Literature Analysis #2

Title:  Great Expectaions 
Author: Charles Dickens

Summary:
1. The novel is about a boy named Pip who lost his parents and lives with his sister and her husband. Later he meets a man at the churchyard who threatens him and makes him do as he says. Out of fear Pip starts stealing for the man. Then he meets another character, Estella, who he falls madly in love with. Estella is taught to hurt boys because that's how her mother was taught. Pip still tries to win her over, but has to move to London for schooling. He received a large fortune and blew most of it while living with a friend in London. While away his sister, Mrs. Joe, passes away and he returns home for the funeral service. When he was in town he discovered that the fortune he had received came from the man in the churchyard. After all that he had gone through he still managed to unite with his love Estella in the end.
2. The theme in this novel is ambition. This is because Pip had the ambition that led him back to Estella and not giving up on trying for her. He went through a long journey with having to move and dealing with loss, but didn't lose hope.
3. The tone I felt from reading was a sense of loss and determination. Obviously if I was in his shoes I'd feel a little more sorrow due to having no family, but for him it just brings about determination. Even through his hard times he had determination to go back to Estella.
4. Allusions were used in the novel in the fact that Dicken's based the story off of his own life. Also the diction because it was written in an older era. Along with diction is the syntax for the way Dicken's categorized the journey of Pip's life. The tone was also important because it really made me in a way feel bad for Pip.
Characterization:
1. Dickens used direct characterization in describing Pip by expressing everyone of his actions. He also used direct characterization when telling of how Estella is taught to deal with guys. Indirect characterization is used on Miss Havisham because she's indirectly the problem. She seems like she's helping Pip, but she's really doing things for her own benefit.
2. I didn't notice a change in diction or syntax when focusing on different characters.
3. The protagonist, Pip, definitely is dynamic. Throughout the novel he goes from fairly immature to realizing importance and becoming a man.
4. After reading the novel I came away feeling like I'd met Pip and experienced the journey with him. The author really did a good job at allowing the reader to connect to the character.