Great Expectations (28-36)

Uh...I'm not exactly what Pip meant for the first paragraph of chapter 28. He talks about being an inconvenience to Joe, self-swindlers, cheating himself, and Miss Havisham, and notes and folding notes. I'm not exactly sure why he is saying it, or exactly what it means.

On page 226, Pip says, "But I had a reason that was an old reason now for constitutionally faltering when I heard the word convict." I just found that line comical because of the clever way it was written, and it also gives a new sense to Pip and a little foreshadowing.

What is pip referring to when he says "invisible gun" on page 227?

I like the term "wicked Noah's Arc" used to describe the Hulk ship on page 230 by Pip.
And I wondered if there was a reason for citing something from the Bible?

Who is "Telemachus" on page 230?

On page 233, when Pip asks Orlick "Are you here for good?" and Orlick responds with "I ain't here for harm, young master, I suppose," I thought it was quite a funny response, which makes me like the character of Orlick even more, in an obnoxious sort of way.

I find "burn me" a slightly odd expression in place for something like "yeah right," as used by Orlick on page 234.

What is Estella talking about with "I have no heart?" And she goes on to say that she has not softness or sympathy. WHY? It's quite sad, actually, but then it makes me think of Miss Havisham.
And I also liked when Estella said, "I have a heard to be stabbed in or shot it, I have no doubt," on page 238. She said it as if it were a very common thing to say, and treated the statement very lightly.

Is Miss Havisham crazy? That was my first thought on page 240 when she was telling Pip to love Estella and explained love and to still love Estella even though she was cruel to him, and it made her seem slightly crazy. Probably because she kept repeating "love her."

On page 244, why does Pip talk about Joe and how Joe made him cry and how his tears "soon dried," as he said twice?

On page 247, why is Trabb yelling at Pip? Is there a reason for it?

I never understood the staying "never look a gift-horse in the mouth" (I think that's what it is). I never understood what a gift-horse was, and the term was used by Herbert on page 249.

Herbert is nice. For example on pages 249 to 250, he's telling Pip about the reality of his love for Estella and about the money and Miss Havisham, but does it in a seemingly cheerful, kind way, that makes you happy even though its not great news.

What is Herbert talking about on page 250 when he says to Pip, "...I want to make myself seriously disagreeable toyou for the moment--positively repulsive"? I think it means that he is going to tell Pip something, but if I were to tell a friend something, I would not say that I was being "positively repulsive." I thought it was a bit of an exaggeration. But I still find the character of Herbert to be very sweet.

What is a "species of purser"? As mentioned by Herbert on page 257.

Did Pip really go to Denmark? Really? That's like another country...wouldn't he have to take a boat there, too? (chapter 31)

Who is Ophelia, as mentioned on page 255?

Oh, I think the beginning of chapter 31 was the play Wopsle was acting in. I think...thus Pip did not really travel to the actual country of Denmark. That might make sense.

I'm confused about the man and his employer on page 258, and why his employer is such a bad person. Why are they even talking about him?

On page 260, in Estella's letter, I like how she does not address Pip in her letter, and does not even ask him to pick her up, but is almost demanding it. It shows that she still feels Pip is inferior and the control she has over him.

I thougth it was odd how on page 262, Pip says "(whom I can see now, as I write)." Why does Pip say that? I think it means that he can picture the man as he is writing his story, but why does Dickens feel the need to put that in? I never thought that Dickens wanted the story to be a memoir of Pip, and that Pip knew about the story and it was being written.

I found on page 263, that Wemmick and the Colonel spoke very lightly of his imprisonment and execution, which I found slightly disturbing, and I think it especially added to the effect that the reader does not find out the Colonel is to be executed until after the conversation is help.

I did not feel that Newgate was really like a prison during the chapter until the last paragraph where Pip is talking about how if affected him so. This was probably due to Wemmick's oddly easy and light conversations with those in Newgate.

Still, at the beginning of chapter 32, Estella acts as though Pip is inferior, despite the fact he has grown and changed. Estella doesn't even greet Pip, but rather begins ordering him and demanding of him.

At first on page 278, when I had found out that Mrs. Joe had died, I wasn't all that sad for Pip because I had forgotten about her, but then I realized that she was the last of Pip's immediate family, and now she was gone.

I like the opening line for chapter 35 when Pip says, "It was the first time that a grave had opened in my road of life, and the gap in made in the smooth ground was wonderful." I thought it was a great metaphor, and I also like how he said it was "wonderful" because it was a sort of wake up call for Pip regarding the people that he cared about so much before- Joe and Biddy. I can also relate, because when my grandfather had died, it was like a wake up call for me since it was the first time a death had really affected me, and I realized how important certain people were that I had forgotten about.

On page 285, it really shows how smart and sensible and clever Biddy is when she gives Pip a wake up call on how she doesn't really believe that he will actually come visit and his loyalty towards her and Joe.

On page 288, I foudn it funny how Jaggers told Pip to ask him questions, and if Jaggers would not answer the questions, he said "ask another." It was almost like a game to Jaggers.