Merchant of Venice Blog#1

Portia's denunciation of her suitors gives us some insight into what she values in a partner. She dismisses Falconbridge, the English Baron because he doesn't speak the same language as her. Portia's doesn't like the nephew of the Duke of Saxony because he drinks to much, "Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk." (1-2, 86) She doesn't like the Neapolitan because he is immature and too boastful of himself and his horse. The Frenchman is disliked by Portia because he is trying to hard to outdo everyone else and is all over the place. Basically what Portia is saying that she wants a man who speaks her own language, doesn't indulge himself with liquor, humble, and doesn't try to hard to impress her with his skills.

Blog Assignment #3

Estella and Pip both experience very important revelations during chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine. Estella returns to Miss Havisham's house where she, for the first time in the novel, is at odds with her benefactor. Miss Havisham finds her to be very cold and cruel and she makes this very to clear Estella. Estella replies with a very cold and indifferent answer, "I am what you made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the failure; in short, take me." Estella realizes that she is the creation of Miss Havisham and that she has become emotionless and harsh and will have to live with that realization. She has learned her lessons all too well. Miss Havisham asked her for love, but because she has never felt loved by Miss Havisham, she can't return it to her or anyone else. She is admittedly dishonest to her suitors and shows no remorse. Her only honesty is directed toward Pip and by dismissing him, she breaks his heart. This leads directly to Pip's great realization that Estella does not love him and is incapable of doing so. The chapter ends with a reference to an Arabian Nights like tale, in which a man is crushed much as Pips hopes were destroyed.
In chapter thiry-nine, Pip comes face to face with the man responsible for making his "great expectations" seem possible. This revelation shocks Pip on many levels. He had always envisioned his benefactor to be an illustrious and wealthly aristocrat or Miss Havisham. To find out it was a convict who was responsible for his good fortune, left Pip ashamed, humiliated, and speechless, to a point where he could not even muster a simple statement of gratitude. He now realizes that Miss Havisham had no real intentions for him and that he was mere a pawn in a larger scheme. He regrets having left Joe and Biddy under these false circumstances and the chapter ends in darkness.

Where will Pip and Estella go from here? Estella, faithful to the teachings of Miss Havisham, seems incapable of change. She will likely continue to be deceptive and indifferent towards whomever she encounters, for better or for worse. Happiness for her will remain unattainable. Pip has two options; he can turn his back on his present path and return to Joe and Biddy for a life in the forge or proceed on his current course and not be hindered by this turn of events. He must face the ethical dilemma of turning his back on the man who has sacrificed his life for him or aiding and abetting a convict felon.

Great Expectations Assignment 2

Estella's personality can be revealed by a close examination of the roots of her name. The name Estella is of Latin origin and translated means a star. Like a star, she is very graceful, beautiful, and elegant in the eyes of Pip. However, a star can also be cold, distant, and unobtainable. Estella is these things as well. Estella is Pip's star that he tries to grasp and emulate at the same time. She is his driving force to succeed in becoming a gentleman. Although Estella is very pretty and well educated, she lacks compassion and shows no kindness. She makes Pip feel small, worthless, ugly, and ignorant by making fun of his appearance, and the way in which he speaks. Estella, in judging and poking fun at his imperfections, causes Pip to realize his shortcomings and reach ever higher for his ultimate goal. Estella, in the end becomes his guiding star and sets him on a path towards finding out what becoming a gentleman means.

Great Expectations Assignment 1

Mrs. Joe

“By this time my sister was quite desperate, so she pounced on Joe, and, taking him by the two whiskers, knocked his head for a little while against the wall behind him: while I sat in the corner, looking guiltily on.”

Mrs. Joe is an extremely hostile and easily angered woman through the first eight or so chapters of the novel. She exemplifies her nasty behavior many times at both her younger brother Pip and her husband Joe. Although Joe and Pip are not always cooperative with Mrs. Joe, she goes beyond cruel punishment in some cases. In the quote above, Joe was completely ignoring every question and comment that Mrs. Joe asked so she reacted in a very immature and violent way; slamming Joe's head repeatedly against the wall. Even though Joe provoked Mrs. Joe into anger, this type of violent reaction is incredibly unnecessary violence. Also, every single time Pip gets in to trouble with Mrs. Joe, she reminds of the fact the she "raised him by hand". We can clearly see that Mrs. Joe does not like being around her husband and Pip, however she needs them for security as a wife during that time period.

Mr. Trovato- We had talked on Friday about allowing me to turn in my response a little later, as i had been gone all weekend. Thanks so much.