This week, we began the second stage of the book. When Pip arrived in London, he finds the city greatly disappointing. He imagined it as some amazing place- clean, filled with ladies and gentlemen, etc. In London, Pip runs into many interesting people. Even somebody that he has already met- the pale young gentleman! They instantly reconnect and become great friends. Pip even moves in with him. Herbert (the pale young gentleman's real name) teaches Pip manners.
In class, we've been discussing the theme of "becoming a gentleman." Herbert helps Pip achieve his dream of being a real gentleman by teaching him better manners. In the first stage, we weren't really sure how Pip was going to become a gentleman because he was take to London to be tutored by Herbert's father. Meeting Herbert again enhanced the theme and helped Pip reach his goals.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is very similar to a movie that I watched when I was little. Cats Don't Dance tells the story of a lowly kitty from Kokomo. He has big dreams, he wants to go to Hollywood and become a big superstar. He leaves his home, his family, his friends and discovers that Hollywood, like London, isn't all it's cracked up to be. He lands a big acting part, but by doing so he screws over his new Hollywood friends. He gets very homesick but can't make himself go home just yet. He has to make things right. I predict Pip will experience something similar to this. We'll see!
