Thank you, Pip

     By far, my most memorable assignment, and certainly the one that I worked hardest on, was the essay on Great Expectations. The essay itself was a fairly standard, three-chunk, five-paragrah essay. However, there were a few complicating factors. First of all, although this was not the first of such essays I had written, it was the first the use chunks, and to enforce them stringently. Secondly, I had not particularly enjoyed Great Expectations, and I especially disliked Pip, the subject of the essays. Additionally, the prompt was a bit confusing, requiring connecting the apparently disparate elements of Pip's character development, and another, separate aspect of the novel. And to cap it all, I had gotten what I consider a rather subpar grade on my immediately previous effort, the TIoBE group essay.

     However, I managed to recognize the main issue with my previous essay was my rather weak point sentences, and busied about fixing this. The prompt, additionally, settled itself once I made my choice and began thinking. The chunks were not that difficult, and although the paraphrasing required some thought, Dickens' almost obscene verbosity helped in finding useful quotes. And, most interestingly for me, the more I analyzed Pip, the more I could understand and sympathize with him, and the more real and less annoying he became. In the end, I got an A on this essay, which I was quite proud of, particularly for learning from my mistakes in order to finish.

Poetry Experience

     My most interesting experience with poetry also happens to be one of my most recent; as of this writing, it occurred three days ago, at the final Oly orchestra concert. The poem itself was called, if I remember correctly, "Thank You for Being Awesome," written and recited by James Lee, a junior at Oly and a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra. The poem was recited, and, at parts, sang, as a parting gift to the seniors in the orchestra who were departing. As the poet openly admitted, this poem had been recycled from the previous year, with only a few words changed. Still, it was extremely interesting to listen to.

     At first, I thought that James Lee had only began digressing before he started his poem proper; he would not have been the first person to forget what was going on that night. He spoke dramatically, melodramatically, perhaps overdramatically. He undulated back and forth, his voice oscillating between pitches as if trying each out for fun. The stanzas either rhymed rather predictably (years with tears, for example) and used a very simple rhyme scheme at that, or did not rhyme at all. Combined with his delivery, this poem had the audience, including my self, laughing out loud by the first few lines, even the seniors who it paid homage to. Midway through the recitation, the poet began singing the lines, in a warbling, jumpy voice, then abruptly reverting back to his normal tones.

      This probably makes the poem sound terrible, but it really was not. As a matter of fact, it was the antithesis of a weepy good-bye anything, acknowledging the good times that would be missed by spawning a few more. His delivery made the entire work hugely entertaining even to those who were freshmen and had never had a class with those seniors, such as myself. And that leads into the reason this poem is being written about right now. James Lee's poem demonstrated brilliantly that poetry can entertain, captivate, and control the audience incredibly effectively, and that while deeper meanings to be pondered over thoughtfully are nice, a poet can still tangibly connect with his audience, and, rather than letting them overfill with the pretentiousness of poetry as an archaic, literary concept, understand the poem as performance art. In a phrase, the poem stated clearly that there is more to poetry than Robert Frost and his ilk, with no insult meant to Mr. Frost.

     Up until now, I've had two separate teachers, my third grade teacher and and seventh grade English teacher, who enjoyed poetry a great deal. Some of this has rubbed off on me, and so I view poetry as an interesting concept that I still can explore, with as much variation in concept as is found in fiction.

Conflict

     One of the primary conflicts of Romeo and Juliet is Romeo's indecision between his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, and Juliet, who he has known for a day. Romeo's conflict is personal, rather than interpersonal, as so many of the play's conflicts are, but it does indirectly cause two of the deaths in the play. During Act III, if one is to take Shakespeare at his word, either Romeo or Mercutio could have killed Tybalt. The only reason for the deaths is first Romeo's loyalty to Juliet, which prevents him from fighting Tybalt, and then his loyalty to Mercutio, which forces him to intercede, giving Tybalt the opening needed. Hypothetically, if Romeo had taken on Tybalt himself, it is entirely possible he could have ended the conflict without bloodshed. He easily defeats Tybalt after Mercutio's death, so it's not impossible that this scenario could have occurred. If Romeo had left Mercutio to face Tybalt, but stuck to his resolution to remain neutral, Mercutio may have slayed Tybalt himself, what's more, being the Prince's kin, he may have even gotten away with it. Romeo's indecisive and flighty nature, however, ensures the worst case scenario, ultimately driving him to death's door.

     In reality, just as in Romeo and Juliet, conflict makes life interesting. Just as the play seems to become less interesting after Act III, a world without strife would be nothing like the one we all experience. Of course, in abstract, this is much more appealing than it may be in reality. For all of its character-building properties, conflict tends to leave people hurt, angry, and liable to start a cycle of revenge like the one seen in Shakespeare's play. Still, is it not true that without lows, the enjoyable parts of life taste less sweet? I am wandering.

Anyway...

     In our own existence, one of the most prevalent conflicts is that of human rights. Many are of the opinion that their reality is the only one experienced, that their truths are universal, and that their laws exist likewise. Therefore, when some of these views clash, the result is often venomous. When conflict occurs, people tend to resolve it with one or the other party losing or dead. Still, conflict also forces us to examine ourselves, in our own reactions. It is an integral part of being human.

Romeo and Juliet in Music

     Romeo and Juliet are often overtly referenced in music, as an instantly recognizable pair of lovers parted by injustice, but there are more subtle references as well. This specific case is a retelling of that classic tale, which seems to take its inspiration from West Side Story, a famous adaption, as much as the original play.

Without further ado, O Valencia! by the Decemberists (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vdWBFybOco)

You belong to the gang
And you say you can't break away
But I'm here with my hands on my heart

Our families can't agree
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
But I'll shout out my love to the stars

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

When first we laid eyes
I swore to no compromise
'Til I felt my caress on your skin

Well, how soon we were betrayed
Your sister gave us away
And your father came all unhinged

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down

All I heard was a shout
Of your brother calling me out
And you ran like a fool to my side

Well the shot, it hit hard
And your frame went limp in my arms
And an oath of love was your dying cry

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I'll burn this whole city down
Valencia
With your blood gettin' cold on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down

The most obvious reference in this song (on a side note, the singer's voice is not quite wonderful, but the music is good) is the star-crossed element. "Our families can't agree/I'm your brother's sworn enemy," and so on. This, also, is the reason I first made the connection.

The line "when first we met eyes/I swore to no compromise" also seems to reference the love-at-first-sight aspect, and the slightly mad aspect of it.

In a slightly more minor way, Valencia and Juliet are both fairly archaic, Italian, long-ish names.

Also, the character of Valencia's brother is quite similar to Tybalt Capulet. He is the enemy of the narrator, similar to Tybalt's enemnity with Romeo, and as Valencia's brother's actions end in his sister's death, Tybalt's violence ends in the death of Mercutio as well as Juliet's happiness.

Romeo, Juliet, and me.

     Romeo and Juliet is quite different from what I expected. I foresaw the byzantine yet beautiful dialogue, yet the relatability and humor of the story caught me rather off-guard. I am not speaking of Romeo; I cannot find anything in his instantly shifting lovesickness, nor in his long, somewhat confusing dialogue that resembles me. Well, perhaps the dialogue, but not entirely. Juliet is slightly more relatable, with her obedience but subliminal resistance to the will of her parents, but although I can empathize, I cannot relate to her closed-off, lonely world of parentally-determined destiny. The character I relate most to is, somewhat ironically, Mercutio, more specifically his response to hearing of Romeo's dreamed premonition. Like Mercutio, I am often somewhat cynical, ill-inclined to believe in the words of others without checking them first, particularly if they sound implausible. As an additional facet of this cynicism, I do not put up well with romantics. I have no faith in "love at first sight," believing it to be somewhat of a biological reaction, and if the two people are actually compatible, I pronounce them extremely lucky. Likewise, Mercutio turns a bit of a level head to Romeo's talk of finding his perfect woman, balancing him somewhat. In addition, I, like Mercutio, can easily be accused of liking the sound of my own voice. I recognize that I have a tendency to talk a lot, although probably not at the scale that Mercutio does during his "Queen Mab" speech. Additionally, I can often make up somewhat consistent stories on command, in this fashion.

     I am learning to understand Shakespeare, word by painstaking word. In the beginning, I had to read the first scene twice until I understood it, but now I can comprehend the story somewhat better. I am only using the book and the incredibly helpful words on the opposite pages to understand the story at home. Reading in class, especially aloud and with Mrs. Gilman's analysis to help, I don't think I would have understood many of the references. Certainly the jokes, anyway. This dual reading is ensuring I understand the novel beyond its surface.

Theme

Thematically, Dickens intended Great Expectations to express to the reader that money is not happiness, cannot buy happiness, and has no relation to the character or success of the person. In each person there is potential, but that potential can be affected by the environment drastically. Because of this, many perfectly good people are hurt unjustly, and others who are less worthy may rise to the top. Looking at a person's wealth or status does not give one any idea of the content of their character. Money and happiness are intimate strangers at best, and we would all to do well to remember this and not confuse the two.

Thoughts on reading Great Expectations

     After finishing reading Great Expectations, I must say my view of the novel has changed significantly. To begin with, Pip's character arc, from innocent orphan to his corruption in the city to the wisdom he gains as a result of it, became much more clear. In essence, Dickens had created an update of the biblical story of the prodigal son for his audiences. I thought the settings and some of the minor characters, particularly Wemmick, added a note of humor in an otherwise very Gothic novel, which was appreciated. As for Dickens' style, early in the novel, I had trouble with it but by Stage Two I could understand his flow with ease. Even Joe and Magwitch's speech stopped bothering me. As an author, I think I might have managed to enjoy his style, and might look into another of his books in the future. Although he is not my favorite author, he still managed to capture my attention by the end. In the case of the mysteries, I knew that Magwitch, then known as Pip's Convict, would be important later on, and I knew that Pip's benefactor, having not been revealed for so long, could not have been Havisham, I half-jokingly guessed that Magwitch was Pip's father and benefactor. One of two is not bad, I suppose. Loose-lipped freshmen who had read ahead might have been more of an issue than sophomores or Sparknotes, but some of the revelations at the end, particularly Joe and Biddy's wedding, managed to come as a surprise.

     I actually did read the entire book, although I may have skimmed some paragraphs while half-asleep. I never had to cram in pages, having kept up with the daily reading the entire time, but I generally left reading as the last part of my mountain of homework, so, exhausted by biology and soccer, I may have learned more of the plot from the discussions in class than from reading, particularly in Stage Two, which dragged. I generally read in my room, while one or more family members used to computer, at around 10:00, which can't have helped either. This ended up as my routine, and I can't help but think that if I had read the novel on my own time, without having to scan for annotations, I might have enjoyed it more. However, reading Great Expectations in this serialized manner, rather than over a weekend or two, did make the final revelations and the endings more enjoyable than if they came a few hours after starting Stage Three. Overall, the novel was decent, but my reading style was no help to it.