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English Blog： Me and Pip

1008 views. 2009-7-27 10:34 |Individual Classification:lit|

Me and the novel "Great Expectations" got connected in my high school days (me是宾格，但在美式英语年轻人中，做主语是没有问题的)

The sad story unfolds as Pip, the hero of the novel, explains why his name is Pip instead of Phillip.

Phillip is sth like "Phillip, let us strive to do better"（飞利浦，让我们做得更好)

And Pip, nothing more than a childish name created by Charles Dickens.

"Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. "

Upon the river locates the convict house. Terror and fear. And the marsh country stands for poverty and the future turmoils.

Me, Daniel, was not born with a silver spoon. In fact, it was those hard times that I had lived through until I gained a position in this society.

Pip stands for Charles Dickens' struggles and pains. And Pip lets me feel how I once felt the distress so sharp.

"If I slept at all that night, it was only to imagine myself drifting down the river on a strong spring-tide, to the Hulks; a ghostly pirate calling out to me through a speaking-trumpet, as I passed the gibbet-station, that I had better come ashore and be hanged there at once, and not put it off."

A boy was not born to be protected, unlike the princess. Thus, there are times when a boy feels so unprotected. In all the things and little successes that he strives after, he feels the disapprovals and intentions to hurt. Thus, uncertain within and without.

"Mrs. Hubble shook her head, and contemplating me with a mournful presentiment that I should come to no good, asked, "Why is it that the young are never grateful?" This moral mystery seemed too much for the company until Mr. Hubble tersely solved it by saying, "Naterally wicious." Everybody then murmured "True!" and looked at me in a particularly unpleasant and personal manner"

Things I did, I mean no harm. And in doing them, I feel my good virtues with me all the way, then how come there are still sharp words stabbing my being?

"With this boy? Why, he is a common labouring-boy!"

"He calls the knaves, Jacks, this boy!" said Estella with disdain, before our first game was out. "And what coarse hands he has! And what thick boots!"

"I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair. Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it."

Well, they never understand why such remarks hurt, and they hurt so bad, maybe cos it's from the one you care so much.

Poverty-stricken kids live in little worlds of their own, they might sacrifice their whole being for the little things they have an unsecured faith in, which might be broken, crushed, nipped to ruthless pieces, in quite an easy manner. They might call you weak, coward, or not a man, but they never comprehend all the obstacles and failures you had to face alone.

It is truly "I suffered, and I suffered a lot, if there was any goodness once in me, it's gone..."

To be continued

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Reply Janice 2009-7-27 11:06: Sounds so depressing that the depression became infectious and it catches me now.
Boys have to shoulder a lot more than girls do，which seems to be the unsettled rule in our society.

Reply danielrayslee 2009-7-27 11:20: Janice: Sounds so depressing that the depression became infectious and it catches me now.
Boys have to shoulder a lot more than girls do，which seems to be the
"Great Expectations" represents all the pains and sadness Dickens has undergone in the latter part of his life, also the reflections upon his early childhood, and the hard times he made his struggles. Thus, I feel the pain.

Reply chinaabel 2009-7-27 20:47: come on Danie, look forward to your latter arctile

Reply 小莫 2009-7-27 22:56: My teacher said:" why the novel catches all of us? Because all of people have great expectation towards themselves, so do we.
The reviewer said "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best novel of his. But it's hard for me to read the English version. I will try to read it.

Reply danielrayslee 2009-7-28 13:35: 小莫: My teacher said:" why the novel catches all of us? Because all of people have great expectation towards themselves, so do we.
The reviewer said
If you are talking about the novel "Great Expectations", what your teacher has told you is kinda pointless. Great Expectations is only an ordinary name. Why so many people have read it cos it's sad. It lets our thoughts kinda wander back to our early days when we tried to strive for sth. And the hurtful sentimentality and pain.
In a word, nobody reads this novels for earning a Great Expectation, they only wanna feel the pain, the pain they once truly felt.
As for what the reviewers have said, also pointless. Critics vary in their liking for Dickens' novels. Charles likes his David Copperfield the best.

Reply danielrayslee 2009-7-28 13:37: chinaabel: come on Danie, look forward to your latter arctile
Thanks.

Reply Daniellesweet 2009-8-23 15:10: You love Dickens's novels?

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