Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Good ole Dickens!  You have to have your brain engaged to read his sentences, but wow, could he ever write!

I had made it through both high school and college (and these 20 years since) without ever having read this work, but enjoyed reading it with Destry for his literature class.  Really it was a great book to read with a young man completing his junior year as the book was all about character.  Are you the same person regardless of who you're around?  Are you the same person whether you have money or you don't? Will you take responsibility for your actions, or blame consequences on someone else?  Are you willing to work and work hard at honest work to make a living, or do you hope to get something for nothing?  Will you give attention to the pretty girl with a cold heart or to the kind, compassionate girl with a servant's heart?  Do you appreciate and respect those who have always been there for you through thick and thin, sacrificing on your behalf, or do you take them for granted and discard them as unimportant?

I think it's funny that Destry and I both laughed aloud at Pip's instructions in etiquette and individually shared the passage with Briana.  Pip and his friend are visiting over a meal and his friend periodically interrupts the discourse with instructions such as:

"Let me mention that in London it is not the custom to put the knife in the mouth--for fear of accidents--and that while the fork is reserved for that use, it is not put further in than necessary.  It is scarcely worth mentioning, only it's as well to do as other people do.  Also, the spoon is not generally used overhand, but under.  This has two advantages.  You get at your mouth better (which after all is the object), and you save a good deal of the attitude of opening oysters, on the part of the right elbow". . .and later. . . "Take another glass of wine, and excuse my mentioning that society as a body does not expect one to be so strictly conscientious ni emptying one's glass, as to turn it bottom upwards with the rim on one's nose" (544).

We especially enjoyed discussing two themes present in the book.  First we discussed methods of helping another financially.  One character received a gift of money with no instructions whatsoever, while another was anonymously provided with an investor to create a job.  The first squandered his gift and even overspent it, compiling debt while the latter was a wise steward.

We also noticed that the happiest characters in the story had a couple things in common--they accepted who they were and were content with their station in the world.  The discontent characters, on the other hand, were always seeking "great expectations" for a more prosperous future and higher social status.

I love reading great literature with my children and mining the nuggets we can apply to our lives.  Now it's time to compile our literature goals for next school year.