The Merchant of Venice: Blog 1

Through Portia's judging of her suitors, what do we discover about her? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

When Portia talks about her various suitors, we are given a look into her true thoughts on marriage.  Portia agreeing to go along with her fathers casket game may make it appear that she likes the idea of marriage, and she wants to be married; but when thinking about it more, it seems that she is only doing this game because this way she has an excuse for not already being married, as well as for not actively looking for a husband.  This game allows her to sit idly while watching suitor after suitor fail at her father's game.  Another part that hints to her not liking the idea of marriage is the way that she only sees the negatives in her suitors.  As Nerissa lists off suitor after suitor, Portia just lists insult after insult, problem after problem of each of these men.  She says things about them like "his mother played false with a smith" (1.2.39-40), "he doth nothing but frown" (1.2.42), and "he will fence his own shadow" (1.2.55).  She only sees the bad parts of these men, because thats all she wants to see.  She's afraid that if she were to actually get to know one of these men, without only looking for their bad qualities, that she would actually like them.  And then, she might end up marrying him.  Portia has bad feelings about marriage, and that is why she comments on all their not so great features.

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Blog 3: Realizations and Predictions

In the recent chapters of Great Expectations, we have had many of our questions, as well as Pip's and Estella's, answered.  In response to these answers surfacing, the characters are reacting in certain ways, and will be forced to change.  These changes are uncertain, but using the current events of the book, we can predict how our main characters will adjust themselves and their views in the future.  

First off, we should examine Pip's new realizations about his life.  Pip is in love with Estella.  And up until extremely recently, Pip thought that Estella was engaged to him my Ms. Havisham, her adoptive mother and Pip's ideal benefactor.  Because of this, Pip continues to pursue Estella, even though she never shows interest herself.  Once he finds out that Ms. Havisham isn't his benefactor, he comes to the harsh realization that Estella isn't meant for him, and he will therefore probably never obtain her.  This immediately leads to a deep disappointment within Pip.  This disappointment is understandable, because he just realized that the girl he has deep feelings for will probably never have those same feelings for him.  This is a major blow to any teenager, especially if they have had feelings for a certain person for a long time, like Pip.  I predict that in the coming chapters, Pip will take this news as the final sign that him and Estella just aren't meant to be.  I think that he will finally see the signs that have been there the whole time, and finally give up on attempting to obtain her.  Estella doesn't take him seriously, and I think he will finally realize how everyone else around him is being realistic, while he is still in the fairytale love story in his head.  Another realization of his that I think will have a great impact in his life is that of the convict being his benefactor.  Pip justified being mean towards Joe with the reasoning that Ms. Havisham was funding him, and that he would get a happy ending.  But, when he learns that the convict is actually the one who is funding him, and thinks of Pip as a son, Pip immediately feels guilt towards his former actions regarding Joe.  This is because Joe was always the father figure in his life, and Pip had pushed him aside for a chance to get rich and become a gentlemen.  Now that he knows that the convict is almost trying to replace Joe as his father figure, Pip feels a longing and remorse towards Joe.  I predict that in the future, Pip is going to try to amend his relationship with Joe, so it will be like it was before he left.  I think he will appreciate Joe for the wonderful man that we know him to be, and I think Pip could do this through visiting more often, and being kinder to him in general.  

Now, we should take a look at Pip's love, and another main character, Estella.  Estella was first introduced to us as Ms. Havisham's ward, a pretty young girl whom Pip soon fell in love with.  She has grown up quite a bit since then, and ever since she was young Ms. Havisham was drilling the idea of breaking men's hearts into her head.  Now that Estella is older, she has recently realized that Ms. Havisham is using her to prey on men, and has turned her into a cruel and beautiful heartbreaker.  Estella has taken this cruelness that was thrust upon her, and has started to use it towards more than just men.  She finds herself using this same mindset when talking to her adoptive mother, getting into a fight.  I predict that in the future, Estella is going to fall in love, causing Ms. Havisham to react negatively.  This will cause a fight of some sort between the two of them, and Estella would no doubt bring up her new knowledge of being programed into a heartbreaker.  

I predict that Pip and Estella will go through even more turmoil as the book enters its final section, and they will hopefully both find love.

Blog Entry 2

Estella is the beautiful young girl who lives with Miss Havisham. Pip views Estella as an angel from above, because she is so beautiful. Charles Dickens chose to name the beautiful girl "Estella" for the reason that her looks and name match up to that of an angel. In the book, Estella is repeatedly described as "the prettiest girl" Pip has ever seen, and is noted for her "pretty brown hair" (pg. 60, 64). Pip seems to see her as something so pretty, that she isn't from our world, and this might be because she is from a different world. Not literally, but in the sense that their lives are so vastly different. The word "stella" means "star" and in Latin, "e" means "from, or out of". The word "Estella" could then be easily translated into "from the stars". In this way of thinking, Dickens had Estella, Pip's angel, have her name as from the stars. Angels are often referred to as from the stars or the heavens, so Dickens was setting Estella up to be as pretty as an angel when he named her.

Blog Entry 1- Joe

“'It were a bit lonesome then,' said Joe, 'living here alone, and I got acquainted with your sister. Now, Pip;' Joe looked firmly at me, as if he knew I was not going to agree with him; 'your sister is a fine figure of a woman.'"

Joe the blacksmith often has to talk himself into things, he wants to believe things that aren't necessarily true, and more importantly wants to convince Pip that they are true.  In this instance, Pip and Joe are sitting by the fire together and Joe is telling Pip about his life.  Joe talks about how he was beaten as a child by an abusive father, and how when he met Mrs. Joe (Joe's wife and Pip's sister/guardian) he welcomed Pip into his home.  Joe then tells Pip that Mrs. Joe is "a fine figure of a woman".  We can see that Joe is trying to convince Pip that his sister is "a fine woman" because of the way Joe "looks firmly" at Pip,  as if to stop him from protesting so he isn't allowed to argue the point.  The fact that he is aware that other people don't agree with him about Mrs. Joe, suggests that he might not believe what he is saying about his wife.  I think he feels like he should feel that way about her because he talks about how lonely he was without her.  And how as he became used to her, he felt less lonely, which means he  didn't necessarily love her, he just liked her around.  I feel like because of this, Joe wants to convince himself, and Pip, that he thinks of Mrs. Joe as a wonderful, fine figure of a woman.

First Post

Hey Mr. T and class.
This is my first post.
Ok... bye.