The Marsh
-Blog Post #3-
Topic E
May 1, 2015
In the beginning of Great
Expectations, Charles Dickens places many trivial scenes in the “marsh.”
Although Pip is a young boy at the time many things happen at the marsh that
continues to haunt him throughout the novel.
To me a marsh is a place where
things are uncertain and mysterious. I see the entire setting as a foreshadowing
of something bad to come. In the very first seen while Pip is in the marsh he
runs into the convict who threatens him. Once Pip finally gives into the
convicts wishes, his world turns upside down. In every few chapters, Pip hears
some news about the convict, or he randomly thinks about him. Because Pip
entered the marshes his life from then on was haunted by the events that took
place. Pip describes the marshes as, “heavy,” and “thick” (17). I believe that
this is representing that these next few events are crucial and burdensome. I
also believe that this will not be the only time Pip enters the marsh. He says,
“Everything seemed to run at me” (17). This is showing that Pip has lost
control of his life. The next time Pip is in the marshes is when he goes to
London to receive his fortune. Because Dickens specifically states that Pip
went through the marshes, I believe he is trying to say that this fortune is
not going to be easy, and that it will bring Pip more problems. I also predict
that there will be another crucial event that happens to Pip in the marshes. It
will most likely be the climax or very near to it, because it would be the
third time Pip enters the marshes, and many authors like the number three
because it is a theological number, and it cleans up any rough edges.
Whether or not there is a third
and final scene in the marshes, I believe that this is still a crucial setting
to observe. Many major events took place in the marshes, and they can’t be
insignificant.
Anna, the motif of the marshes pops up frequently throughout the novel. I agree with you that it represents the uncertainty and possibly dangerous situations in Pip’s life. When the story begins, Pip is almost killed in the misty marshes and meets the convicts for the first time. Later on in the novel on his way to London, Pip travels through the marshes. He describes the mist as “solemnly rising” and it is going to “show [him] the world” (153). Having the mist in the marshes demonstrates that what Pip will do in London may or may not be for the better and may have consequences.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I agree that the marshes represent future uncertainty and Pip's future in London being in great turmoil. The marshes create a dark and eerie feeling that adds to the effects of the events. Pip's fortune begins within a mystery as he has no conclusive evidence of who his benefactor is. As you said, Pip goes through the marshes on the way to London which will most likely end up following back around with his benefactor having a part to play in the marshes. After beginning the novel in the marshes, it is logical that the marshes will be brought back in the end since many writers use the tactic of going in a circle and finishing the story by referring to the beginning. There are only a few people whom have been referenced in the marshes, Pip’s dead family and the convict, so it makes sense that one of the two will be his benefactor. Though it has not been declared yet, the convict is the most likely to generously give the money as he is still alive.
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