Making Connections

It took me awhile to find a story that I could relate to Great Expectations. The only one I could think of is the story we read at the very beginning of the year, To Kill A Mockingbird. The obvious connection are ones like Pip to Scout, Joe to Atticus, and Herbert to Jem.

The other connections I could make were deeper down that had to do with the themes of the two novels. For example, the theme is G.E. is the thirst for a better life. This can relate to T.K.A.M. by the blacks lusting for a better life in the community. The other motif I can relate is the motif of ominous settings and things that happen. The oppression of blacks, Bob Ewell, and even the scene when Atticus shoots the dog, these can all relate to the depressing things that happen to Pip. Mrs. Joe being attacked and dying, the ominous house of Miss Havisham, and even the foggy marshes of Pip's home town can all be related.

Pip and scout are related in many ways. Pip is young at the beginning, but the story is being narrated by a older, wiser Pip. Scout is young and naive at the beginning of the novel, but by the end she has matured in many ways and sees the world in a different light. Joe and Atticus are similar not only in the way of the main character's father figures, but they both teach the kids major life lessons.