Rebekah’s Comments (group member since May 25, 2016)

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

"Sigh no more ladies, Sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foot on sea and one on shore,

To one thing constant never.

Then sigh not so, but let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny.

Converting all your sounds of woe,

Into "Hey, nonny nonny.""

- Much to do about nothing.

This quote by Shakespeare has always been one of my favorites for it's plain and simple meaning. This quote explains a very important and simple life lesson for most. In this quote it is explained to women that most men do not not commit and that women should quit worrying over this. "One foot on sea and one on shore." This specific line from the quote explains just how much Shakespeare can identify the fear of commitment and men. This witty attempt to deliver a strong message speaks to manny people and groups at once and is easily interpreted, even today.

To this day you can find this message all over society and portrayed in many stories of romantic relationships. Even in my own experience in choir we have done songs with these exact words written centuries apart. This goes to show that this massage is lasting. So much so that it has almost become a stereotype amongst men in our society.

Overall Shakespeare has proven knowledgable about life and it's obstacles. Because of this there are many pop culture and media references to him. This message is specifically applicable to many lives and will be for years to come.

Bella wrote: "Bella Speelman, Period 2
One of the most interesting aspects of Dickens’ Great Expectations is the existence of two endings; one in which Estella has remarried after the death of her abusive husban..."

Rebekah Nichols, Per. 2

Bella,
I completely agree with you. By analyzing your respond and the question posed by Mr. Mills I do believe that Dickens was pushed towards a happier ending by friends to satisfy his future audience. No doubt this decision helped this book become a sensation for decades after it's release but you're totally right the second ending to "Great expectations" does not offer as much closure as the original. I love how you point out how the fate of Estella in the revised ending is one she does not deserve since she has cause a great deal of hurt and pain to others throughout her entire life. This especially does not. Match up with the fate of the other characters since all of the other characters in the book revived exactly what they gave to others.

Also your comment on how readers love to read a happy ending and how readers like to think they know exactly how the characters they have grown with will end up is spot on. I completely agree when you say this gives people false hope and not genuine closure on important events and relationships.

Overall agree with your view on common place happy endings that we see throughout literature. I think you find the real reason why so many stories have happy endings and what the actual impact is.

Rebekah Nichols, Per. 2

In Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" it is evident throughout the book that Dickens chooses to use distortion over literary realism. Many have criticized the confusing high-level language used throughout the book and in my personal opinion that is its own form of distortion when you understand and see witch through the eyes of an uneducated struggling man. By seeing the story through pips eyes we see only a small scope and small understanding of one person. As Pip developed throughout the story the meanings of many words in situations change. As Pip's perception grows and changes, distortion grows even more.

I find that the best example of distortion in the novel is in the first three or four chapters we were introduced to a young Pip. Distortion can be found through the way PIP do use his situations and his family life. It comes from a place of understanding his situation he knows where he is in life and it is almost sad at times how much the reader sees that Pip's excepted his life the way it is. In reading Pip's narration of his own life you almost view Pip as a young boy who lives a life that narrated through literary realism would be described as dull and hard but dice Pip's point of view is distorted by a scope of limited understanding the reader sees his life and others through a different life. This is evident for instance when Pip first meets Magwitch. Because Pip is so young, innocent and, almost ignorant at times the reader becomes afraid of the convict but in a very distorted way. Throughout the beginning chapters Magwitch becomes some what of a friendly face and begins to confide in pip. This form of dispersion manipulates the readers perception and understanding of the entire story and acts as a form of foreshadowing for later events in the book.

The effects of distortion in the beginning of the book leads through the rest of the book and covers all plots and characters. The most important element in "Great Expectations" to me is the point of view and understanding of Pip and when that in itself is distorted shows just how much thought Dickens put into using distortion over Literary realism.

Rebekah Nichols, period 2.


In "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens The story is one of life and the consequences of one's decisions. I think that the book rings true to the theme of "what goes around comes back around." I personally believe that the ending that we see in the book does not match up with the rest of the story and the rest of the fates of all of the other characters. I believe that Estella is a victim of her circumstances but in the process of being raised by A "monster" she became one (in a certain sense) herself. I would argue that the life of a Stella is one of harsh pain loss and abuse but at the same time as she is on the receiving end she is also the one inflicting hurt and pain on others. The book makes it clear that Estella was only being used but the book also makes it clear that there are consequences to every one's actions whether it be early or later in their lives.

I believe that Dickens should've kept the original ending he had for his book for it would have given Estella more of a proper fate. I believe that dickens friend Edward was hoping for a slight of a happier ending in a more positive ending for two of the main characters instead of one that would reflect what I see as the main theme of the book. The original ending is more fitting to the message that Dickens is trying to get across but the ending in the book is one that Dickens would find to be more aesthetically pleasing to most of his audience.

In my experience reading the book and the original ending I find that the original ending brings the story to him much more of a complete close for me. The sudden and almost jarring feeling that the original ending brings to the reader rings true to the patterns found in the rest of the book. You never know what life will bring but you must always keep in mind "you reap what you sew."

Yes bringing the story to a complete close in the best way possible by having pip and Estella meet again start working towards a relationship with each other is pleasing to most but personally I prefer the original and how surprising it is and how open ended it leaves the story. Pip is released from his emotional distress due to his feelings for Estrella and I (as the reader) am free to create and ending myself.

Rebekah Nichols, Period 2:
All though “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald comes very close to being a perfect novel there is one big flaw I find that impedes the reader’s full ability to comprehend the book and understand it completely. As much as I enjoy reading this book from the limited perspective of Nick caraway and even though I see this as an interesting way to attempt a perfect novel I feel that it hinders my interpretation of the situations that caraway finds himself in. Throughout the book as a reader I constantly found myself trying to put together pieces of situations I did not fully understand because I only had the limited understanding of Caraway at my disposal.
One good example of this is in chapter 2 when nick finds himself in the apartment of Myrtle Wilson and Tom Buchanan, when he is talking to Myrtle’s sister Catherine. As Catherine is explaining her issues with Myrtle and Mr. Wilsons relationship, caraway finds himself in the mess that is Myrtle and her husband. As Caraways is pushed and pulled, and as he is bombarded by the different opinions of the people around him, it is easy for me as the reader to become very confused. As I try to understand more about the relationship between Tom and Myrtle and even other characters throughout the book I am left with missing pieces that are sometimes found. This makes for an intriguing experience reading the book but I wouldn’t say that this novel was completely perfect due to this fact.

Rebekah Nichols, Period 2:
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald follows the story of a young Midwestern man and his new life in the east. This change of culture and location is one of the main themes in the book and it makes the story very relatable as you get to see Nick Caraway and the people he is surrounded by adapt to their new lives. Following Nick caraway is its own specific adventure because as a reader we get to see the most personal things he chooses to keep and let go of.
From the first quote in the book from Caraway’s father about privilege and judgment, to the new things that Caraway learns from Gatsby this theme of balance and adaption rings throughout the entire novel. We see caraway learn to cope with the sheer overwhelming jungle that is New York. We also see through characters like Tom and Jordan, the push and pull, and the comparison of New York and the Midwest and what they both represent at the time the book is set.
In the end the conclusion is that there are pros and cons to each and the point is made that each man/woman has to pick and choose and make sense of the situation themselves. Like the quote mentions, Nick, Gatsby, Tom Daisy, and Jordan all represent different outcomes of the combination of the west and the east.

Rebekah Nichols, Period 2:
In “the Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald one “Casement” or illuminating moment in the book is the interaction in the beginning of the book between Nick caraway and his father with the specific quote “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “ just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” This quote creates an image and sets the tone for all of caraway’s future interactions throughout the book. Because this quote sets a tone for so many things I find that this makes the perfect casement for this novel. This is a very illuminating moment for caraway and it impacts the way he approaches his life in NY and his interactions especially with Daisy and Gatsby. Throughout the book the reader can use this moment to analyze caraways actions and perspective. It is interesting to see the way caraway applies this logic to Gatsby’s death and how all of caraway’s reflections apply his father’s advice.