I'm Finished!!

Great Expectations is now finally off of my nightstand and on to the bookshelf where it will stay for a while! I'm moving on to read a book called "Reading Lolita in Tehran", so I'll update you all on that later. Before I leave this book behind, I want to share some of my thoughts on it.

The title, "Great Expectations" has a double meaning for me: First the "Expectation" part means that Pip had some money given to him that raised his social status, but took him out of his home and made him question and resent where he came from and feel disgusted at the 'expectations' of country folk. Secondly, through the loss of the money and the revelation of the benefactor, it reveals Pip's changed character: he finally learns how to love and be grateful. And that is where the "Great" part comes in. To be truly loving and grateful to others usually takes going through a hardship, as in Pip's case with losing the money, having to hide Magwitch, and coming down with a horrible illness. He was humbled and then realized how much he had to be grateful for. That can only lead to loving others more sincerely. That is the most important thing any person can do.

Pip says: "For now my repugnance to him had all melted away, and inthe hunted wounded shackled creature who held my hand in his, I only saw a man who had meant to be my benefactor, and who had felt affectionately, gratefully, and generously, towards me with great constance through a series of years. I only saw in him a much better man than I had been to Joe."

Magwitch was a convict, and totally despisable to Pip, yet in this moment of clarity, Pip sees another side, maybe even a truer side to his benefactor than he once did. As with Pip, so can I see the good in other people, see their good intentions and their good hearts. That's what Christ taught when he said to love one another--see the goodness in them, even when there may be little evidence to support it.

Near the end of the book, Pip says that "I sold all I had, and put aside as much as I could..." To me, this is a reference to the parable of the pearl of great price in the New Testament-the merchant sold all he had to buy the one pearl because it was of so much worth to him. It was priceless--as are Pip's life lessons.

Estella seems to have learned similar lessons through her own choices. She says to Pip, "I have been bent and broken but - I hope - into a better shape." Isn't it true, that with all of life's experiences, we are usually 'bent', 'broken', or reshaped into something better, something more able to love sincerely? Well we hope to be anyway. And with a sincere heart and a desire to be more loving to others, I believe we will be better after all is said and done.

Pip and Estella: The last line of the book says that Pip "saw no shadow of another parting from her." At first I thought it was stupid how Pip ended up being with Estella, but after a few days of reflecting, I think it is great that life led them to be in that spot together, both humbled and matured and wiling to love each other like they deserved. It is redeeming that love finally conquered the past for Pip and that she now is able to love him in return. I think the love they have for eachother is deeper than they would have had at the beginning of the story, and it took them both going through what they did to end up together.

The 'expectations' for both characters was not what they thought in the beginning, and turned out to be the better for both Pip and Estella. As it usually is for me as well.