Response Journals to Great Expectations

Response Journal #1

Dickens has described women in a different way. Mrs. Joe raised Pip by the hand, quite literally. He couldn't do anything correct, and was hit and shoved unnecessarily (such as the use of Tickler when he came home late). She is what I have termed a "husband-beater". This is very unusual for the time period of the book. At the time, many people were of the opinion that women were the weaker sex. So having the "weaker" be physically abusive towards the "stronger" was unheard of. It probably happened in real life, as in today, but it wasn't talked about then. Even today husband-beaters are not widely discussed. Great Expectations probably raised quite a few eyebrows in its first publishing for portraying a woman in such a dominant role.

Mrs. Joe brings me to another point. I feel so sorry for Joe and Pip. Joe is so whipped. All his wife has to do is look at him to get him to do what she wants. Pip is also pushed around in much the same way. Their treatment led them to having a close relationship though. They shared things that friends share, such as the sign of their fingers in a cross to warn each other of Mrs. Joe being in a cross mood. After the convict was taken to the Hulk, and everyone thought he had stolen the missing food, Joe was the only person Pip would confess to. This shows that in addition to closeness, they share trust.

What is going on with Mrs. Havisham? The way her room and attire was described (all white, one shoe on, the clock and watch stopped at the exact same time, etc.) gave the impression that she is in some sort of mental time warp. Given that and the fact that she was in a bridal gown makes me think that on some day (probably near her wedding) at twenty to nine, some traumatic event happened involving her. She then went into some sort of psychotic episode. Regardless of the reason why she was dressed in such a manner and why the clocks were stopped, it is mentioned for a reason. Maybe it is foreshadowing something.