Y11/Great Expectations Eng Lit/Mr G

Here is an essay in answer to a text based question. The question was:

Read the opening of chapter 10 from 'The felicitous idea...' to 'be a design for a buckle.' (a page later)
In this passage how does Dickens amusingly suggest that Pip would have had no chance of becoming 'uncommon' without the help Biddy.

This is the start of this essay. CAN you finish it?

Dickens is a writer who is often full of whimsy and an almost satiric view of some of his characters. He is a master of character creation and his ability to endear the characters into the reader’s heart is where his strength really lies.

(Generic intro, using a couple nice words. Focus on Dickens as a writer.)

This passage is no exception. We are endeared to Pip’s naivety and his paltry attempts to become ‘uncommon’. We admire his enthusiasm and this is highlighted by the fact that his choice of teacher is also someone who boarders on ineffectual. Other characters in the scene also seek to entertain the reader through their clumsiness and vulnerability.

(More focus on the passage/question- still trying to express myself clearly)

At this point in the novel Biddy has moved into care for Miss Joe. Biddy is caring, simple and in many ways honourable. At this point in the novel she is closer to mirroring the child like simplicity of Pip. We respect Biddy as a character and we feel deep respect for her attempts to impress upon Pip.

(Now a clear focus on the characters and also trying to come round to their amusing attributes)

Dickens' style is often characterized by his thoughtful word choice. He uses an almost pompous style of writing for a character such as Pip who is semi illiterate. In the opening paragraph, ‘ pursuance of luminous conception’, ‘the most obliging of girls’, ‘buzzingly passed a ragged book’ ‘staggered at a boy fortuitously’ Dickens' choice of words are often calculated and as well being formalized they are often quite antiquated. However, this achieves something in his writing. It achieves a remarkable ability to set the scene and context that the text was written. But it forms a relationship with an intelligent readership who are not at the same illiterate standard as Pip. This allows Pip’s voice to become entwined with Dickens' voice and allows the author to readily poke fun at whomever or whatever he pleases and he is able to do this through the eyes of a child but the vocabulary of a gentleman.

(Now, on the main body of the essay. Going to work through the plan that is on this blog. Going to talk about Dickens' word choice and how that makes things amusing- firstly, formal word choice then more colloquial choice. From this point I might do another paragraph on word choice then on to refer to sentence structure and its impact on the passage.) HAVE A GO!!!!!!

Even when Pip uses more colloquial language: ‘the chump end of something’ that makes us laugh just as heartily that he is able to fall from this high state of language and use the language of the people-Pip`s real language.