Great Expectations Class Notes

GREAT EXPECTATIONS CLASS NOTES 3/18/13 The phrase ―great expectations‖ has multiple meanings. 1. It literally refers to his great inheritance—he expects to inherit a great sum of money from his benefactor. 2. Pip has great expectations for his life as a gentleman—including a marriage to Estella, his life in London, etc. London is dull and dirty (not exactly what he expected) Jaggers in London We meet Jaggers in his home environment—his office in London Jaggers is insulting and condescending to his clients—he frightens them. His clients appear to be from the lower class. Despite his insults, Jaggers is a very popular lawyer, with people lining up in the street to see him. Jaggers primary concern, with his clients is whether or not they have paid Wemmick, his clerk (assistant/accountant) We see a prejudice in Jaggers, when he encounters the Jewish man; despite offering Jaggers a ―superior price‖ for his services as a lawyer, Jaggers will not speak with him The situation with Mike, his client, suggests Jaggers‘ clients lie on the stand (create alibi witnesses)—and Jaggers is aware of this, although he tries to distance himself from it. Jagger‘s Office—Suggest he intimidates his clients because ―the clients seemed to have the habit of backing up against the wall‖ as suggested by grease on the wall 1

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The office is dark (limited light) His chair is described as a coffin—looks big and black and intimidating. There are odd and disturbing objects around his room, including a rusty pistol, and two swollen looking faces.

3/20/13- GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Reading Summaries Chapter 24       

Pip wants to live in his apartment at Barnard‘s Inn with Herbert He felt that he could live there, but still have respectable manners, as Herbert does. Mr. Pocket told him that it would be ok, but he would have to ask Mr. Jaggers (his guardian) He goes and asks Mr. Jaggers, who says its ok. He also asks Mr. Jaggers for money, in order to buy furniture. He takes £20, even though Mr. Jaggers offered him £50. Wemmick invites him to have dinner and that he should see how Mr. Jaggers has tamed his apparently unruly housekeeper. Wemmick than takes him to the city center to see Mr. Jaggers ―at it‖ in court. Pip sees how frightening Mr. Jaggers can be.

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Pip gets to know his friends more o Startop is called spoiled, and it is said that he has very womanly features. He was kept at home, while he should have been in school, and he is considered a Momma‘s boy. o Bentley Drummel is ―idle, proud, niggardly, reserved, and suspicious.‖ He is characterized as very large, and by the description, it is implied that Pip does not like him very much. o Herbert Pocket is Pip‘s best friend and companion. Pip shares his boat with Herbert, in exchange for a room in Herbert‘s apartment. We meet Matthew Pocket‘s sister Ms. Camilla and her husband, who both were seen at Ms. Havisham‘s. They don‘t like Pip very much. Pip visits Wemmick‘s house for dinner, and is told that he will most likely be invited, along with his friends to Mr. Jagger‘s house the following night. Wemmick‘s house: o Wemmick is very proud of his house, and that he made it.

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o Its very small o Odd-looking o ―Queer‖ Gothic windows, very small gothic door o Small farm in the back. Wemmick seems nicer, happier, and more cheerful than at the office. He lives with an old man, his ―aged parent.‖

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Pip goes to Jaggers‘s house with his friends. Jaggers house seems darker and depressing. Molly is Jagger‘s housekeeper. o She is a very good cook o She is his only attendant o She is gloomy, and not very social. Pip and Drummle quarrel over a loan Drummle ungratefully borrowed from Startop. Jaggers warns Pip to stay away from Drummle, though the lawyer claims to like the disagreeable young man himself.

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Mrs. Pocket was raised to be a lady. She nearly kills her son with a Nutcracker. The relatives come over, and they do speak to Matthew, even though he does not speak to Ms. Havisham. The relatives don‘t like Pip, out of jealousy.

3/22/13 GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Class Summary 

Chapter 21 o Herbert is the pale young gentleman.  ‖‘And you,‘ said I, ‗are the pale young gentleman!‘‖ o London is described as dirty and dangerous  "‘You may get cheated, robbed, and murdered in London. But there are plenty of people anywhere, who'll do that for you.‘[…]Thus far my sense of sight; while dry rot and wet rot and all the silent rots that rot in neglected roof and cellar,— rot of rat and mouse and bug and coaching-stables near at hand besides— addressed themselves faintly to my sense of smell, and moaned, ‗Try Barnard's Mixture.‘‖ o Pip meets Mr. Wemmick  ―Casting my eyes on Mr. Wemmick as we went along, to see what he was like in the light of day, I found him to

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be a dry man, rather short in stature, with a square wooden face, whose expression seemed to have been imperfectly chipped out with a dull-edged chisel.[…]‖ o Herbert is Friendly and helps Pip  ‗―Pray come in," said Mr. Pocket, Junior. "Allow me to lead the way. I am rather bare here, but I hope you'll be able to make out tolerably well till Monday.‖ Chapter 22 o Questions answered about Mrs. Havisham: Estella is being raised to break men‘s heart  "I don't say no to that, but I meant Estella. That girl's hard and haughty and capricious to the last degree, and has been brought up by Miss Havisham to wreak revenge on all the male sex." o Herbert tells story about Mrs. Havisham. o Mrs. Havisham‘s Fiancé was a rouge gentleman (criminal)

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Chapter 23 o Mrs. Pocket is unhappy with Mr. Pocket  "But dear Mrs. Pocket," said Mrs. Coiler, "after her early disappointment (not that dear Mr. Pocket was to blame in that), requires so much luxury and elegance—" o Bentley Drummel  He is second in line for a Baronetcies

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Chapter 24 o Mr. Pocket became Pips Tutor ―He placed himself on confidential terms with me in an admirable manner […] he was always so zealous and honorable in fulfilling his compact with me, that he made me zealous and honorable in fulfilling mine with him. (206) o He moved back in with Herbert  ―It occurred to me that if I could retain my bedroom in Barnard's Inn, my life would be agreeably varied, while my manners would be none the worse for Herbert's 

society […]I felt that this delicacy arose out of the consideration that the plan would save Herbert some expense, so I went off to Little Britain and imparted my wish to Mr. Jaggers.‖ (207) o Wemmick explained the 2 casts of heads to Pip  ―Famous Clients of ours that got a world of Credit. This chap…murdered his master…all his personal jewelry was derived from like sources (210). o Wemmick told Pip to look at Jaggers‘s housekeeper. ―when you go to dine with Mr. Jaggers, look at his housekeeper…It won‘t lower your opinion of Mr. Jaggers‘s powers (211). o Pip watched Jaggers during a trial  ―Which side he was on, I couldn‘t make out, for he seemed to me to be grinding the whole place in a mill (212) 

4/2/13 Victorian Society The Code of a Gentleman” A gentleman is:  Honest  Gentle  Generous        

Brave Wise Graceful Gentlemen cannot borrow money; and If they do, they must pay back immediately Humble; Does not brag; Does not talk about money Don‘t get drunk in public Keeps his privacy Well tempered

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Don‘t talk about girls in a strip club Don‘t touch people. Selfless; Be nice to everyone. Don‘t Take advantage of people.

A lady is….  A woman is someone of the same class; a lady is someone of a higher class  Don‘t use to much makeup in hot weather  

Don‘t be vulgar Ladies enter through a different door

“Newman on the Gentleman” A gentleman is never harmful to anyone else. He is agreeable and comforting, and provides warmth and support.

“’Would it Kill you to Stop Doing that?’ Rethinks Rude” Etiquette is needed when interacting with strangers. The need for etiquette first arose when people sat together on public buses, planes, etc. With the technology age, etiquette has been degraded, as people are more impatient and cranky. If you don‘t like something, be subtle about it, and not blunt and rude.

4/4/13 ―Gentlemen‖ From Great Expectations  Pip o Does not meet qualifications of a gentleman  Does not treat all classes equally  Insults Joe when he visits  Does not have the pedigree; Common blood  Shows displays of wealth  Needs more furniture.  Has a servant, even though there is no need.

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 Looses his temper with Drummle  Gets Drunk at the Pub.  DEBT o What he does have:  Wealth and appearance of a gentleman Startop o Probably best gentleman  Minor Character; However, doesn‘t do anything WRONG.  ―Startop, being a lively, bright young fellow‖ Bentley Drummle o Does not meet the qualifications of a gentleman.  Not Kind  Borrows Money (From Pip); not even supposed to speak about Money  Flaunts Inheritance  Sourness of his character  ―We became particularly hot upon some boorish sneer of Drummle's, to the effect that we were too free with our money…to whom Startop had lent money in my presence but a week or so before. "Well," retorted Drummle; "he'll be paid." "I don't mean to imply that he won't," said I, "but it might make you hold your tongue about us and our money, I should think.‘‖ (Chapter 26)

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―He was idle, proud and niggardly, reserved and suspicious.‖

Herbert Pocket o Doesn‘t Meet qualifications of gentleman  Trying to get a job  WORKS [for free]  Becomes a spendthrift o Despite this; Has GREAT manners and a great personality. Matthew Pocket o Does not meet qualifications of a gentleman  

Works as tutor Yells and looses him temper at one point, is upset with wife?

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Why does Pip view himself as wretched?  He also thinks himself wretched because he realizes that he was rude and mean to Joe for no reason. In what ways is he wrecked? (broken)  Pip views himself as wrecked because he sees that nothing he believed about his great expectations is true, and that his fantasy about Estella was just that: a fantasy. What do we learn about Pip‘s character when he admits that this news of his benefactor‘s identity changes his own view of his behavior? (what does he value – by what standard does he judge himself?)  We learn that he is shallow and that he does not think highly of anyone including himself. 

He realizes that he should not have been so rude and dismissive of Joe and Biddy.