Photo Connection

I think this picture of a majestic tree can be linked to Pip's life. The soil would represent Estella and Abel. Estella inspired Pip to become a gentleman and follow that path. Abel is the fertilizer whom gave Pip the money in funds to let him buy all the things a gentleman would need such as clothes and furniture. The branches are Pip's friends that he meets along the way to becoming a gentleman. The leaves represent Pip's altering personalty. In the summer the leafs are strong and green which parallels with Pip's ecstatic look at life. When the leafs die and fall to the ground, Pip becomes depressed and makes bad decisions. The light behind the tree represents the mystery in the book that has not been revealed. It is only a matter of time before we discover what these mysteries are.

Connections

In the second stage now that Pip has received his expectations, he has become quite accustomed to the wealthy life style. He is spending money like it's nothing, and on many lavish items such as elaborate furniture, or extravagant suits. This way of living is much different from the beginning of the story when we meet Pip as a low class, apprentice to a Blacksmith. Recently in the story Pip has become unhappy and not content of what he has. It seems as if in life this is true a lot of the time, those who have the least are more content that those who have everything handed to them on a silver platter.

I have always been a huge fan of Disney movies like most kids are. Thinking about Great Expectations I believe the message relates to the main character in the story Aladin. Aladin starts off in the beginning of the movie as a "street rat" running all over the city for food. A Genie comes along when the magic lamp is rubbed and grants his wishes. One of these is to become a prince to marry the beautiful princess Jasmine. Although he impresses Jasmine with a huge parade, Aladin is still unhappy and does not feel he has everything he could desire.

I think that the Genie would have to represent the mysterious donor because he can make all your wishes to come true as Pip's to be a gentleman is granted by the donor. Jasmine would be Estella because I think that Pip and her are going to end up with each other in the end. Pip would be Aladin because they both share a struggle and they both people hire up in the classes. 

Second Stage Great Expectations

Pip's character has progressed in the direction of pursing the role of becoming a gentleman. Along with changing his attitude, Pip has great expectations to live up to when he is sent to London. With high hopes Pip is dissapointed,"While I was frightened by the immensity of London, I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked..." His wish of becoming a gentleman seems much more difficult now that he is actually in London. Dickens uses the word ugly to show the upper class is not as classy and charismatic as they may seem.

Pip is no longer innocent and naive as he once was when he was a boy. Although Pip has lost a lot of his innocence in the second stage, Pip lets his determination in for being upper class to cause him to let the innocence shine through like a child. Pip's lost character would have been amazed by the narrow and crooked streets, yet he only sees it as a disappointment. Dickens is always spreading the motif of becoming a gentleman throughout the book showing to the reader that it can cause more harm than good on the ones that really care about you

Pips quote

Pip is referring to how this experience has now changed his life. He now noticed that being a blacksmith isn't the greatest thing he can expect or can become. Pip has now grown up from when he thought a blacksmith would be amazing and now he realizes that it isn't that great at all. These changes are positive because know you can relate  with him more since he is coming to the age and maturity we all are. I am beginning to like Pip more since he is becoming more mature. Before I didn't like him because he was a little kid and made stupid mistakes and now he thinks a lot more before he speaks.

One thing last year that was kind of a wake up call was when I paged for the house legislators. When I decided signed up for this opportunity I kinda thought it would be a way to get out of school and meet people from across the state. After I few days I realized it was a pretty interesting thing to do. So I decided to treat this as a job and got a lot out of it by doing so.