The novel starts off with a very vivid description of the main character, Pip's mother and father. Pip explains that he parents passed away and he states that he has never seen any likeness of them "for their days were long before days of photographs." page 1. So instead Pip draws his conclusion of their appearance from their tombstones. Even he notes that this is an "unreasonable" way to determine their images but he does so anyway. For his father he believes that the shape of the letters gave him the idea that his father was a "square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair." For his mother her inscription made him think that she was "freckled and sickly." After Pip finishes up this description of his parents and then describes the country which he has grown up in, the setting shifts to the churchyard which is where he is currently at. Pip is suddenly confronted by a strange old man. The author employs the use of anaphora in order to describe the old man, constantly repeating the beginning of the phrase "A man....." page 2. By doing this the author puts emphasis on each of the characteristics that he is describing in relation to the old man.
From the beginning it is clear that there is something that is not quite right about the old man. He starts off by threatening Pip, when he was completely unprovoked. Also the old man keeps referring to himself as we, which either further suggests that he might not be alright or that there really is someone else with him. After making several inquires about Pip's personal life, he demands that Pip brings him a file and wittles the next morning. The old man's threat is that Pip better do what he wants "Or I'll your heart and liver out." page 3. While the old man's inquires were very odd they did provide the reader with more information about Pip such as the fact that he lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and her husband Joe Gargery, the blacksmith. After threatening Pip again the old man warns him that there his a young man with him that his much worse than he is. So, this serves as an added threat in forcing Pip to do what he wants; it is unclear whether or not this other young man actually exists at this time. Eventually the old man lets Pip go, and Pip runs all the way home.
Before the next action takes place, Pip explains the physical appearance of his sister and her husband. First he tells the reader that she is twenty years older that he is and that everyone was always complementing her for raising Pip "by hand." page 6. He goes on to say that not only does she raise him by hand but that he believes that she raises her husband by hand as well. "I supposed that Joe Gargery and I were both brought up by hand." page 6. He blatantly states the his sister is unattractive and that he thinks she made Joe marry her by hand. Pip states that Joe was a fair man ".... a sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness." page 6. The author uses this mythological allusion to Hercules in order to draw a recognizable comparison and give another view of Joe. When Pip arrived home he found Joe sitting in the kitchen. Pip and Joe have a camaraderie because they are "fellow-suffers." page 7. This reveals that their relationship is deep and has many layers to it. The chapter ends with Pip gathering up all the items he promised the old man and running of to meet him.
No comments:
Post a Comment