that Dickens works into the complexity of Great Expectations. Although the example of the two dinners is a somewhat dull example, it’s kind of fascinating how Dickens makes a point to mirror many elements of Great Expectations. There are two childhood dinners, two children purposefully molded and influenced by deeply marred adults, two young women that interest Pip romantically, two mysterious benefactors, two rocky relationships between common men and high-class women, two convicts encountered in the mist, two irredeemably wicked antagonists--and the list goes on. While this all doesn’t really contribute to a theme in that the dualities don’t really represent a central message, I think it’s kind of awesome as far as constructing a fictional world goes. The reader is naturally led to consider and contrast the dualities in Pip’s life, making for some interesting thoughts.
On an unrelated note, the whole Gargery Family Christmas Dinner scene kind of reminds me of the efforts of Dickens’ own family in trying to support a pseudo-high-class lifestyle even after having fallen on hard times. Although they’re not exactly well off, the Gargerys have an indulgent feast on special occasions like Christmas. I wonder how Dickens must have felt around Christmastime, as a child…
Too bad that Dickens didn’t really seem to have a Joe to give him amusingly large portions of gravy over and over again in his youth.
Many people have already mentioned the irony found in Pip's greater amount of comfort with Magwitch as opposed to dinner with the Gargery family. Another point of irony I believe is found in Joe's actions or in this case, inaction. He feels so badly for the implied snides to Pip from the other members of the dinner, yet all he does is keep offing Pip more gravy. How this is ironical is that one would think that Joe's voice would hold more sway within his own household. He seems to be a strong, righteous character yet as seem in this passage one who is not very outspoken. I was disappointed in Joe's "passiveness" throughout most of the book, until he ends up to be the one to save Pip when he most needs him.
Another point of situational irony is when Ms. Joe Gargery just happens to go looking for the pork pie. The reader is thinking something along the lines of "oh no, Pip is going to get caught, finally." But no, Dickens throws in a twist, with the appearance of the constables scaring Pip even more into thinking not only is he in trouble with his family, he is going to be arrested. I definitely didn't expect that. The minds of younger characters are truly amusing. The brain makes fast, yet sometimes inaccurate connections.
Dickens isn't discreet in his use of irony. Pip is clearly more comfortable around the dangerous convict, who has displayed violence against Pip, than around his own family. He even says "Among this good company I should have felt myself...in a false position" (27).
At home, Pip is treated as an animal who has done somthing wrong. Magwitch is a convict and eats like an animal. Pip's family (with the exception of Joe) look down on him, while Magwitch appreciates his kindness and takes him at his word.
Pip is never really at ease around his family, and his brief chat with Magwitch is one of the (relativly) calmest times we read of in his childhood. I think that this foreshadows his eventual detachment from his family as he grows into the fortune that Magwitch gives him.
One of the main ways in which the two passages contrast is through the treatment of Pip by both Magwitch and by his sister, uncle, and guests. I think it’s highly ironic that a coarse and common convict, in this case Magwitch, treats Pip with more respect, appreciation and compassion than his own family and friends do. Magwitch alone does not treat Pip as if he is some “…young offender”, but as he is, a young boy who had provided him with vittles and a file (17). His sister and most of the adults in that society treat him very harshly, viewing all children as criminals waiting to happen. This says a lot about Magwitch’s character, namely, that he does not judge by social standing, but rather by actions.
It’s also ironic that Pip and Magwitch, both of whom are seen by society respectively as a future convict and as a fallen man, are the more humane and compassionate characters in the story. Pumblechook and Wopsle may be seen as more respectable and worthy by society and their social status may be higher, but their characters do not match their higher class by any means. Both are extremely vain, self absorbed, and self righteous. In contrast, Magwitch shows gratitude, respect and compassion for Pip and for all those he meets. Dickens’s contrasting of these character’s personalities and their social standings reflects his point that social standing does not necessarily make the man. One may be a gentleman, but that does not mean that one is a good, moral, and compassionate person. He critiques and corrects the common assumption that the higher up a man’s social standing is, the better he is.
Lastly, I also found it ironic that Magwitch, who is so ravished, has so little food to eat and has almost no means of getting “vittles”. This is in contrast to Pip’s Christmas dinner guests, who have more food than they can consume and presumably never are starving. It’s ironic that the people/characters that are truly hungry do not have food to eat, while those who have never really known hunger always have nourishment. This situational irony reflects Dickens’s critique of the inequality of wealth evident in his society. Through Magwitch and Pumblechook, Dickens shows that the hungry go hungrier while the stuffed get more stuffed.
Between the two dinners, what was most ironic was the fact that for Pip, the dinner with the convict was more relaxed and enjoyable than the dinner at home.
The dinner that Pip had at home was more miserable than anything else. Not only was Pip given the parts of the meal that were the least wanted, but no one seemed capable of encouraging him or giving him a complement. The entire time everyone just told him how ungrateful he was and what a troublesome child he was (as if he were constantly getting into trouble).
But the dinner with the convict was actually pleasant (compared to the dinner at home at least). When Pip told the convict that he was not a deceiving imp he immediately believed him and then actually complemented Pip about what a fierce young hound he would be (19).
What's most ironic about the dinners was the fact that Pip's family and 'friends' where more rude and inconsiderate of him than the convict.
The ironies shown between the two scenes can be traced to the characters and their actions with one another. Pip is actually treated worse by his own family and family "friends", than by the convict. The members at the "civilized" dinner table all try bring him anguish. None of them appreciate Pip, all of them assume that he has done something wrong and will continue to do so. Well that may be true in some ways, the convict appreciates Pip and doesn't feed him snide comments like the ones he received on the dinner table. So Pip's natural reaction would be to get calmer and happier when he is with the convict, who does not look down on him for being a child.
The greatest difference I noticed between the two passages is the role that Pip plays in each scene. At dinner with his family Pip acts entirely as an observer, he objectively watches the adults interact. Pip seems to have a dry sense of humor towards the entire situation, noting the irony of the great pleasure the excitement of the convict has caused his family whom he robbed on the convicts orders. He almost seems to be ridiculing the foolishness of the adults, for example when they are drinking wine Pip states "I noticed that Mr. Pumblecock in his hospitality appeared to forget that he and made a present of the wine, but took the bottle from Mrs. Joe and had all the credit of handing it about in a gush of joviality." In the other dinner Pip is no longer just an overlooked observer, he is a key character. Magwitch actually bothers talking to Pip, even though he is distrusting and rude, he is not nearly as derogatory as Pips family. In turn the way Pip describes or observes Magwitch is much less critical than his family. Dickens depicts the other adults as bumbling fools but Magwitch although he is compared to a dog, is described as being quick and decisive, he is a sharper and more clever character than Mrs. Joe and company. These contrasting scenes coincide with Dickens general view of children. The story told through a child's eyes shows the mistreatment of children by adults, and the respect of a convict towards a child only emphasizes this.
Like Jackson, I too noticed the irony that Pip seemed considerably less comfortable when eating Christmas dinner than when he was with the convict. Also of note is how Pip feels sorry for the convict. Pip says he was glad the convict enjoyed his meal because he pitied his "desolation" (20). Later on, during his Christmas dinner, Pip is the one we pity because he's completely picked on throughout the whole meal. Everyone except Joe comments in one way or another how awful a person Pip is and how he's full of faults.
It's also ironic that Magwitch enjoys his meal far more than Pip does his. Pip has all sorts of food to choose from, including pork, fowls, and mince-pie. He also is dining with his family and friends of the family. He, however, is utterly miserable and doesn't enjoy dinner at all. Magwitch, on the other hand, wolfs his meal down, appreciating it. It's interesting that although Pip has a more substantial repast, the convict enjoys his meal far more.
As with everyone else, I agree that one of the main points is that Pip felt more at ease while he was around the convict, than his own family, which is obviously ironic, because most people would rather be in their home instead of with a convict that they hardly know. In addition, Pip definitely does not feel comfortable being around his family and in his home; he finds more comfort in the convict and his thankfulness and his true good-natured feelings for the simple meal his is given. The convict also does not seem to have indifferent or ungrateful attitude towards Pip as some of the others do. He fully appreciates the meal that Pip has brought to him and Pip’s honesty and loyalty throughout all of their interactions. Another thing I found ironic is how the convict has small meager meal, or almost rather a snack, and he is quite humble. However, in comparison during the Christmas dinner, they have a large fanciful feast or buffet, however nobody fully appreciates the meal the abundance of food in which they have. This is ironic because most people would cherish the extravagant meal, rather than the minuscule one.
I thought that it was interesting how the amount of appriciation for the same meal was so much defferent for a convict and an upper class man like Mr. Pumblechook. Sure the table manners of the convict were very low, his social manners toward Pip were much better then that of Mr. Pumblechook. Mr. Pumblechook could only find things that were wrong with him and Mr. Wopsle gave a sermon as to how bad Pip was. But when Pip does does do something bad, when he steals a meal, he is praised and thanked for it. Magwitch has complete trust in him that he didnt bring anyone with him. It is a little ironic as well that Pip is treated like an equal by a convict but in his family he is no better than swine.
This is more to Mr. Duncan than to anyone but I wanted to show eveyone why I really dont hold spelling in high regard... :-)
Dont think about it, just read it
Now wtih tihs said I jsut wtnaed to show evreynoe taht as lnog as you get the bsiac onutile of a wrod, slelpnig can go out the door! Yuor mnid raeds the word and not the indivdauil ltteres. If it inst in the dirctaiony who craes how its sellped. But Mr. Dnuacn I wlil gvie you the fact taht I sohuld be albe to get my own nmae rhigt, and I ssseouirly feel lkie an iiodt buaecse I cluondt get that wrod of all wdors. So the jkoes on me. Lgauh it up csals, I cnat spell and I am proud!
The two meals contrast each other quite dramatically from the atmosphere of the environments to the symbolic meanings of the animal counterparts of the scenes. There is also a lot of irony in how the assumed family role is more dissonant than the convict to Pip.
The atmosphere in the scene that Dickens created with Pip and the convict, although there is some tension the reader can tell that Pip isn’t uncomfortable as when he was with his sister and her friends. He even called the convict his friend (20) while he’s not even allowed to call his own uncle uncle (24). The irony in this is how people assume that family is what brings people together and it’s what people look for to find love. However Pip finds some care and appreciation in the Magwitch, I think this relates to Dickens childhood, as he felt abandoned by his mother when she left him at the Blackfoot factory (yay David!). Another ironic thing about this situation is the trust that is underlying the two scenes. With Magwitch, although there is a tense atmosphere with distrust being the highest on the scale, Magwitch trusted Pip especially when he couldn’t trust anyone else, “‘Well,’ said he, ‘I believe you…’” (19). Comparing this with the family dinner, the mood of the situation was more fake and happy to make the feeling more lively, “My sister was uncommonly lively on the present occasion, and indeed was generally more gracious in the society of Mrs. Hubble than in other company” (25). The contrast between the family’s dishonesty and the convict’s honesty is another ironic thing. I would expect family and friends who know each other to be more truthful with one another, however, with the society that they live in they are forced to give themselves another image to fit in. Pip’s sister trying so hard as to change the parlor to make it suitable for the people to not give an opinion of each other. The convict however stayed the way he was when he ate his meal. His appetite and his position had made himself more like himself. Doing things the way he would normally do it because he doesn’t have anyone to judge him.
Food is also a way to show the reader the different viewpoints that each society has. Michelle made a really good point on how the image of food is different in the mindset of Magwitch who has probably not seen food for days and savors it; meanwhile, the family who probably usually has meals every day and hasn’t experienced the recession of food do not know the feeling of being without food, so they take food for granted.
A quote that really stuck to me was when Pip was talking about his lack of appreciation, “I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality, and against the dissuading arguments of my best friends. Even when I was taken to have a new suit of clothes, the tailor had orders to make them like a kind of Reformatory, and on no account to let me have the free use of my limbs” (23). This reminded me of how Pip is imprisoned in an environment that does not allow him to be himself or gives him any freedom in thought or feeling. Pip and the Magwitch are both fighting for the same thing, freedom, but in different senses.
Last thing that I want to note is the comparison of Pip and him being referred to a swine, while Magwitch is being referred to a dog. Both animals have their moments of being put down, however both animals have been seen as the most intelligent creatures in the human aspect. Dogs are loyal creatures, and pigs are supposedly smarter than dogs (however I don’t know if Dickens knew this at the time) so this shows a double side of how Pip and Magwitch are represented. What I thought was strange of Pumblechook to say was at the end, “’Yet,’ said Mr. Pumblechook… ‘Pork – regarded as biled – is rich, too; ain’t it?’” (28). I thought this was rather strange in that Pumblechook just commented on how Pip might have the ability to be more than he is after he was the one being the most critical to Pip’s “disabilities”.
I would like to respond to Hayden in regards to his little aside. People are only capable of reading mispelled words when the word being mispelled is a word that they expect to see. If I were to throw an unexpected word at you, like qltsonuiaebe, you would have no idea what it was. That being said, the English language is degrading. With instant messaging and texting rampant in children, teens and even adults, more and more words are becoming abbreviated abominations of their former selves. This is lazy and insulting to those who take their time trying to use correct grammer and spelling. Where once the English language was constantly growing, it is now shrinking. Technically, thousands of new words are added to the dictionary each year, but that vast majority of these words come from new technologies and slang. So please, have some respect for language and at least try to spell words right.
Hahaha, how very ironical indeed (wow, I did not realize ironical was a word...), that those who are "free" are more imprisoned than those who are in prison. The chapter with Magwitch was short, about 3 pages in my book, all short and to the point. Then we skip to the civilized free people, who have to go through pages of formalities, even after that, they aren't allowed to speak freely. Every action is fake and every reaction is faker. In Magwitch's world, time is precious, and words mustn't be wasted on crap.
It's still that way in modern society, though not as bad. The people who don't care about the unspoken rules of courtesy and socializing and whatnot, they have that freedom that comes with not caring, but at the same time are imprisoned by others. They are highly frowned upon, perhaps even pitied, feared of, and avoided.
But Magwitch is free to be himself, in those two pages where he eats, you can get a clearer picture of his personality than those ten or so pages portray of Uncle Pumblechook, Mrs. Joe, Mr. Wopsle, or the Hubbles.
Of course, there is the irony that Magwitch enjoys his meager meal more than everyone else, but I see my peers have done a lovely job explaining that. Ah well, first come, first serve I suppose.
I absolutely agree with Matthew's response to Hayden's aside. We ought to cherish what language we still know and fight for that language's preservation, lest we bring about a future in which everyone says LOL instead of actually laughing.
I finally got my username to work! So... this is what I intended to submit on Sunday night:
It looks like only four of us got the blog memo, and so far it looks as if our thoughts are quite consistent with each others. The chapter describing Pip’s encounter with the ‘convict’ or Magwitch is one that, as a reader, I expected to be highly uncomfortable and nerve racking. The irony is felt when Dickens proceeds to create a sense of belonging and curiosity in the scene. Instead of embracing the normal reaction of fear, Pip examines the convict from head to toe, and appreciates the respect that Magwitch had earned for Pip and that he rightfully treated him with. The irony of this scene cannot be truly appreciated without the Christmas dinner scene where Pip emanates a totally different set of feelings. In a family setting, where we tend to act more natural and uninhibited, Pip is highly constricted by guilt. He feels like his every move is self-incriminating and that everyone is out to get him. Other than this obvious irony of the misplaced emotions between these two scenes, I see some other sort of irony in the comfort Pip took in Magwitch’s company. I find it ironic that even though Pip is most like himself when around Magwitch (even in later parts of the book), he spends his life trying to become a gentleman and surrounding himself in respectable company (comparable to the company of Wopsle, Pumblechook, and the Hubbles).
As many have stated, I too noticed the irony of Pip enjoying his Christmas dinner with the convict much more than his dinner with his family and family friends. The only one at the table who Pip even remotely related to was Joe, and even Joe, an adult, was not enjoying himself. I also thought it interesting how one of the first things that Mr. Pumblechook does when he gets to the house is give Mrs. Joe a bottle of sherry and a bottle of port. However because he does this he then demands attention from everyone at the dinner. This is his way of payment. I thought that this was an interesting parallel to later in the book when he first offers Pip the chance to go to Ms. Havisham's and then later claims the glory of having "given" Pip his great fortune, despite the fact that it was not he who gave Pip the opportunities that he had, even indirectly, but Magwitch who gave Pip everything. I also noticed that Mrs. Joe appeared the most happy and joyful during this dinner when she was surrounded by people who she admired, where as Joe and Pip were completely miserable. And then when Joe and Pip are happy, she is miserable. You would think that there could be something that they all could be either happy or miserable about, but it seems that Mrs. Joe is always on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to Joe and Pip.
The clearest irony is found in Pip's higher comfort level with a convict, Magwitch, during a meal as opposed to dinner with the Gargery family and friends.
Another ironic situation is when Ms. Joe Gargery goes looking for the pork pie. The reader is thinking that surely Pip will be caught. But no, the appearance of the constables scares Pip even more into thinking not only is he in trouble with his family, he is going to be arrested. While this is simply a blessing the poor kid has near heart attack driven by his guilt and successive actions. As a teenager I can feel a great deal of empathy towards Pip.
One of the ironies between these two scenes is how Pip is more comfortable being with the convict then he is being with his family and his family friends. After Pip gives the convict his food, the convict becomes more comfortable with Pip's company and trusts him. While Pip is having dinner with his family and their friends they treat him like he is just a burden to them. It's sad that Pip is treated like a human by a complete stranger that broke out of a prison, then by his own family.
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