Have you ever wondered how poverty has effected people throughout the years? Well, I have too. My reason for reading this book, was 1.) because I had to choose a book to read during class. And 2.) because I wanted to learn more about poverty wrote in a book. That’s why I chose ‘Great Expectations.’
In the book ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens, lives a boy, struck by poverty, looking over his parents’ grave. Pip is raised by his sister, who, even though was very physical with her siblings, gave all that she could to Pip and his siblings. In the very beginning of the book, Pip gets interrogated by a convict, (not knowing that the guy was a convict until later on in the novel), and he has to bring the convict some things. Pip follows through, even giving the guy part of his dinner, so he doesn’t get killed. Later on in the story Pip gets stopped by one of the convicts friend, trying to kill and rob him. Pip soon, gets to live a little bit of his life in wealth and comfortability, and finds a girl he is pretty interested in. Little did he know, the keeper of the house, didn’t want them together. Yet, Pip really wants this girl. So Pip carries on with the job he was giving and he keeps working towards being a “gentleman”. So in the end, Pip likes his life, he is comfortable and is surrounded by people he likes and tolerates.
Now, when Pip was younger, he had to sneak food out for this convict. He took the food from his own plate, and that’s when I knew things were a bit tough for their family. It’s an older sister, taking care of however many siblings, on her own, on only one check. Also, when the convict shakes him down, how no money drops out of his pockets.
Also, when I did the beginning, middle, and end quotations, if you would look at the first time, it talks about Pip bolting. A dictionary definition of bolting is: move of run-away suddenly. Pip has to do to that, so he doesn’t get caught, as Dickens said Pip was among a lot of people that have bolted, because they stole, not because they wanted to, but they needed to. This issue, to me, shapes the novel. It shows the steps that someone had to take, to get to where he wants to go, without even knowing what he wanted. Pip didn’t know what he wanted to do in life. He started as just a boy, living in poverty, and ended as a man, who conquered poverty, living a comfortable and happy life.
Now, life for everyone isn’t easy, and for my family, it has never been the best. Yes, we have been comfortable before, but only when my step-dad was in the picture. Then, life got hard, but we didn’t complain. We knew that a lot of people were like us, didn’t have a lot of money to spare, and still to this day, we don’t have a lot of money. We are not comfortable right now, but soon it will be how I want it.
It’s kind of scary not having any extra money, like what if something were to happen and we didn’t have the money to pay for it. That’s why I haven’t went to a therapist, I haven’t had the money, no one has. My cat, Luca, started limping and her ankle and foot started locking up, we didn’t have enough money to take her to the vet, until yesterday. It cost my mom $100. I was lucky, yanno? I mean, my mom said if Luca was going to need surgery we would have to give her up to the pet project, and that broke my heart. Money is such a powerful thing, and I hate it. I hate that living in this world, if you don’t have money, you’re frowned upon. You hate going to birthday parties or family gathering because you didn’t have the money to buy everyone something.
My nana was our support system. No, she didn’t give us money, but she always encouraged us to keep striving for a good future. I was and I am, even though cancer took her away. I’m going to have a good life, for her.
My audience is as simple as I stated it. Anyone who wants to listen and learn, anyone that has been through poverty, anyone that understands how much of an issue poverty actually is, and anyone that has an open-mind, that poverty doesn’t make you a different person. I want people to actually care and give a shit.
Almost half of the world lives off of $2.50 a day. That doesn’t even buy you a foot long from Price Chopper. It’s crazy that there are people out there that think that poverty is made up. 22,000 kids’ die EVERY SINGLE DAY because of poverty. Lacking of food, water, and shelter, probably very ill as well. 27%-28% of children in developing countries are underweight and have stunted growth from the lack of nutrients, caused by the lack of food. Now, tell me again how poverty doesn’t exist?
Lastly, we’ve all been defeated by different devils. We, as humans, are put to the test in life. We are pushed through a series of different challenges, but if we put enough will power and hope into something, you will always come out a winner. My life, may have been a freak show, but I got through it. You want to know how? Will power. I knew, no matter how many obstacles are thrown my way, I know I can conquer them.
In my life, I’ve had some rough things happen to me, horrible things, and I hate them, but they make me who I am today, and if anyone thinks that I would ever give up, just know that they are severely wrong. No, this is not a pity party, this is a real-life story, and I’m letting you hear it. Anyone can get through poverty, but you need patience, hope, will-power, and a reason. Poverty is not a silent killer, speak up, do something about it, and don’t pity yourself.
Pip was an amazing boy, but he was in way over his head. He wanted to be great, and to have lots of wealth. He got himself there, slowly but surely. He had a few struggles, especially living with his sister and all. He was living in poverty, stuck as a kid in the lower (middle) class, and worked his way up to the higher end of the middle class. Now, that may not seem like much, but a person that grew up in a more rural, run-down life, growing up to live in a spacious, modern (for the time being) place, is remarkable. That is why I feel proud to have read this novel.
