Re-read the passage in Chapter III that describes the convict eating his dinner from the paragraph that begins “I was soon at the battery…” through the paragraph that begins “I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food…”.
Contrast this picture of the convict’s repast to the Chapter IV account of the Gargery family’s Christmas dinner with Uncle Pumblechook, Mr. Wopsle, and the Hubbles—from the paragraph that begins “We were to have a superb dinner…” to the end of the chapter, when the anticipation builds for Pumblechook’s pork pie (and Pip's dread builds with it). What ironies—among other things—can you find?
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Dickens writing is enjoyable because of the subtle, profound ironies which characterize his writing. These two selections are no different. Although the first passage, in chapter two, is more apprehensive, as we are given a description of the convict “gobbling” his food, as Pip nervously stands by. After realizing the boy was still there, and that the boy actually had brought him food, the convict proceeds to question Pip’s character, finally agreeing “I believe you. You’d be a fierce young hound indeed, if at your time of life you could help to hunt a wretched warmint , hunted as near death and dunghill as this poor wretched warmint is!”. The convict is grateful of the boy, yet ironically Pip ends up helping catch the convict by bringing him the pie, as we learn later.
In the second selection the tone is slightly brighter, as the Christmas festivities are prepared, but Pip’s thoughts are anxiety-filled as he waits for his thievery of the mince-meat pie to be discovered. “The terrors that had assailed me whenever Mrs. Joe had gone near the pantry or out of the room, were only to be equaled by the remorse with which my mind dwelt on what my hands had done”, Pip fretfully states. Here a sense of Dickens child-like tone can be felt, Pip the child who knows he has done something wrong or bad, certain his misdeed will be exposed at any second. Many of the ironies of the fourth chapter can be found in Pip’s descriptions of the people around him. As Mrs. Joe prepares the house for guests, Pip points out in regards to his sister “Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do the same by their religion.”, contrasting ironically with the following line, “My sister having so much to do, was going to church vicariously; that is to say, Joe and I were going.”. And then in regards to Mr. Pumblechook, Dickens says, “ Every Christmas Day he presented himself, as a profound novelty, with exactly the same words”, the irony lying in the fact that something occurring annually, and unchanged is not exactly a novelty.
I found it amusing how Pip describes the adults conversation, as a “recital of my misdemeanors”, and “I got so smartingly touched up by these moral goads”. In both passages I could clearly see the scene in my mind, and I feel Dickens depictions are realistic, he may not obviously point out society’s wrongs as say Huxley; but I think that is why I like it, you have to search.
There is an obvious contrast between the two meals Pip describes in Chapters III and IV. The convict was essentially eating to survive, where as those at the Gargery family’s Christmas dinner were eating for enjoyment. The convict was starved, which is why he was “putting [the food] away somewhere in a violent hurry” as Pip describes (17). He later compares the convict to a dog, furthering the grotesque image of his eating in the reader’s mind. The convict clearly does not care what he eats as long as it is food. We read of a very different account at the greatly prepared Christmas dinner in Chapter IV. Pip writes about the “extensive arrangements” that were made and describes what was to be eaten during the “superb dinner” (20). I found there to be a clear contrast between the way in which the convict drank the Brandy (“He shivered all the while so violently, that it was quite as much as he could do to keep the neck of the bottle between his teeth, without biting it off” (17)) and the way in which Mr. Pumblechook did the same (“I saw the miserable creature finger his glass playfully, take it up, smile, throw his head back, and drink the brandy off” (26).) Pumblechook drinks what he thinks is Brandy in a relaxed, enjoyable manner, whereas the convict is described as being in a very uncomfortable and unpleasant situation while doing the same thing.
Additionally, I found the encounter in Chapter III to be rather tense. The convict seemed apprehensive as he ate the food Pip had brought him: “staring distrustfully while he did so at the mist all round us, and often stopping-even stopping his jaws-to listen” (17). Pip seemed anxious as well as he watched the convict eat the food, feeling uneasy about his current predicament. While Pip still feels this way at the Christmas dinner, the tone is not as eerie as it was in the previous chapter. In fact, it is often humorous, like when Pip writes that he thinks “the Romans must have aggravated one another very much, with their noses” and that “we had our slices served out, as if we were two thousand troops on a forced march instead of a man and boy at home” (20). Dickens use of humor is apparent throughout the Christmas dinner account.
wow. I just spent a lot of time on that, and I somehow accidentally erased it all.
ANYWAYS...
It is clear in both passages that Pip is uncomfortable. In Ch. 3 Pip is afraid of the convict and we are able to see that by the way he responds when the convict asks if he brought anyone with him. In Ch. 4 Pip is anticipating Mrs. Joe discovering the missing pork pie and holds “tight to the leg of the table, under the cloth, with both hands, and awaited my fate.” In the first passage the convict is the one who is in trouble, and in the second passage Pip is the one who is about to get into trouble.
When Pip brings the convict the food he notices that the convict “was altogether too unsettled in his mind over it, to appreciate it comfortably…” He was probably too busy worrying about being caught or freezing to death to appreciate what Pip had done for him. Similarly at the Christmas dinner the adults are conversing about the young, referring mostly to Pip, not being grateful for things. Mr. Pumblechook says to Pip, “be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand.” Now Pip has different reasons to be unappreciative than the convict but they are similar in that they feel the same way. Mr. Pumblechook compares Pip to a pig and says “What is detestable in a pig , is more detestable in a boy.” Pip compares the convict to a dog and says that his manner of eating was not at all fit to have a dining companion. The dog’s way of eating was strange enough, but a person eating in the same way was grotesque.
Throughout Great Expectations Pip focuses on what he has done wrong and his flaws rather than on the good things he does and his selfless nature. He helps the convict by giving him food but instead of feeling good about helping someone, he instead feels guilty over stealing the pork pie and punishes himself by being overly anxious.
The convict’s meal and the contrasting Christmas dinner at the Gargery’s are filled with irony and humor. Poor Pip is extremely nervous and on edge on both occasions, and is consumed by fear and guilt. However, I noticed how Pip seemed more afraid of Mrs. Joe and the thought of his robbery being discovered than of the convict during their second meeting. Pip is appalled by the convict’s manner of eating, but they appear almost friendly with each other. The convict has a volatile temper, but “he did not turn me upside down, this time, to get at what I had, but left me right side upwards while I opened the bundle and emptied my pockets,” Pip says (18). Later on, at Christmas dinner, it was all Pip could do to “hold tight to the leg of the table under the cloth, with both hands, and await my fate” (28). It is ironic how the boy is just as terrified (or perhaps even more terrified) by his friends and family as he is by a fanatical potential murderer.
I also observed that Pip is aghast at the crudeness of the convict while eating, while he himself has poor table manners as well. The irony resurfaces in chapter 22, when Herbert constantly corrects Pip’s crude behaviors during their first meal together. Pip himself is very common and improper, and later he realizes it and is ashamed of being similar to the convict in this way. The two scenes are also ironic in that the lowly, indecent convict is politer to Pip than his own family (except for Joe, of course). Pip tells the convict that he is glad he enjoyed the food, and the convict replies “Thankee, my boy. I do” (19). The convict seems grateful and trusting of Pip during this encounter. However, at his own home, Pip “was not allowed to speak,” and the diners took every opportunity to “stick the point into me” (25). Dickens ironically portrays the convict as the more kind and less terrifying company out of both of Pip’s Christmas dinners.
The two passages are blatantly different, and it is obvious that Dickens uses many creative ways to show the comparison between the two. The passage in chapter three shows how the convict is eating for the sole purpose of surviving while the feast in chapter four is for luxury only. This portrays a sense of sympathy for the convict, as he is eating for simple means--"He swallowed, or rather snapped up, every mouthful, too son and too fast"(19) instead of for social purposes. The convict eats the food voraciously (Pip compares him to a dog), while everyone at the Christmas Dinner seems to pretend that they’re almost “high class”, putting about an air of respectability. The atmosphere for both is strikingly different. The scene with the convict eating food makes Pip feel pity for the convict (Pip "pities his desolation."). At first, Pip was frightened of the convict. However, when the convict, appearing cold and wretched, gobbles down the food, Pip cannot help but feel sorry for the state of the convict. The Christmas dinner, however, seems artificial and it is ironic how Pip seems more frightened of his sister (whom he never calls by sis or her first name, rather Mrs. Joe) discovering that he is guilty of theft than the threats of the convict. It also ironic that Pip seems to feel more connected to the convict rather than the dinner guests, as the tone in the first passage is eerie and tense whereas the Christmas dinner is lively and bright. The descriptions of the other characters such as Pumblechook shows Pip’s dislike towards them as Pumblechook seem silly with a “mouth like a fish” (24). With the decorated setting in the second passage that almost feels plastic and abnormal, Pip feels out of place. Although both passages are exact opposites, Pip ironically feels more uncomfortable during the Christmas dinner perhaps because of his innocent outlook.
Meals are an important aspect of Great Expectations; the meals with Jaggers, Wemmick, Herbert, Matthew Pocket, Pip’s family, and the convict each depict a different relationship to be understood and we, the reader, are drawn closer to the characters themselves. I agree with both Josh and Tess about the fear that resonates inside Pip in Chapter III and IV. Although the possibility of injury may occur with meeting the convict, Pip returns against these fears to provide the convict with a means of ephemeral survival. In the marshes, Pip senses that he and the convict are in the same class, both guilty of unlawful conduct, and this helps Pip’s fear to manifest into a kind of respect and acknowledgement of the convict’s situation. It is rather a civil and equal meeting (because that converse evenly while with the family Pip “didn’t want to speak (25)”) between this young boy and a stranger. If their similarities are not blatant now, they become glaringly clear when Pumblechook insinuates that Pip is but a “four legger squeaker (27) and the convict is “very like a dog (19);” both are regarded as lowly animals in a community of “civilized” human beings. The Pip’s fear in the marshes is juxtaposed to the fear of Pip’s sister during the meticulously set up Christmas dinner, where Pip “clutched the leg of the table…I foresaw what was coming, and I felt that this time I was really gone (29)” In a family scene, where everything seems jolly and merry as can be, Pip is but pushed to a corner and forced to accept the graciousness of his upbringing. The fight for survival in his own household is not different from the convict’s battle. It is assumed that being thankful for someone’s good deeds comes at one’s volition, not something forced; the convict’s “thankee” is truly uttered out of respect and kindness, while the Christmas guests at the Gargery’s force Pip to have a sense of dignity to realize all the pain that Mrs. Gargery has gone through with him.
An interesting, but slightly off topic, idea that I discovered was the fact that Pip was a piece of pork in the eyes of the guests and, ironically enough, part of the dinner consists of the pork pie. The best part of the dinner seems to be the tearing Pip into smithereens and chewing him until he is debased to a state where he cannot recover; similar to the height of the dinner is diving into the long awaited pork pie. As the food pork pie given to the convict saved the stranger, the convict’s escape saved Pip from being discovered and mangled by his sister, once again they are connected. Although the pork pie remains in the house with the Gargerys, relatively untouched, a part of it stays with the convict, there in the marshes, where it truly belongs.
The first and most prominent irony I found in the juxtaposition of these two passages was rather general. When the convict is eating in the midst of the dreary swamp, he is eating for his life. He “hand[ed] mincemeat down his throat…more like a man who was putting it away somewhere…” showing that the energy in food was desperately needed for function, satisfying only the first tier on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Dickens 18). Conversely, the Christmas dinner Pip describes is stuffy and rather uptight, preceded by an uncomfortable church-going in stiff clothes and consisting of (mostly) an involved conversation with the Gargery’s friends of how ignorant and ungrateful the young generation (aka Pip) is. This meal exists primarily to fulfill social needs and requirements of self-esteem. Guests like Mr. Pumblechook and Mrs. Hubble gain a rather low form of self-esteem by verbally condemning young Pip, asking presumptuously “Why is it that the young are never grateful?” (26). The self-righteousness they gain from this little exercise, though somewhat scandalous, boosts their sad egos, all the while accepting social merits with informed speech and acting as virtual know-it-alls. The convict’s “feast” hurriedly appeases only Maslow’s first level, while the second (security) is still unfulfilled as the convict “looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction” (19).
Another general observation I found was the contrast between tones. The convict’s meal reminds one of a hard-worked animal (Pip even likens the criminal to a dog eating) which has finally been thrown some scraps. Quite differently, the Christmas feast at the Gargery’s is like that of a rich pompous eating yet another full meal, where the food itself means little to the subject. This also connects to the previous point I made. The physical food is not the most important of the feast’s constituents, rather the people. The convict could care less about Pip’s presence, and hungrily wolfs down his meal without delay.
As has been mentioned, one of the most obvious ironies between the two passages is that Mrs. Joe and her guests are far more threatening than the convict, despite the fact that it is Christmas dinner, of all things, that they are celebrating. The meal turns out to be nothing more than a grilling of Pip, who is not allowed to speak. "Look at Pork alone. Theres a subject! If you want a subject, look at Pork!" (26). "Swine were the companions of the prodigal. The gluttony of swine is put before us... What is detestable in a pig, is more detestable in a boy," (27). "Think what you've got to be grateful for. If you'd been born a Squeaker--" (26). "He was a world of trouble to you, ma'am," (27). As if these weren't accusations weren't threatening enough, Mr. Pumblechook adds one more charming comment, "The butcher would have come up to you as you lay in your straw, and he would have whipped you under his left arm, and with his right he would have tucked up his frock to get a penknife from out of his waistcoat pocket, and he would have shed your blood and had your life," (27). Of all people, the convict is much more friendly to Pip, or at least much less hostile. While he doesn't have the best manners, the convict is grateful for the food that Pip has given to him. "I believe you. You'd be a fierce young hound indeed..." (19).
Pip's reaction to the Christmas dinner verbal assault as well as his fear of his crime being discovered is clear. "Mr. Wopsle's Roman nose so aggravated me, during the recital of my misdemeanors, that I should have liked to pull it until he howled," (28). "I clutched the leg of the table again immediately, and pressed it to my bosom as if it had been the companion of my youth and friend of my soul. I foresaw what was coming, and I felt that this time I was really gone," (29). Pip's reaction to seeing the convict, whom we was previously so terrified of, is quite different. "He was awfully cold, to be sure... His eyes looked so awfully hungry, too..." he says, and, "Pitying his desolation, and watching him as he gradually settled down upon the pie, I made bold to say, 'I'm glad you enjoy it," (19). It is obvious which of the two encounters was more pleasant for Pip, and extremely ironic.
In reading both the passages, I found it ironic how Pip describes the Convict eating like a dog when he thinks, "I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food; and I now noticed a decided similarity between the dog's way of eating, and the man's." This sentence is ironic to me because in chapter IV Uncle Pumblechook and Mrs. Joe were likening Pip to a Pig, "“He was, if ever a child was,” says Mrs Joe. Pip describes the Convict like a four legged animal and then gets described as one. Dickens seems to be referencing a similarity between the two characters, a similarity, at least in the way others perceive them.
I also find it interesting to note that even in the third and fourth chapters Pip has a lot to say about the people around him. Already he describes the shabby attire and persona of Joe, even though Pip has not yet been thrust into the high society. Also, he is a young boy at this time and it is surprising he would even come to question and notice the class characteristics of his family.
There are also, as has been said, many differences in the way the Convict's meal in Chapter III and Pip's meal in Chapter IV are described. Although Pip seems to be uncomfortable in both circumstances, the source of the uncomfort seems to be different in each situation. In the first, it is primarily due to the presence of the convict. Pip is still concerned with the convict, "As if he... is going to strike." Pip is also uncomfortable at the hurried way the Convict appears to be eating, "more like a man who was putting [the food] away somewhere in a violent hurry, than a man who was eating it." In the second passage, however, Pip is more uncomfortable with the way they wont leave him alone. "They seemed to think the opportunity lost, if they failed to point the conversation at me, every now and then, and stick the point into me."
The irony in the fourth chapter is that the guest at Mrs. Joe's consider Pip a "squeaker," or pig, and yet later on in the novel he is the one that actually escapes the confines of the lower class.
Mr. Wopsle is very fond of the Church, and is always critiquing the sermons of others even though he is not a member of the Clergy. Part of the irony that I see is in how Pip believes the animals react to him as he walks to bring the Convict his Christmas dinner. He mentions 'one black ox, with a white cravat on- who even had to awakened conscience something of a clerical air- fixed me so obstinately with his eyes, and moved his blunt head round in such an accusatory manner as I moved around...' At the more sophisticated Christmas dinner, Mr. Wopsle is discussing the Swine and the prodigal, and speaking down to Pip as if he had no brain at all. Dickens seems to be contrasting the irony of the ox and Mr. Wopsle's overbearing speech. There seems to me many similarities between these two self-righteous creatures.
There is also the contrast in the moods of the two meals. Pip is unhappy and discontent at both meals, however, he seems more comfortable with the Convict than with Mrs. Joe, but that is probably because the Convict at least has a good heart beneath his rough exterior and Mrs. Joe seems to have no heart at all.
October 25, 2009 2:26 PM
A sense of anxiety and dread surrounds both Christmas dinners; neither one resembles the comfortable, cheerful banquet we would expect for such an occasion. When Pip describes the convict’s dog-like manner of consuming his food, he says, “… he looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction of somebody’s coming to take the pie away. He was altogether too unsettled in him mind over it, to appreciate it comfortably…” (14) Even though Pip has no worries about his food being taken away from him, he is just as distracted and ill at ease during the Christmas dinner at the Gargerys’ as the convict is during his on the marsh; both are unable to enjoy their food because their minds are somewhere else. In fact, Pip’s dread at the end of Chapter IV reaches such a point that, when comparing it with the Convict’s intense but controlled anxiety, one would think that it is Pip and not the convict who is facing the graver consequence: “I have never been absolutely certain whether I uttered a shrill yell of terror, merely in spirit, or in the bodily hearing of the company. I felt that I could bear no more, and that I must run away. I released the leg of the table, and ran for my life” (22). Ironically, for Pip, whom Pumblechook supposes to be “rolling in the lap of luxury”, the Christmas dinner turned out to be an altogether a miserable occasion, while for the Convict, though he shivers in cold and expects soon to be hung, he becomes truly grateful for the dinner and remembers Pip’s kindness in bringing it to him.
It has been mentioned earlier that chapter three and four are ironic due to the fact that Pip is scared at both occasions and more so at the meal with his family. Another part that is ironic is Pip's actions in chapter three (feeding the Convict) led to the same feelings of fear at his own Christmas dinner and that his sister would find out.
A similarity I noticed between these to chapters, as well as most of his writing, is that he uses similes and exaggeration. In these two chapters especially the comparisons have a childlike feel. Such as in chapter three, "...there was the right man- hugging himself and limping to and fro, as if he had never all night left off hugging and limping." Here you can understand how a child would think he had not changed from what he was doing before. You can see the same kind of writing in chapter four, "I clutched the leg of the table again...as if it had been a companion of my youth and a friend of my soul." Again here you can get a feeling that Pip could have believed in that moment that the table leg was the kind of comfort and friend. Throughout these two chapters that comparisons give off the feeling of a child and they relate and flow well with each other even though the circumstances are different.
The two meals are very different. As noted by many others, the convict's meal is one of survival. The convict ate like "a man who was putting it away somewhere in a violent hurry" (15). He is paranoid of being caught while he eats and often stops to listen to the mist around him. He clearly is only thinking of survival. On the other hand, the Gargery's Christmas dinner one of comfort and tradition. The dinner is held every year, and Pumblechook brings the same gifts, and Mrs. Joe responds in the same way every year.
Another different I noticed was the way Pip is treated at the meals. Pip musters the courage to talk and says "I am glad you enjoy it," and the convict thanks him (15). The convict sheds a few tears as he compliments Pip's bravery for helping a hunted vagabond like him. The convict treats Pip as a equal. At the dinner party, Pip doesn't say a word. He is quiet throughout the dinner while everybody picks on him. The Christmas dinner is all about social status. Pip, regarded as the lowest on the totem pole, gets the worse parts of the fowl and the pork. Pumblechook "who was omnipotent in that kitchen...imperiously waved it all away with his hand" (24). Pumblechook status is the highest of the company, and everybody compliments and agrees with him, especially Mrs. Joe who makes sure to retrieve everything for him (the brandy and the gin-and-water).
Something I found ironic is that even though Pip likens the convict to a dog, the "dog" is kinder to Pip than his own family, Mrs. Joe, is.
The ironies of Chapters III and IV lie within the mood of each scene. One would expect Pip to feel somewhat uncomfortable and hesitant towards what the convict might do to him, while at home, he should feel safe and at ease. But it turns out to be the exact opposite. We can see the irony when Pip keenly observes the convict devour his meat. “He was already handing mincemeat down his throat in the most curious manner – more like a man who was putting it away somewhere in a violent hurry, than a man who was eating it – but he left off to take some of the liquor. He shivered all the while, so violently, that it was quite as much as he could do to keep the neck of the bottle between his teeth, without biting it off” (50). Dickens applies the expected physical violence that seems potent in the situation as an expressive way to describe how the convict took in the food busily (for survival) and still had the time to search his premises for cops.
On the other hand, Pip feels more of a victim in his own home at the Christmas dinner. Uncle Pumblechook started criticizing Pip by telling him to “be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand” (57). Pip feels attacked and very unsure of how to respond. “Everybody then murmured ‘True!’ and looked at me in a particularly unpleasant and personal manner” (57). It’s ironic how awkward and uncomfortable he feels in this situation compared to that of the scene in the marshes with the convict. Pip even tries to make a conversation with the convict, feeling pity and sympathy for him. He only feels afraid and hesitant in the beginning, when the convict questions him (like a dog glaring up at its owner when his food seems to be in danger). Pip understands the convict’s condition and allows him to eat while he stands aside and watches. It’s very interesting how the Gargery’s dinner seemed to be high-class, and luxurious, when they themselves are actually lower class.
I thought it was interesting how Pip compared the convict eating to a dog eating. I felt his description of the convict, "...he looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction...", could be used to describe himself during his Christmas dinner. Pip mentioned the convict was "unsettled in his mind" and was unable to "appreciate it [the food] comfortably". During Pip's Christmas dinner, he was unsettled in his mind because of guilt and fear someone would figure out he had stolen, and he was also unable to appreciate the good meal comfortably because he was constantly tensing up at every moment he thought he was going to be found out.
I agree with Sarah on the interesting parallel drawn by Dickens of the convict and a scruffy dog. It makes a clear point into the convict's state of mind and situation. He is alert, paranoid and also in a vulnerbale position. Even though Pip is anxious and scared, it is not the convict who is in control of the situation. Pip feels almost pity for the man as he observes him eating. This feeling contrasts greatly with the one at the christmas dinner. Pip is the one in an uncomfortable predicament and the one edge. Dickens makes the reader feel more empathy with the convict, while later on laughing at the foolishness of the guests.
The account of the two Christmas meals from Pip was recounted with two very different tones. When Pip watched the convict eat the food he brought, his tone possessed the quality of a sweet innocent young boy who observed the convict in fear. The two them, both not well respected in society, had a mutual respect for one another, creating a sense of peace amidst the cold marshes of winter. With the convict, Pip had a sense of importance, and felt confident enough to tell the convict “I am glad you enjoy it.”
That sense of importance was completely murdered by the adults who attended the Gargery’s Christmas dinner. Throughout this scene, Pip was belittled, and because of it, Pip felt annoyed. Holding the annoyed attitude, he criticized the adults in contempt, making this passage full of witty remarks. First, he ironically compares Mrs. Joe’s “exquisite of art of… cleanliness” as something that is worse than “dirt itself”. Then he continues with describing Uncle Pumblechook with a fish-like mouth, and dull eyes. Fully representing the tone of a child, he describes Mr. Hubble’s wide stance by elaborating on the view of the countryside that can be seen in between them as a short person. From the descriptions of these characters, the opinions that Pip holds for these people are obviously not very favorable. The hilarious comments made by Pip only gets wittier as the adults, as most adults do, start criticizing the poor single child at the table. Ironically, while the adults converse on how Pip is “rolling in luxury:” to be in the presence of such knowledgeable people, Pip feels anything but fortunate to be in the presence of “luxury.” However, because it would be disrespectful to speak out, Pip quietly suffers to himself. They feel that Pip is extremely lucky to be “brought up by hand” by his sister, when Pip dreads every moment of it. Joe understands Pip’s feelings, so with every blow that Pip takes, Joe gives him some extra gravy as comfort. Throughout the “recital of [Pip’s] misdemeanors”, Dickens uses great diction to reveal the true child Pip who only wants to be free of authority. Ignoring the advice given by his elders, Pip amusingly uses phrases such as “the reawakening of the Roman nostrils” to digress his attention and that of readers elsewhere. Through Pip’s hilarious tone and diction, readers gained witty insight into Pip’s acute observations and how the young Pip views authority.
The one major Irony I detected in the two passages was the reversal of roles between Pip and the convict. While the convict eats, he remains in a constant state of suspician and fear, expecting to be caught at any moment. "He swallowed, or rather snapped up, every mouthful, too soon and too fast; and he looked sideways her and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction...he was altogether too unsettled in his mind over it to appreciate it comfortably"(26). The convict bolts his food, waiting for someone to take him away. Later, back in his own home, Pip is unable to enjoy the Christmas feast at all because he's terrified that someone will realize the horrible act of theivery he has committed. He is afraid of being caught, just as the convict was. At one point in the evening, Uncle Pumblechook is offered the brandy that Pip stole from, "O Heavens, it had come at last! He would find it was weak, he would say it was weak, and I was lost! I held tight to the leg of the table under the cloth, with both hands, and awaited my fate"(36). This one instence of guilt is not the only one the plagues him, only moments later, the pork pie that he stole is offered and he is terrified once more. There is rarely a moment when he is not frightened and guilty, much like the convict. I think this similarity between the two characters is the start of a bond that ties the two together and that continues throughout the book until the end (although, I may be reading too much into it).
The fact that these two dinners are about as close to opposite as could be makes it obvious that they will play out very differently, however they are almost opposite as one would expect. With the convict Pip is treated as an equal, almost a friend, which leads Pip to start having feelings for the convict during the manhunt in the woods and he starts calling him "my convict". In a situation where most would be scared to death Pip finds himself in pure awe of the man, instead of being worried about his safety or the fact that he is associating himself with a criminal. The convict recognizes Pip as a fellow human being, one with great compassion at that and even begins to cry when thinking about the kindness Pip has displayed. At his family dinner however, things are almost reversed. Pip is looked down upon as an inferior person, one that if possible would be made invisible so they would not even have to look at him as they gorge themselves on the massive feast. The whole event is entirely routine to them and see no sense in even thanking their hosts, but only to use them as servants to fetch whatever they desire. Pip was even more afraid that his own family would find out he stole some food for an unknown reason than being around a possibly violent criminal. It is almost sad that Pip can be more comfortable with a stranger than his own family.
The convict can’t enjoy his food because he is a fugitive. Years of imprisonment lead to a “decided similarity between a dog’s way of eating” and the convicts. This metaphor indicates possessiveness. Also, his current status as a fugitive put him on high alert, he is much to “unsettled in his mind” to consume the meal, fearing someone will come to arrest him or to steal his food. In a much more light-heartened manner, Pip is a convict at Christmas dinner. He can’t enjoy “the supurb dinner” because the adults confront him at the table. Everything is pointed at Pip: the table; “the Pumblechookian elbow” and accusative fork; the tips of food; and the conversation.
In both circumstances the “wittles” are excellent while the circumstances cause discomfort. Callie Goldfield describes the irony between the passages as “a reversal of roles”. I identify that both individuals feel like convicts; Callie simply directs her discussion towards their emotions. Her approach is probably more apt. Both meals are in hostile environments for the consumer. Another irony I did not identify on my own is that Pip feels more discomfort at home than he does with the convict. This peculiarity could suggest that Pip likes feeling superior from an early age. In some ways, he is in control while with the convict. Though fearful to be flipped upside-down again, he provides the food and receives gratitude. At home he only receives chastisement.
P.S. I feel as though I have finally figured out this blog thing! I wrote my response, read others, and then reflected on those topics as well. So, JD, it takes five blog posts to get in the groove.
In the first scene, Pip observes the convict--tattered, feral, ill-mannered, starving--with a sort of petrified reverence. Even though the convict threatens to cut his throat and Pip is terrified of him, he also feels camaraderie with him, a fellow outcast, even summoning the courage to say "I am glad you enjoy it." Though Pip is uneasy, uncomfortable, and cold, he sees genuine emotion and gratitude, a thing that is missing from his life with his sister and Joe.
During the second dinner, Pip is seated in comfort and is eating for pleasure, not necessity. Mrs. Joe, Pumblechook, and Wopsle are all criticizing Pip's largely nonexistent and/or unintentional shortcomings, between telling Pip that he should be grateful for being "brought up by hand". Pumblechook and Wopsle act educated and accomplished, and though the convict is much ruder and rougher than they are, he shows truer emotions than they ever will.
Contrasts and reversals are abound within Dickins’ novel. Pip is glad the convict, who was earlier an extortionist, takes pleasure in him nourishment. The convict himself becomes one of gentry. The corn dealer Pumblechook disparages the “detestable pig” Pip up until his fortune arrives. The tones of chapters three and four are themselves contrasting, as one is set in the moody marsh, beginning ominously and ending with Pip unharmed, and the other in the warmth of a home that concludes with Pip meeting soldiers.
The most apparent irony is Pip’s treatment during the two meals. In the midst of the damp marsh the convict is kind to Pip, to an extent, going so far as to thank him for his help. This directly contrasts the prim-and-proper dinner of the Gargarys. The guests treat Pip less than civilly, treating the boy as if he weren’t there. The uncouth Joe is the only one who respects him. One of Great Expectations’ most prevalent themes is the irony of the upper class being less hospitable and kind than those below them.
The stark contrasts between the two Christmas dinners that Pip partakes in range from differences in the setting, the guests, the way in which the food is eaten, and Pip's role in each dinner. The first is more like an informal Christmas meal where only the convict eats. Pip's role is that of a provider for the hungry man who is hiding out in the marshes. In the cold of a winter morning, the seemingly exhausted convict bolts down his food without the slightest enjoyment for what he is eating. The convict eats because of a need to survive, versus the Gargerys and their guests eating for entertainment. Pip seems to enjoy watching the unruly convict eating his meal, remarking "I am glad you enjoy it." The convict returns Pip's kind deed with sincere gratitude for the meal.
At the second, more formal Christmas dinner, Pip sits inside his comfortable home with proper guests and family. In this instance, he is not the provider of the meal, but rather a dogged kind of Robin Hood who stole from Mrs. Joe. The food prepared by Mrs. Joe is exquisitely lavish and her guests savor every bite. Although this dinner is much nicer than the first, there is more discord because the guests regard Pip as a pathetic burden and Pip is also apprehensive about Mrs. Joe finding out about the stolen food.
The two passages are very different. In the first passage, Pip seems scared, yet comfortable. (more comfortable than he is in the second dinner/passage). Pip observes the Convict very carefully, and even though the Convict threatened to kill him, Pip seems very content with the scenario. Pip views the Convict as his equal, even though they are completely different. In the second passage, Pip seems very uncomfortable and he is looked down upon by everybody else. I think Pip wants his family to be like his meeting with the Convict.
Though Pip is obviously terrified of the convict, he is still more at ease with him than with Mrs. Joe. Pip’s fear of the convict seems to fade more and more, as is evident when he says, “I am glad you enjoy it”. The comparison he makes of the convict and a large dog shows that he feels pity for him. The convict’s unsettled mind is similar to that of Pip’s—at the Christmas dinner, he was uncomfortable because of the constant scolding he received from everyone (except for Joe). The irony I found in this was that the convict was much more calm than Pip, even though he was to be hanged.
So I have tried answering this blog twice now and both times my internet has failed. So here comes take three:
I thought both passages were actually similiar and that was where the irony slipped in. Both characters pip and the criminal are in almost completely different worlds yet they share the same emotions. They are both nervous and paranoid that someone will catch them or discover the wrongs that they have done. Its just interesting how they can share these emotions but be in completely different circumstances.
Ok, this is my third and hopefully final time writing this!
Oh how I do love Dicken's writing! I love both the bold and more subtle ironies he creates.
In the first passage, the reader finds Pip awkawdly looking on as the convict scarfs his food. Out of necessity for any form of nourishment, the convict gobbles his food and shivers as he drinks. On completion of the meal he turns to Pip and offers (what I believe to be) a heartfelt, "Thankee, my boy."
This is contrasted with the jovial meal enjoyed by the Gargery's guests. As they pause between courses, they make light jabs towards Pip. Obviously, this meal does more for its guests then just fill their bellies. It gives the guests an opportunity to raise their self-esteems and feel good about themselves by degrading another.
A more subtle irony that I enjoyed is found when Pumblechook is brought his Brandy. The reader, blessed with Pip's point of view, knows of the bottles contents, while Mrs. Joe and the other guests remain oblivious to it's contents. I almost laughed out loud at the first reading of Pumblechook's exclaimation of his findings.
I believe that these bold and subtle ironies are part of what make Great Expectations a classic.
I think the greatest irony found when comparing the two chapters is the simple fact that Pip was more comfortable with the criminal than with his family and “friends” at the higher class dinner. The rest of the book Pip create expectations for himself to reach a higher class, when in his youth, he experienced two dinners showing him that life would be better without the overpriced arrogance.
The section depicting the dinner with the convict is also important because Dickens creates a feeling that the convict with later return by creating a sense of mystery around Pip’s relationship/feelings with/regarding the convict. The house dinner scene is also important because, here Dickens best uses the child point of view. He creates the feeling of helpless by not allowing Pip to respond to any of the numerous insults thrown at him. Pip keeps his thoughts to himself and pretends to be the good boy he knows he must be to avoid his sister’s beatings. Dickens uses his childhood experiences (staying silent while he was sent off to a factory) to illustrate the anger he and Pip felt.
A couple bits of irony stuck out to me, the first being Mr. Wopsle and Pumblechook's discussion about pork and gluttony. There is such a contrast between the Convict of chapter three eating ravenously because of his lack of food, and Mr. Wopsle's comment about gluttony when he had praised his food so fondly previously. I also found irony in the difference of setting in chapter three and four, but the emotions stay the same in both chapters. In the third chapter, both the Convict and Pip are scared, and the fourth chapter remains focused on Pip's fear of being found out.
Wrote a long, long post yesterday, laptop automatically restarted to "update", and, naturally, my post wasn't saved. Google has let me down. I was going to decide to give up entirely but thought I should add a blurb just for the heck of it -
Taking in account the timing of my post, there isn't anything I have to offer that hasn't already been very well stated. The ironies in this novel makes us realize Dicken's exceptional story telling skills as well as his clever sense of, well, humor, for lack of a better word. One irony that stood out to me was the more obvious one - Pip, when watching the uncivilized convict scarf down the food "like a dog", seems to feel a sense of warmth at being able to help him. On the other hand, eating with the civilized family friends, he only feels glum and a sense of dread. When the two scenes are compared to one another, the watching the uncivilized convict eat created a much more comfortable atmosphere than eating a Christmas dinner with the civilized people.
I don't know how if this flys, but for the first blog I brought in two tissue boxes because my post was late and then Mr. Duncan, you declared an extended period for posting so I'd like to credit those two tissue boxes to this post.:) It's up to you, I know you said you've been wanting to take me down a notch so I guess I just handed you a notch on a silver platter.
In Chapter III the dialogue that has been well quoted already about how the Convict believes Pip provides a basis for the inference that the convict feels most youth have a certain amount of inherent good in them that must be trodden down by society. This is paralleled by Mrs. Hubble's comment on how youth are naturally wicious and never grateful. It is ironic that a convict who one later learns has grown up on the rough edges of society should emerge with a brighter view of society as a whole then the company at pips house who, while not members of the upper echelon of society, have not been forced to mingle with the drudges.
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