MOV Blog 1

I think that the text does not give us enough reasoning to feel sympathy for Shylock because Shakespeare has Shylock be an angry character. "...If u repay me not on such a day, in such a place, such sum or sums as are expressed in the condition, let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh ,to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me" (Act I, Sc. III, p. 37) This shows that Shylock doesn't feel bad for himself and just wants revenge. I don't think we should give someone sympathy that just seeks for revenge right away. He is asking for a pound of Antonio's flesh(his heart) if he doesn't bring him his money. To me this is obviously too harsh of a penalty because I don't think that ending a life is equal on a punishment scale to money. There has to be a deeper decision being made by Shylock that has to do with how Antonio makes fun of him for being Jewish.
I also think he is the antagonist without sympathy because I feel like in this specific text it is okay to be antisemitic. "...You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, and spent apon my Jewish gaberdine..."(Act I, Sc. III, p. 35) This shows that Shylock isn't only focused on the money. He looks for revenge against Antonio for all of the names he calls him for being a Jew. I think that if revenge wasn't being committed by Shylock then we would feel sympathetic for these bad things that Antonio does to him but he acts like a bully as well because revenge is not the same as justice. Justice is a fair punishment and I feel like Shylock is going overboard with killing Antonio for his wrong doings.

Pip and Estella's "romance" starts from the first time they meet at Mrs. Havisham's house. The love is only comes from one side, Pip. He grows fond of here immediately because of her beauty even though she insults him constantly about his economic status. She says he has coarse hands and thick boots, which because he has a crush on her, he takes these things into consideration and wants to change for the better. Unfortunately in the process of becoming a gentelman and trying to win over Estella, he loses his best childhood friend Joe. Pip was willing to do whatever it takes to be with Estella but Estella had ignored Pip's love for her and she fell in love with a young man named Bentley Drummle. This helps Pip understand how serious Estella was when she first said she could never fall in love witih Pip. At first Pip is overwhelmed and very upset by his realization of never having his love met by Estella. I predict that Pip will move on from his love for Estella. I don't think Pip will ever love someone as much as he loved Estella because of all his memories and effort he put into being with her. Pip delt with the adversity of Estella insulting him for being a lower class boy by trying to get her to fall in love with him for decades. I think Pip will deal with this emotional tragedy by working just as hard at being a gentleman to a new girl because not many people in Pip's life had shown him what love looks or feels like. I think he's still searching for true love because he knows he is missing out and now has no chance with Estella. I don't think Estella will forget Pip by any means but she will live her life with Bentley as happy as possible and won't regret her decision to never love Pip. She has always been a very cruel but honest person and if she said she could never love Pip then she made the right decision to be with Bentley and Pip will have to find some one else.

Great Expectations Response 2 Choice 1

I think that Pip's expectations after his first couple of visits to Ms. Havisham's house became larger. He began to gain some courage and self confidence in what he thought he could do. He started to see himself the same way that Estella did but he felt like he could change that. I think Estella is the most influential person now in Pip's life because she shuts him down and makes him feel worthless, and yet that's what keeps him going because he wants to prove her wrong and become better for her and for himself. He's tired of the insults he's been taking from her and from most of his family. In chapter eight when Estella makes Pip cry she says, "You have been crying till you are half blind, and you are nearly crying again now" and then went off laughing. This shows that Estella is clearly picking on Pip for reasons that might have to do with Ms. Havisham getting left by her husband to be. Then in the next chapter Pip complains to Joe about Pip's lack of education asking Joe why he called the Knave cards Jacks and complained how his boots were too thick and hands to rough. This shows that Pips doesn't like how he's been raised and he wishes he could've learned things the same way as Estella did. He now expects to improve his education by going to Ms. Havisham's and the experiences with her and Estella give him high expectations for his life in the future.

Great Expectations Response 1

I chose the passage about Mrs. Joe and in this passage Pip is describing how Mrs. Joe was beating Joe. Mrs. Joe is the head of the family and treats both Joe and Pip as children even though Joe is her husband. Her abuse makes Joe and Pip feel small and they fear doing anything wrong so they don't get beaten. “By this time my sister was quite desperate, so she pounced on Joe, and, taking him by the two whiskers, knocked his head for a little while against the wall behind him: while I sat in the corner, looking guiltily on.” This quote proves that Mrs. Joe has control over Joe and Pip. Joe is too physically and mentaly weak to use any initiative to defend himself while Pip sits in the corner, scared to react. This shows how Mrs. Joe has her immediate family wrapped around her finger, getting them to do whatever she wants. The part that says that she was desperate shows that she runs the family and she will do anything to keep her power and won't take no for an answer.