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.