Character - Calvin Kwok

I (Pip) was making his way through the dirty London streets to a fancy restaurant. I was to meet Mr. Pocket and Herbert for lunch. Prior to this, I had overspent my time browsing for a new suit and was in a rush, as a Gentleman should not be late. I began to quicken my pace and my heart began to beat faster and faster. All of a sudden, I stepped on a small bump on the path and I heard a squeal.

“Eeep!” the voice said.

I turned to my right, and noticed a small girl, bundled up in her ragged clothes, light brown from the dirt and dust on the street. As her messy head of un-kept black hair looked up at me, I felt my heart stop. The young girl resembled my sister when we were younger. Her innocent black eyes, gleaming in the sunlight, burned through my skull as she looked deep into my eyes and quietly said, “Sorry, Sir! I’m truly sorry! I didn’t mean to get in the way!”

“I-it is qu-quite all right, sister,” I stuttered, still shocked from her resemblance to Mrs. Joe and wondering if her fragile skinny body could have sustained my weight.

“Thank you, Sir,” the girl said, “but please, Sir, I am not your sister. My name is Miss Bridgette, but everyone around here calls me Annoyin’ Little B. I’m not sure why nor what it means, but that’s what they call me.”

“Oh, I’m very sorry Miss Bridgette!” I exclaimed, finally realizing what I had done. “How is your foot? Did I hurt you?”

“You’re very kind to ask, but I’m not in any pain. This happens often.”

“You are so young; where is your mother and your father?” I asked, beginning to feel that I had to care for this young girl. This young girl, who had reminded me of the sorrow in my heart from the loss of my beloved sister.

“They passed away two years ago, and left me with my big brother. But I have not seen him since then. He yelled to me that he was going to be rich and that he was going to be a Gentleman and ran out of the house. I stayed up all night waiting for him to return, but he never did,” Miss Bridigette cried, “I waited seven days and seven nights, before coming out to the streets to look for him. I eventually returned home, hoping he’d be waiting for me there, but I was only to find that my home had been broken into and all my possessions stolen. I haven’t had much to eat; only the scraps that I could find in my house and what I could carry with my weak body. Please, Sir, do you have any money or food to spare? I’m very hungry!”

I thought about this girl and her sorrow, wondering if Mrs. Joe, my sister, had felt similar in any way when I had come to London. After a short pause, which seemed like hours as Miss Bridgette stared at me with her tearful eyes, I finally reached into my money pouch and pulled out three shillings. As the cold metal came into contact with her hands, she gasped. “Thank you, kind Sir! Thank you! God bless you!” Her face was bright and beaming.

I nodded to her as I turned and continued walking down the path to meet Mr. Pocket and Herbert.

Amy

Mr. Edmunds

I was making my way through London with Mr. Jaggers by my side. We walked by the Thames near Westminister. As usual, the streets were busy, teeming with people, and vendors, and merchants and gentlemen and beggars. As usual, there were lots of people who recognized my guardian and wanted, naturally, to speak to him regarding their "urgent affairs".

One man in particular amongst the crowd caught my attention with his peculiar appearance. He was smoking his pipe in a very relaxed manner. His hair was sparse, and his face exuded a very curious air. The most obvious thing that stood out about him were his eyebrows. They were not straight, plain eyebrows, but rather curved at the ends, as if they had a life of their own. His suit and pants had no wrinkles, and no visible creases. He seemed to be a man of respect. He observed us in a humorous manner.

Mr. Jaggers, as usual, ignored everyone amongst the crowd, except for this peculiar man.

"Mr. Edmunds!" he exclaimed.

"What brings you to London at a time like this?"

Mr. Edmunds raised his eyebrows jovially and jabbed a medium-sized finger in my direction.

"I thought it was about time ... for business with the boy,"

"But so soon! I guess time has really come ... Come with us"

We made our way hurriedly back to Mr. Jagger's residence. We comfortably seated ourselves around the table.

"Mr. Pip, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Edmunds ... Your benefactor. He is a very honorable man and is responsible for all of the training and upbringing that you have received thus far, " Mr. Jaggers exclaimed

I felt a strange mix of gratitude and surprise. Mr. Edmunds raised one eybrow.

"It .... it's is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Edmunds," I stammered.

"Same to you, Mr. Pip. I trust you have been well?" His eyebrows curled.

Pubert Canendish's Fine Produce

The rain was just a drizzle, enough to be unpleasant but not enough to justify an umbrella. Pip was walking down the street in a hurry to be out of it. In his hurry he ducked into an alley as a shortcut. It was a narrow alley, not the kind that Pip chose to take usually. As he climbed over a large pile of old trash that blocked most of the alley he heard a cough behind him. There next to the trash was a monster of a man. Easily seven feet tall, his chest looked like a barrel; it seemed his shirt would burst for effort of containing it any longer. His biceps looked like tree trunks, as he raised an arm up to cover his small cough Pip could see more muscles rippling in it than he could even count. He wore a large pair of trousers, worn but in good condition but even these seemed to complain against his massive thighs. Contrasting to the quality of his clothes was his face, a hard face with strong but not unpleasant features with a disheveled beard sprouting from his cheeks and upper lip. When he spoke it sounded like two rocks being rubbed together ‘Hey there! You don’t happen to have any money do you?’ Pip was greatly frightened by this strange man and replied hesitantly ‘very little sir.’ The man made a move towards him, seeming to grow taller with every step ‘then cough it up.’ Pip made to go for his purse but suddenly the man broke down into tears. ‘What is the matter sir?’ Pip asked meekly. ‘I can’t do this no more it’s hurting me. I used to be a good man; I owned a shop; Pubert Cavendish’s fine produce (that be my name) but no more no more.’ ‘Why don’t you just reopen your shop?’ inquired Pip. ‘me wife of 12 years did leave me, she said I was just too big to have around so I sold my shop because I had no more love of produce anymore.’ ‘You used to love produce?’ asked pip, now thoroughly confused. ‘But of course! Oh to remember the subtle curve of a strawberry, the gentle indentations from the seeds on the skin, the green stem contrasting with the bright red of the berry. It truly is a beautiful thing to see. You know I miss those days! I’m going to open my store up again! Broccoli! Cauliflower! And every other vegetable as far the eye can see! Kings will come to me for my produce will be best in the land! God bless you young sir for opening up my eyes to my future! God bless you!’ And with those words he took off, a silly grin that would not be out place on a five year old plastered all across his scruffy face.

By: Campbell Langlois

Peter Zhang - Character

Fig 1. How the character may appear in present day

A Dickensian name, with a dramatic/an unusual entrance into the story.
Richard ‘Dick’ Dickens

Definition of the character by negation (e.g. she was not a beautiful woman)
Richard was still not an adult, and his close friends do not call him by his proper name, Richard. Because he did not come from poor family, he did not lack acquaintances and connections. He was not a very honest man, for he believed one should not put the needs of the group in front of his own desires.

Reputation of character and a possible disparity between reputation and reality
He rather well known in his area of development, and his family was regarded as the most powerful landlord. Feared and respected by everyone in town, although that did not mean he did not fear anyone else. Nobody knew about his financial situation. His family’s illegal operations came to a grinding halt after the American War of Revolution began, but they still had to spend money to keep police officers quiet.

Physical description of character, features of dress
He possesses a rather light build, resulting from rare exercise and long hours of studying. He is often seen in informal upper class attire.

A characteristic mannerism that would make this character more interesting
Due to his family legacy and his behavior, he fits well into the upper class, although he behaves far from chivalrous. If a woman were to be caught in the rain, he would berate her on her incompetence in planning and continue on his business, and he would bluntly state the flaws of others.

The circumstances under which Pip comes across this character
He met Pip when he was walking through the street. Pip was being mocked by a former acquaintance of his (Book 2, Chapter 11) and it was evident that he did not respond in the manner that a gentleman should. Being unable to resist, Richard went to Pip and began talking….

A dialogue between Pip and your character
R “Why hello there young chap”
P “Do you mind? I am very busy, may you please leave me on my way”
R “You bloody boy! You act as if you were like me, like the powerful figures of England, yet you cannot even accomplish the simple act of dealing with a commoner”
P “I’ll have you know that I inherited a large sum of money, and I shall pay you to cease and desist”
R “Why would I want your small pennies? You pounce around in a gay [happy] fashion from a mere fraction of what I possess!”
The argument continues for several more minutes…
Police “Ho jolly good day mate [to R and P]. Dick, may I remind you that my monthly payment is due?”
R “Oh why yes … this is not a very good time Charles, rest assured that you shall receive your money. You bloody boy, you are lucky this time, for I have to attend a very important meeting.”
P “G’day sir, ‘twas jolly good meeting you!”
R “Likewise, my young acquaintance”

kate stern - dickensian character

Mr. Jagger's Sister
Rosalind Cordelia Jaggers
She is not a plain woman, and definitely not a wallflower. Called "Miss Rose" for short by her many admirers, she had a reputation for being rather frivolous, though in fact she was highly intelligent and fluent in 12 languages. She relies on her suitors to fuel her love of beautiful clothes and jewels. She is tall (5 10') with long blonde hair. She often wears rich purple and red velvet dresses, accented with gold brocade and embellished with jewels such as rubies and sapphires. Her interesting characteristic mannerism is that every night she must polish all of her jewels until they are perfectly shiny. She lives in fear of finding anything about her less than perfect. Also she likes how her jewels remind her of events in her life. Pip comes across this character one day when he is visiting Mr. Jaggers to collect his money.
Suddenly, a tall blonde woman swept into the room. She was certainly beautiful, but with a sort of cold, hard beauty that reminded Pip of something he couldnt quite put his finger on. It reminded him of a feeling of longing for something he could never have. The train of her ruby red gown trailed gracefully behind her until she came to a stop in front of Mr. Jaggers.
"Have you found her yet?" she demanded of him.
"For God's sake, Rosie, will you stop bothering me!" Mr. Jaggers responded angrily. "I promise I'm doing everything I can, but I have enough to do without you coming in here every day. Dont you have a ball to go to or something?"
She sniffed disdainfully. "I guess thats a no, then. And I thought you were a real lawyer, Rudolph. "
"I cant believe we are related" huffed Mr. Jaggers under his breath. He then said something else to Miss Rosie and she turned on her heel and gracefully left the room, with barely contained frustration. But Pip did not notice. Had she just call Mr. Jaggers "Rudolph"? Were she and Mr. Jaggers brother and sister?
Mr. Jaggers seemed distracted as he handed Pip his money, and Pip quickly followed in Miss Rosie's footsteps. Once he was back on the bustling London street, he was surprised to find her sitting on the ground sobbing. She looked a frightful mess - hair unkempt, dress dirty, face streaming with tears.
"Miss Rosie! -" Pip started in shock, but he had barely begun when she interrupted.
"Its Miss Rosalind Cordelia Jaggers to you, young man."
"Well, Miss Rosalind Cordelia Jaggers, whats wrong? Perhaps you had better come with me in my carriage," he said, after noticing the curious stares of passersby.
"Very well," she agreed. She was hardly in a fit state to argue, Pip remarked. They arrived at his apartment.
"Well, I suppose you are curious about my story," she said, as if resigned to her fate, "so I might as well get it over with. Rudolph and I are brother and sister. We were both born poor, destined for the workhouse, but I was gifted with beauty. Because of the generosity of my admirers we have risen from dirt to become educated and modestly successful. As you can imagine, I have had many lovers. But one day I found out I was pregnant, and my admirer did not agree with this. He was my only source of income and I was forced to give the baby up. It was the worst mistake of my life. I have spent every day since then searching for my lost daughter, which is what Jaggers helps me with in his spare time. I was crying because I fear I shall never find her."
Pip could only stare openmouthed. It appeared he had found Estella's mother.

GE ac2 Peter Zhang

Both versions recall the first chapters of Great Expectations and both have consistent speech. There is a noticeable contrast in quality of acting, an important factor in comprehension.
In the first version, the plot is mainly told through speech, with some acting at the beginning or end of a scene. The speech is taken directly from the book, and although it incorporates key ideas, it could not be easily understood for someone unfamiliar. In the first part, there is no real indication of danger, due to the choice of actors and setting. We do not have the sense that the convict is much larger or stronger than Pip; in fact, he is smaller than Pip, leading us to believe that Pip was merely caught off guard. The daytime shot by a calm lake also fails to communicate the feeling of being in a graveyard.
Despite ineffective acting, the choice of speech was effective, and helped viewers make sense of the storyline.
The BBC version had casts who generally ‘fit’ the descriptions in the story. Pip is portrayed as a young boy, although in the story he a young adult. Mrs. Joe’s appearance does not fit the story very well either, as she is clean and chubby. She also seems to be much older than Pip, although this is not the case in the story – she is simply more aggressive and commanding. Overall, the BBC version tells the story better. It is understandable by someone who has never read the book. The first version, on the other hand, lacks effective acting.

Great Expectations - Acitivty 2 (Calvin Kwok)

Compare and Contrast
The two versions of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations portrayed in films both generally show the same ideas. However, there are several differences in the content shown. First, the order of events is different. In the first amateur version of the film, the exact order from the book is shown. However, in the more professional version, there is a flashback to show the convict's first interaction with Pip, immediately before he brings food and the file for the convict. Furthermore, in the amateur version, the scene in which the convict tells Pip his demands was shown contrasting to the professional version, in which the scene was not shown. Instead, the convict just stated that he was hungry. This may lead to confusion in the professional version as the audience may not have understood what the convict had said with his rough voice and the audience may be wondering why Pip takes food and brandy and then leaves the house. Lastly, the dramatization of the characters was much more believable in the professional film. The convict was more angry and rough with Pip, as well as Mrs. Joe. Furthermore, Pip was panting after running away from the convict. In the amateur version, the characters did not display their emotions as well. However, Mrs. Joe raised her voice and yelled at Pip, similar to the actress who portrayed Mrs. Joe in the professional film. Thus, although both the films follow the ideas of the story, the content shown shows differences.


Influence
Both films influenced me in similar ways. The films both gave me an interpretation of the film that was not my own. With this, I can build a more concrete, and possibly new interpretation of how I see the film. For example, the films made me question how rough the convict actually was towards Pip. From the professional version, I could see that Pip was intimidated by the convict but from the amateur version, it seemed as if Pip was not afraid at all. As the text in the book is not written in modern english for the most part, this visual representation helped reinforce my understanding of what I read.

Video comparison kate stern

there are only 10 minutes left and i only watched about 2 minutes of the third video, but i will try and do this anyway. The first version (i will call this version 1) is clearly homemade and a lot "rougher around the edges" than version 2. version 1 starts off, as the book does, with Pip in the graveyard, being attatcked by the convict. Interestingly, they do not include the "irons" that the convict wears in the book. version 2 also starts in the graveyard, but it quickly shifts to Pip going home and being punished by Mrs. Joe. Lots of work has clearly been done to make the setting as historically accurate as possible. in version 1, it is strange how large, white, and spacious Pip's house is. version 2 is cramped, dark, and dirty, as described in the book. also, version 1 shows pip going upstairs, though they clearly would not have had a second floor to their house. this was most likely because version 2 is a BBC production, where they would have had a high budget and professional people working on the movie, while version 1 was homemade for an english project. there were also differences in the script. in version 1, the "actors" (or children) followed the exact words of the book (at times reading from it.) in version 2, it was clear they had edited out parts they deemed unneccessary. In conclusion, version 2 was much more polished and very well done, but version 1 was still an entertaining and admirable effort.

Great Expectations - Film Comparison

There are a number of significant differences between the first and second versions of the film. We do take into consideration the fact that the first version of the film is a student-produced, unprofessional version, whereas the second one was produced by BBC and would have received substantial funding as well as professional equiptment.

Pip and the Convict - In the Marshes
In both versions of the film, we are shown the interaction/conversation between Pip and his convict. In the version A, the lines of the original text are followed almost exactly, but some of the actions and expresssions of the actors seem over-exaggerated and ungenuine. In the BBC version of the film, we are initially only shown Pip running though the marshes and away from the convict. Suspenseful music and good background visuals of the marshes successfully portray Pip's strong sense of fear. We are not shown the conversation between Pip and the convict until after he has gone home and is thinking about it. The conversation has been slightly altered/modernized, probably for better comprehension for the audience. There is no mention of another boy or someone who wants to "eat Pip's insides". The actor shows us a menacing and scary convict.

Pip Goes Home - Scene with Joe and Mrs. Joe
Both verisons of the film shows us the interaction and the anger of Mrs. Joe after Pip goes home. In the BBC version of the film, we are shown the anger of Mrs. Jow directly after Pip comes home - we are shown more conversation and given more background information. In the student-produced version of the film, we are first shown the interaction between Pip and Joe prior to Mrs. Joe's entrance into the scene. The professional film shows the interaction between Pip and Joe after Mrs. Joe is gone.

The student production shows us the dinner table scene, whereas the professional film goes straight to Pip, running through the marshes to deliver the food to his convict. In version A of the film, we are shown Pip rummaging through the bottles and food.

Technicalities and Lines
Both films use audio and special effects, but they have varying degrees of effectiveness.
Version B (the professionaly produced version) of the film takes out some scenes and modifies some lines, but I agree with the choices made by the director, as the general ideas and atmosphere is still clearly conveyed and able to be seen.
Version A (the student produced version) tried to follow most of the original lines of the text, but did alter some lines to try and make the topic clearer. They also included all scenes that were included in the book.

Overall
Overall, I felt that both films helped in my general understanding of the book, and gave me more concrete atmosphere/visuals. It helps me visualize the book better.

- Amy