Mackenzie W-B (Denver, CO)'s comments from Mills AP Lit and Comp Showing 1-8 of 8

Mackenzie’s comments from the Mills AP Lit and Comp group.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1

That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd the rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again.
It must needs wither: I'll smell it on the tree.
Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after. One more, and this the last.
So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love.

Although the malicious sentiments in this stanza are not by any means understandable or universal, the idea that love causes the most pain is a pretty widespread idea even in modern times. In almost every book, movie, TV show, you can see some hint of the idea that you 'can't live with her can't live without her.' The line "So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,/ but they are cruel tear: this sorrow's heavenly;/ It strikes where it doth love," is a clear example of this idea that sorrow is an inherent part of love, and falling in love with sorrow is a common result of that.

Alec wrote: "Alec Farmer
Per 2

Charles Dickens is often regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, and his novel Great Expectations helps to solidify this ideology. The novel is one of redemption a..."

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1

I agree that an optimistic ending would be a nice note to finish the novel, however I disagree that the published ending is one of overcoming obstacles or redemption. To me, the main obstacle of the novel was about coming to terms with the fact that the pursuit of wealth does not win the benefits of close personal relationships or moral integrity. Throughout the novel, Estella is cruel to Pip despite her massive wealth, and serves as a clear example of how Pip often becomes disillusioned by class status. The published ending which hints at Pip making amends with Estella seems to me like Pip is subtly abandoning the morals that he had come to adopt throughout the course of the novel. The original ending, though arguably much more depressing, at least portrays Pip as a strong character who leaves behind those who represent skewed moral priorities.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1

Although many people may root for a full resolution at the end of a novel, I think that the original ending is more true to the author’s personal intentions, and therefore as a writer myself, I am partial to the ending that Dickens originally wrote over the revised ending that caters more to pleasing his audience. In the original ending, Pip sees Estella in Piccadilly and in a relatively hopeless manner, comes to the realization that she was as beat down by Miss Havisham’s emotional manipulation as he was. Although perhaps he would always be in love with Estella to some degree, it is clear to the reader that there is no prospect of a relationship with Estella, which is cohesive with the theme that happiness is more important than money, since a large part of Pip’s pursuit of Estella was motivated by her wealth. The second ending however reads, “‘We are friends,’ said I, rising and bending over her, as she rose from the bench.
‘And will continue friends apart,’ said Estella. I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place” (433). This overly optimistic ending is not only contrived, but strays from the overall themes of the novel.

The original ending is emotionally satisfying because it fits well with the tone of the rest of the book, whereas the published ending hints that Pip ends up with Estella and is therefore far-fetched and inconsistent with the theme of the novel. Dickens portrays Estella as an unscrupulous character, and she often serves as a symbol of Pip’s blind pursuit of wealth. I never found myself rooting for a relationship between Pip and Estella, especially after she was so cruel and caused Pip so much emotional turmoil. Therefore, the published ending confused the themes of the book for me, and sent a message that a neatly packaged and full circle ending was more important to Dickens than an ending that stayed true to the growth of his characters. Much of Pip’s yearning for Estella was based not on who she was, but what she had, and the first ending, though melancholy, subtly signaled that Pip was no longer interested in defining love in terms of monetary gain.

Even though the original ending is more sorrowful, it still leaves the reader with a feeling of completion. Pip says, “I was very glad afterwards to have had the interview; for, in her face and in her voice, and in her touch, she gave me the assurance, that suffering had been stronger than Miss Havisham's teaching, and had given her a heart to understand what my heart used to be”(492). In this passage it is clear that Pip feels resolved in his relationship with Estella because of a sense of mutual understanding, though he doesn’t go so far as to fall back into old habits of idolizing her. The original ending is consistent with the gloomy tone of the rest of the novel and brings a sense of resolution, and is therefore a more genuine closing to the book, and a more artful choice on the part of Dickens.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1

Within the context of a novel about stark contrasts of wealth, setting, and moral priorities, Dickens’ use of distortion in Great Expectations serves to enhance these themes as a way of making already opposing values even more stark. Many elements of the storyline mimic the dramatized attributes of a fairy tale, as the beginning of Pip’s story is almost overly coincidental for the purposes of framing a “rags to riches” narrative, and the distortion continues as the reader comes to understand Pip’s implausible ideas of wealth and happiness. Distortion is effectively used to amplify the themes in a way that has allowed them to be universal, and Great Expectations to stand as a long lasting emblem of great literature.
Pip’s ideals of wealth in comparison to poverty are a clear example of where distortion heightens themes of class status. Practically overnight, Pip is transformed from a poor son of a blacksmith to a city-dweller living in extravagant wealth. Dickens describes this transformation both in setting and means in a way that creates such a disparity between the “old” Pip with the “new” Pip that the reader is able to clearly see the point Dickens strives to make: that Pip’s ideas of wealth are ludicrous and idealistic, and this comes to be of great importance later on when Pip is imprinted with the idea that money can buy love and happiness. Pip explains, “I used to think, with a weariness on my spirits, that I should have been happier and better if I had never seen Miss Havisham's face, and had risen to manhood content to be partners with Joe in the honest old forge” (243). However, this quote implies that Pip was no longer satisfied with his old aspirations of happiness. With great wealth came “great expectations” no longer fit to the modest satisfaction of living with his beloved Joe, out of the way of the intimidating Miss Havisham’s influence. The effect of money is greatly distorted to the point where Pip believes money has literally changed his character and personal priorities for fulfillment.
Furthermore, setting is also distorted to drive home the theme of rich and poor being two seemingly opposing forces. Pip speaks of the “immensity of London” and has the idea that London is a gleaming city of opportunity (although upon arriving he decides that “London is decidedly overrated”). In contrast, his meager home in the country represents his lowly beginnings, and as soon as Pip moves to London he becomes extremely embarrassed of the environment in which he grew up.
In the words of Flannery O’Connor, distortion is “the only way to make people see.” This is particularly evident in Dicken’s novel, because without distorting the polars of wealth, the reader would have no idea the extent to which Pip was influenced by a skewed idea of class, and therefore the importance of class on happiness.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1.
The most illuminating moment in Fitzgerald's novel surrounds the narrator's realization that moral character transcends wealth and class. In a sea of incidents in which Carraway and the people around him are continually absorbed in their own lives and pursuit of wealth, there are a few magic "casements" that shine through to illuminate some greater truth. After Wilson exclaims that he and his wife "want to go west" (111) as a symbol of the desire to leave behind extortion and moral decay, Carraway says, "...it occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well" (111). "Sick and well" could be interpreted to represent morally sick and morally well, meaning that Carraway realizes in this moment that moral integrity rather than race, class, or intelligence, is the prominent differentiator of people. This is an illuminating moment in the novel because this humble realization serves to give the reader insight into what Fitzgerald really intended in a seemingly superficial novel about various parties. The setting only enhanced the deeper meaning surrounding the decline of American ideals and moral integrity at the hands of a more prominent desire for wealth and status. The moment when Carraway realizes there is no difference between men except for in their principles, proves to be a revelatory scene in the novel, as Carraway breaks through the facade of class in order to appreciate the more important American value of moral integrity.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 2
Fitzgerald's description of the West coast is emblematic of a faithfulness to one's birthplace, whereas the description of the East is symbolic of a spirit of adventure. As a Minnesota-raised man, Nick Carraway supposedly possesses old-fashioned midwestern values of hard work, honesty, and fairness. Even between East and West Egg on Long Island, West Egg is rich with "new money," and home to people who didn't inherit their wealth, but instead earned it. Carraway's narration serves as a grounding root throughout the novel. Even as the materialism and greed of 1920s New England overtake his surrounding environments, the narrator's voice stays reliable and trustworthy as a statement of his longlasting Western values. Throughout the novel, the West signifies humbleness and a place of centeredness for Nick Carraway. After experiencing the fast-paced lifestyle of the East, the narrator returns to his homeland as a way of staying faithful to his morals. He says, "After Gatsby's death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes' power of correction" (185). While the East offered him spontaneity, adventure, wealth, and frivolity, in the end Carraway craved the humble values of his upbringing.

In contrast, the East is representative of the spirit of adventure. Nick Carraway, and many of his friends who came from the West, initially fled the West in pursuit of something "new" in the East. With the influx of money, material things, and young people moving to the city, the East represents the collision between the desire to be carefree and the reality of careless decisions. Throughout his time in New York, Nick witnesses and partakes in the exorbitant lifestyle of the socially elite. While this lifestyle of course offers a huge sense of adventure, the narrator also sees the way that this thoughtless behavior leads to corruption. At one point Tom breaks out, "Civilization going to pieces..." (17). It could be interpreted that the quote means that the East is going to pieces, as a result of materialism and social corruption. For this reason, Nick decides to return to his home in the West once Gatsby dies, balancing his desire to experience adventure, with his lifelong need to honor his morals.

Mackenzie W-B
Period 1
"The Great Gatsby" is esteemed as one of America's greatest literary achievements; an emblem of of the time period, and the high point of Fitzgerald's writing career. The language in the novel is indeed beautiful and compelling, but certain characters are flawed in their unbelievable perfection and one-dimensional portrayals. One such character is Daisy Buchanan, the highly-criticized love interest of Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Daisy is portrayed in a way that makes her appear almost infallible. She is a one-dimensional ideal of wealth and beauty, and in the beginning of the novel she fills little more than the role of serving the interests of the men around her with flirtatious southern charm. Fitzgerald paints Daisy to be the naive love interest, which is in stark contrast to his rather three-dimensional plot line and main characters. Daisy says of her daughter, "I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool" (30). Not only does Daisy outright state that women should be diminished to innocence, but Fitzgerald also implies this idea throughout the novel through his stereotypical descriptions of Daisy, which contributes to an overall flawed character.

Furthermore, while most characters in Fitzgerald's novel are plagued by a culture of material excess, often even the greediest of men are portrayed to be justified in their pursuit of wealth, while when Daisy exhibits similarly selfish behaviors (infidelity, partying, hunger for materialism), she is painted to be a devilish and insensitive character. After Daisy kills Myrtle, and admits to being deceitful to Gatsby and her husband Tom, her character shifts from being the pure symbol of goodness to a symbol of selfishness and the dangers of greed. Tom Buchanan, an excessively rich and mean man, exhibits similarly awful behaviors in the novel. The reader is left with the impression that his behaviors are typical of men of that class status, while Daisy's behaviors are portrayed to be an anomaly. In the context of the time period, the one fault in "The Great Gatsby" is Fitzgerald's trite characterization of Daisy, which leads to an unfair representation of the major female character in the novel.

Mackenzie’s Comments (group member since May 24, 2016)

Mills AP Lit and Comp