Benedict (by Kate Oyston)

Benedict is a long-lost relative of Pip and Mrs. Joe. He is a co-work of Jaggers, and Jaggers introduces him to Pip in London, and Benedict recognizes Pip, who he met when Pip was a baby. He was not a kind gentleman. He wasn’t generous, either. He did not care for other people. He was seen as a very professional man, interested in only business. This attitude didn’t leave him with many friends, and he didn’t care. He had visited Pip’s family once shortly after Pip’s birth, but preferred London over the small town. For all his selfishness, though, he was always very polite. He was always dressed for business in crisp suits with a tie so tight it’s a wonder he could breathe. He was quite old and the little hair he had left was gray. He was very tall and lean in build. He had the annoying habit of frequently clearing his throat.

Dialogue:

Benedict: “Why, it’s young Philip!”

Pip: “Excuse me, Sir?”

B: “I suppose you wouldn’t remember me, you were so young when we first met. I’m your mother’s cousin, Philip. And how is she doing? Has she come with you to London?”

P: “No, Sir, she’s dead and buried.”

B: “That’s a shame. Always was as sick one.”

P: “Yes, Sir, I’ve heard as much.”

B: “Right, well, good day Pip.”

A Dickensian Character (The_Real_Allan)

Ernest Bassletuck is one of the people waiting around outside of Mr. Jaggers’s office wanting to speak with him, but is always turned away. He decides to rob Mr. Jaggers’s house and creates a story in which he encounters the “real thieves” and defeats them. He then decides to return the cheap cutlery to Mr. Jaggers as an act of kindness, but is found out by him. Pip meets him when he tries to return Mr. Jaggers’s stolen cutlery to him, to which Mr. Jaggers reacts very mad. Pip feels pity towards him, and respect for his boldness to rob the house. Mr. Basstletuck, after being found out, has the reputation of being a thief with no conscience. People are saying he is ruthless, and his greed for material wealth is so strong it caused him to rob even Mr. Jaggers. He also has the reputation of not being clever, because he returned the goods and didn’t leave London to go into hiding. In reality, Mr. Basstletuck is a desperate man for Mr. Jaggers’s pity, because he is afraid Mr. Jaggers is going to charge him with a crime he did not commit. Although he also not an intelligent person, he is usually honest, but desperate means caused him to try desperate measures to get the attention of Mr. Jaggers. Mr. Bassletuck wears a suit and a tophat on most occasions. He is usually not badly kept, is not dirty. But recently he has been stressed and too busy, evident by the dirt on his suit and his unshaven chin. He is not old, and in his late 30s. But he has a shaved head. He himself is a strong man of average height, but is very large and muscular. He has rough features and looks somewhat like a gorilla, and his clothes are a little too small for his mass. Mr. Bassletuck has an odd thing he does with his left ear. It twitches whenever he blinks, and this often attracts the attention of people he is speaking to.

Dialogue with Pip:

Mr. Bassletuck sees Pip leaving from Mr. Jagger's office.

"You young sir. What is your name?"

"Halloa to you! I am Mr. Pip," he replied, somewhat surprised.

"Please Pip, you must help me!" Mr. Bassletuck pleaded.

"And why would I help a thief? You stole from my guardian, sir!" Pip said.

"Ah but it was only so he would talk to me! You see he is pressing charges to me for assault."

"But did I not hear him say he would press charges of burglary against you?" Pip said.

"He is also doing that now! Oh Pip, I am very desperate right now. I will los everything?" Mr. Bassletuck cried.

"Ah! Mr. Jaggers is a respectable man. And I have no reason to believe you and your gorilla-like frame, Mr. Bassletuck. Good day to you." Pip turned and began heading for Mr. Pocket's house.

"What has the world come to these days," Mr. Bassletuck said to himself.

Jason Ngo - Mr. Reginald's Story

As I (Pip) went back to London to the Pockets’ house, I found a man in a black suit sitting on a chair. Sipping on tea, the man and Mr. Pocket conversed. Occasionally, this man would sweep the dust off his hat, twirl his dark-black moustache and swing his cane around. Curiously, I walked into the room and the man stood up. His black shoes gleamed as if he had a shoe shiner constantly polishing his shoes. I walked over to Herbert and I whispered, “Who is this man?” Herbert whispered back, “His name’s Mr. Reginald and to my knowledge, he is one of the wealthiest and cruelest man in London.”

Suddenly, the man asked me, “Sir, would your name happen to be Pip?”
“Yes-sir,” I replied hesitantly. From the tone of his voice, I immediately knew he was not of low class.

“Well, I am your benefactor.”

In shock, I replied “But you can’t be my benefactor! I’ve never met you in my life before!”

“Well do you know the man you gave a file and wittles to? He is my stepbrother and I made time out of my way to thank you personally for your troubles.”

In shock, I replied, “I don’t believe you! Miss Havisham is my benefactor not you!” I rushed up into my room and retired to bed.

Lying on my bed, I thought to myself, “What if that man is actually my benefactor? That would mean Miss Havisham had no role in my becoming a benefactor.”

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open. Mr. Reginald marched straight to my bed and grabbed me by the throat. In a forceful voice, he said, “I am your benefactor and you better accept this fact if you wish to continue your education as a gentleman.”

Mr. Reginald marched out of the room and I shivered on my bed for the rest of the night, thinking about the other manipulative people in the gentleman world who are similar to Mr. Reginald.

Karishma Manji

As Pip walked, unsure about his past, and more so about his future, an old woman stopped him on the cold streets of London. She was not an amiable woman by any standards, but her white dress embroidered ever so lightly, spoke of stature and class.

“You are master Pip are you not?”

Pip looking astounded, replied, “Why yes, yes I am.”

“I am an acquaintance of your sister- a distance acquaintance,” she added.

Pip attempted to hide his emotions behind a veil of contempt but his intention slipped his tongue, “How is it, that a woman of your…stature, is acquainted with my sister?”

The old woman was taken aback, “Well my dear, each of our lives is like a river, and our courses intersect, whether we like or not, through paths we may have never meant to take. Please tell her that I am conducting my affairs in Kent and would be delighted to be in the presence of her company.”

“…Madam, I’m not sure how best to convey this information, but my sister has since passed. She…suffered injuries beyond the means of modern medicine and had been ill for many days.”

The old woman stared at Pip blankly, “I am having trouble comprehending your declaration Mr. Pip. She was in, in, fine health when I last spoke with her. Mind that may have been years ago on the day of her wedding...but I digress."

"I, of all people feel your sorrow, but I cannot help but question as to the reason for your acquaintance?"

Pip did not need utter another word for her to continue, "I lived in Kent, in the valley. Your sister worked for me at nights- sewing and stitching, to help pay for her nupital dreams. Her great expectations. It seems she gave up much of that to raise you and take care of her new husband. She seemed a changed woman when I saw her from afar last, much too young for those wrinkles etched in her features...Alas, fate is a cruel thing Mr. Pip. I must be going."

As she left, and continued on her journey, becoming once more a part of that sea of London-ers that Pip craved to belong to, she left a scar on master Pip. He could not help but cry, weep for the sister he lost and the misery he had gained.

Perhaps his great expectations were too great for even himself to handle...

caricature - una

We were on our way to meet a great friend of Herbert's, one who he said would be able to show me the ways of London. We were to meet him in a small tavern near out apartment.

It was a dingy place, but full of life. All hours of the day its tables were full of customers, and your could hear the noise issuing from its open doors from down the block.

Herbert said as we entered, "His name is Randy, and he is one of my dearest friends. He is such a splendid fellow... and the ladies just love him. Ah, there he is now!"

The person he was indicating was so diminuitive that at first I didn't notice him at all. My expectations had been to see a tall, broad-shouldered, handsome fellow, but Mr. Lindon was quite the opposite. He seemed to blend into the wall, such was his unremarkability. He was not a large man, nor a handsome man neither. He barely cleared my shoulder, and his face very much resembled that of a mouse. He had a mess of mousy hair, hanging limp around a nervous, twitching face with a very large nose and a moustache. Every 5 seconds, he would ajust the mustache as if he expected it to make a break for freedom any minute.

His clothes were so nondescript, I can barely recollect them. Simple and black, as if to deflect any attention he might attract on the odd chance that someone was to glance at him.

However, as soon as he opened his mouth I found myself wondering how I ever could have considered him diminuitive. His words of introduction were plain, but he spoke which such charisma and self-assurance that he was both instantly likeable and the center of attention in the room. "Ah, Herbert! Halloa, old chap! This must be your friend, Mr. Pip. So pleased to meet you, my name is Lindon. Randy Lindon."

clip assignment - una (:

Despite being based on identical subject matter, i.e. Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, the two movie versions of the book were very different. To begin with, there was a large difference in terms of quality and level of professionalism. The 1st clip was made for a high school English project, whereas the 2nd was a movie by the BBjC. This difference in purpose leads to obvious differences in respect to audio quality, the aestheticism of shots, and the quality of the acting. There were also differences in respect to the way the text was interepreted. The 1st clip was very true to the text, following the lines and sequence almost exactly. On the other hand, the second clip edited a good deal. Many lines were cut, and the first scene was portrayed fully later on as a flashback instead of straight up as it appeared in the book. One last thing was that because all the characters were played by kids with amateur acting skills in the 1st clip, they did very little to change my perception of the characters. However, the way the characters were portrayed in the 2nd clip very much changed the way I saw them.

Assignment 2 (cont'd)(The_Real_Allan)

Task 2:

The film versions have influenced my reading, understand, and interpretation of the text because it portrayed the events of the beginning differently from how I portrayed it in my mind. For example, originally I did not really think about how scary the convict would've been to Pip, as he was being held and constricted by him. This view was somewhat reinforced by the first film, in which the actor did not really exhibit much fear. But in the second one, the child Pip was in extreme fear. Watching the film versions has showed me that the same text can be interpreted in different ways by different people.

Assignment 2 (The_Real_Allan)

Both videos are of the beginning of Great Expectations, where Pip meets the convict and is ordered to retrieve him food. Both videos are set in forested area, using real-live action actors, and follow the storyline of the book closely.

The first video was made my children for a school project. It was filmed by a shaky camera, and actors that did not portray Dicken’s characters precisely (for example Pip is not Asian). In this version it was evident that it was filmed in a modern home (piano and carpeted floor visible). The dialogue was exactly what was spoken in the book, although it may not have been spoken in the manner of the real characters (e.g. no accent).

The second video was a lot more professional, with different-angled cameras and lots of scenery ken crops, which in a way was representative of the much description that Pip used in the book. This was not evident in the earlier book. The second video was more dramatic, but the order of scenes was somewhat different from the book, such as Pip being punished by Mrs. Joe before he had come into contact with the convict.

by: The_Real_Allan

Kate Oyston's Assignment 2

Film Comparison:

The first version stayed closer to the text, using that as the script as opposed to adapting it like the second version did. While this does keep the dialogue more similar to that in the book, the disadvantage is that it doesn’t develop the characters as well. So much of what we learn about the characters in the novel comes from Pip’s descriptions of them. However, obviously it’s not possible to have the descriptions in a film version. Therefore, I think it’s better to adapt the script to convey in dialogue what is usually said in Pip’s thoughts in the novel. So I thought the second version developed characters better by changing the dialogue. That being said, I liked how the first version kept the action the same as in the novel. The second version completely changed the encounter between the convict and Pip, and I found it confusing. That initial encounter, and how polite Pip is during it, speaks to his character. By taking out that encounter, they lost the chance to establish Pip as the endearing young boy from the beginning. I think if the two versions were combined, taking the script from the second and putting it with the action from the first, it would be perfect.

Reflection:

Having seen the film versions, I think I have a lot more sympathy for Pip. In particular, I thought the beginning of the second version, when Pip is running away from the convict, made me feel bad for the poor little boy with no parents scared of the criminal who was chasing him. My pity increased as his sister bullied him, and made him feel guilty for the fact that she’s had to raise him, as if that were his fault. Also, how bossy Mrs. Joe was in the first version made me appreciate that Joe has to put up with this grumpy woman every day. I think seeing the character, and having a vision of what he looks like and how young it is, makes you sympathize with him more because it humanizes him.

KARISHMA

I think the first version of Great Expectations does a good job of being true to the text. Most of the dialogue is very memorable and straight from the book. I think the second version takes more artistic freedom with the way in which it portrays the events e.g. Pip's first meeting with the convict is shown after he returns home to Mr and Mrs. Joe. I think the 2nd one is more about adapting Great Expectations for film, whereas the first one is the book as a film. I thought the Pips were similar in both versions- the sense of fear, innocence and naivity was present throughout. For e.g. Pip's face when he takes the bread in the first version is akin to Pip's face in the 2nd version as he dangles from the convict's arms. Joe in the first version seems less passive and more loud about his opinion, for e.g. at dinner he tells Pip to not stick the bread in his pants, and that he is his "best friend". But in the 2nd version, Joe cannot get a word in edgewise and even I was rather intimidated by Mrs. Joe's aggressive antics.

I think the 2nd version really changed my interpretation of Mrs. Joe. She seemed very scary and menacing but my sense of her was that she wasn't so scary but more intimidating. She seemed vindictive with the way she stared at Pip with her eyes full of hate, but I always thought of her as a sister and a wife who perhaps whined and complained and was short-tempered, but at the end of the day, still had some feelings of care and compassion. This was a more harsher version of Mrs. Joe but I understand where it's coming from. I think my understanding of the book has changed because seeing the story brought to life really helps me visually.


-Karishma

Great Expectations Films

Jason Ngo
Both versions present the same material, but the main difference is that the order in which the events occurred were different. The first version was not produced by professionals and consequently, the actors' lines were identical to the novel. On the other hand, the second version presented the convict's actions in a flashback. Although this choice is unique, the director aimed to show that Pip's mind was in total chaos. Another similarity are the surroundings in which the films were filmed at. Although the first version clearly had a limited budget, the audience gets a feel that the environments are what Dickens inteded it to be, such as the graveyard and Pip's house.

Reflection
After watching both of these films, I have a new perception of Pip. In the first version, I had the impression that Pip was not worried about his meeting with the convict. On the contrary, Pip's meeting with the convict in the second version impacted his life to the point where he would have nightmares thinking about his encounter. Also, I had the feeling that the graveyard had a more sinister atmosphere after reading the text. However, the second version does not have that "spooky" atmosphere.

At first, I thought he would be younger and more innocent-like, but