Pip-“Human”
Pip, a main character from Great Expectations, can connect with the song “Human.” He can specifically relate to, “Sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door. Close your eyes. Clear your heart. Cut the cord.” This open door links to the significant opportunity that Pip was faced with when Mr. Jaggers came to educate him in his great expectations. Going to London, would be his entrance to basically a whole new life, much like a door leads to a room. He “cut the cord” to his old life by leaving the marshes, Estella, Mrs. Joe, Joe, and Biddy, which permanently injured any chances of regaining a true relationship with that part of his life ever again. Also, Pip had to clear his heart of all feelings except for his future as a gentleman, so it was not painful when he cut cord to those feelings. “My sign is vital, my hands are cold,” directly links with Pip because he begins to lose human qualities in his everyday lifestyle. For example, Joe came to London to visit Pip in his new environment. Joe felt extremely uncomfortable with the circumstances of the visit because he was used to the quiet, rather quaint, marsh environment from which he raised Pip. Pip treated him like his inferior and failed to show the compassion that Joe deserved for all the love and support that he gave Pip in his childhood; compassion also is an element that defines the human condition. A third connection is with the line, “Pay my respects to grace and virtue. Send my condolences to good. Give my regards to soul and romance.” Slowly, Pip begins to carry out good deeds for the only reason being that he needs to prove to himself that he is still connected to his old life in the marshes. For example, when Mrs. Joe died, Pip returns to the marshes for the funeral out of a feeling of obligation that wasn’t necessary an emotional feeling. Pip only gave his respects and condolences to keep up an image. Altogether, these actions of Pip do not fade away from his mind until the very end of the book, when Pip realizes that being a gentlemen is not everything and that he really does have emotions about the world and the people he loves. The song, “Human,” resembles Pip.
Estella- “King of Anything”
“King of Anything” reflects the personality of Estella. The overall mood of this song is that you can be independent and you don’t need anyone to take of you. This is also the overall mood of Estella throughout Great Expectations. She refuses to be manipulated by anyone because she prefers to be the manipulator herself. Specifically in the song it says, “Stare me down across the table, while I look outside.” This can be related to Estella’s situation with another main character from the book, Pip. Pip has admired Estella since the first time he was sent to the Satis House to be her playmate. He is encouraged by Miss Havisham to love Estella, even has Estella harshly rejects his affections by insulting him regarding his social class. Later, Pip directly expresses his love for Estella and she responds by continuing with a proposal to Pip’s enemy, Bentley Drummle. Going to back to that the line in the song, Pip is staring at Estella, while she turns a blind eye and continues with her life. Another line in “King of Anything” is, “You’re so busy makin’ maps with my name on them in all caps.” This also relates to Estella’s complicated relationship with Pip because Pip thought that Miss Havisham was the benefactor that sponsored his education in his great expectations. He furthermore thought that Miss Havisham had been his benefactor to ensure his entitlement to Estella. This entitlement was such a solid factor in Pip’s mind, that he planned most of his life around how he would win Estella over. A third way Estella relates to “King of Anything” is when the song says, “I hate to break it to you babe, but I’m not drowning. There’s no one here to save.” This resonates with Estella’s individual spirit and how she doesn’t need anyone to save from any decision she makes by herself. For example, Miss Havisham tried to dissuade her from marrying Drummle, to salvage Estella’s happiness, but Estella rejected her assistance so that she could make the point of telling the world to just let her live with her consequences. Estella has a connection with Sara Bareilles’s song, “King of Anything.”
Miss Havisham- “Haunted”
Kelly Clarkson’s song, “Haunted,” is a depressing tale about the disappointments of life. Miss Havisham’s entire existence in Great Expectations is the result of her disappointments in life. A line from the song, “Whispers taunting, all the things you said,” specifically connects Miss Havisham to “Haunted.” This is because Miss Havisham had had a fiance named Compeyson, when she was younger. He convinced her to buy into more of her father’s business because he planned to run away with the company’s profits and Miss Havisham’s brother. This all happened before they were married, so Compeyson didn't show up at their wedding, leaving Miss Havisham in grief over her lost love. All of the hope about their marriage that he had put into her was taunting her because it’s constantly reminding her that, what she wants, she will never get. Ever since her wedding day disaster, Miss Havisham has stayed with her old dress, home, possessions, and whimsical misperception of reality. It is almost like her life completely stopped and she was frozen in time. These lines also coincide with Miss Havisham’s relationship with Arthur: “They took you. They broke you. They tore out your heart.” Compeyson convinced Arthur to assist him in hoodwinking his future wive's money and abandon her. Arthur regretted this decision later and died as a man suffering from grief of his actions. A fourth connection Miss Havisham has with this song is with the line, “Let me be numb, I’m starting to fall.” This represents Miss Havisham’s last moments of life as she burns in a conflagration because dying is sort of like the last numbing process the mind can perceive. She had begun to lose her grip on her strict motto regarding breaking boys’ hearts, just before her death. Miss Havisham even shows remorse when Estella tells Pip of her plans to marry Bentley Drummle even after Pip poured his love and affection to her. Miss Havisham’s personality is reflected by “Haunted.”
Jaggers- “Space Oddity”
“Space Oddity” is a song about an astronaut and what he, Major Tom, is experiencing in space. At first glance, you may assume that “Space Oddity” cannot relate to any of the characters in Great Expectations. The character in the song actually can relate to Mr. Jaggers in figurative ways. For example, the line, “Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.” Mr. Jaggers is a lawyer and he proves that he is very serious about his business. This is demonstrated especially in a specific scene when Mr. Jaggers is portrayed with many clients around his feet that are begging for his assistance, while Mr. Jaggers is trying to give Pip a tour of his office. You could say that he takes his protein pills and puts his helmet on while he deals with these kind of circumstances because he needs to be firm and resilient in order to remain uninvolved with his clients’ obvious distress. Another line from the song, “And I’m floating in a most peculiar way and the stars look very different today,” symbolizes how Mr. Jaggers begins to see life differently. When Mr. Jaggers finds himself in charge of Pip’s great expectations, he has a new job: being partially responsible for somebody other than himself, which is a different step for Jaggers, who seems to have lived most of his life solely. This new responsibility includes forcing Mr. Jaggers to spend some of his precious time consulting Pip on his decisions. Thirdly, “For here I am sitting in a tin can, far above the Moon. Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do?” This line symbolizes the barrier that Mr. Jaggers puts around himself from people. As a result, he is extremely business oriented both at work and at home. Business orientation makes it difficult for Jaggers to relate to people on personal levels. Mr. Jaggers can relate to the character in “Space Oddity” by David Bowie.
Joe- “Old Days”
“Old Days,” by Chicago, is centered on a person that is reminiscing in what used to be. Joe can relate to this song because he really has done little wrong in his life and he didn’t deserve any of the negative that came from the drastic changes in his life. When “Old Days” says, “Take me back to a world gone away,” it could be referring to the world that Joe lived in before Pip moved to London to pursue his own life as a gentleman. When Pip moved, Joe was left alone with only Mrs. Joe, Biddy, Miss Havisham, and few others who could help his life remain normal. Slowly, his life began to dissemble. His wife died, Pip thought that he was too good for Joe, Miss Havisham died, and Joe basically was the only constant character in the marshes. Even when Joe’s life finally was put back together when Joe married Biddy and started a family, Pip never truly recovered from his alienation to Joe’s life and vice versa. Another line that Joe can relate to is, “Old days- darkened dreams of good times gone away.” The marshes that Joe assumedly grew up in began with a negative connotation, when the opening of the book described a graveyard, later Mrs. Joe died, followed by Miss Havisham’s disintegration, and Pip’s kidnapping. However, Joe keeps the image of good time and happiness that thought he had envisioned when he married Mrs. Joe because he thought he’d be making a difference in Pip’s world. Even though all of these terrible things are happening around him, he manages to hold on to sanity and routine until he finds pleasure again in marriage to Biddy. Joe’s life is similar to the life portrayed in “Old Days.”
Mrs. Joe- “Blown Away”
I interpret “Blown Away” to be about a girl who is regretting her old life and wants any remnants of it to just disappear. Mrs. Joe Gargery, a main character from Great Expectations, has a rather violent and upsetting introduction in the book. “Those storm clouds gather in her eyes,” a line from the song, represents this introduction. The storm clouds have a strong negative connotation as they gather, just like the actions of Mrs. Joe. For example, she would force both her husband and brother to drink disgusting tar water when she was angry at them. She also would whip or beat her brother, Pip, and even her husband, Joe, on occasion. This was done to such an extent that Pip winsomely states that his sister “brought him up by hand.” A second symbolizing Mrs. Joe is injured by Orlick, an employee of Joe’s, her ability to communicate is impaired, leaving her reliant on the people around her, like Biddy, Joe, and Pip. These people coincidentally happened to the very same people she had mistreated while she was in good health. So Mrs. Joe begins to renounce her old ways and becomes gentler to her caretakers. However, she did too much damage to ever fully erase her past. Thirdly, Mrs. Joe is symbolized by the line, “Her daddy was a mean old mister. Mama was an angel in the ground.” The only perspective of Mrs. Joe and Pip’s parents that the reader gets is in the very beginning of the story, which happens to have also been an extremely oppressive setting while Pip stares at their graves. All that is revealed is that they are both dead; however Mrs. Joe seems to have a motive to resent them because she was left with the care of Pip. So, Mrs. Joe would be inclined to describe her father as, “a mean old mister.” Mrs. Joe is symbolized by “Blown Away.”
Biddy- “You Belong With Me”
“You Belong With Me” is about a girl who is never good enough for the person she loves, making her feel like she’s not good enough at all. Biddy has experiences like this in Great Expectations. For example, she can directly relate with this line: “You’re on the phone with your girlfriend- she’s upset. She’s going off about something that you said.” This resembles the relationship that Biddy observes between Pip and Estella. The cycle is that Estella gets upset with Pip and then Pip goes to talk about his problem with Biddy. Estella constantly disapproves in Pip, making Pip’s consultation with Biddy fairly usual. A specific consultation that Pip has with Biddy is right before he departs for London, after Pip realizes that Estella is playing with his emotions yet again. Secondly, Biddy can relate to the lines, “But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts. She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers,” from “You Belong With Me.” This translates into Biddy’s life because she differs drastically with Estella’s supposed high social class. In these two analogies, Biddy is the lowlier of the two, so she would be the bystander wearing t-shirts, making Estella the higher of the two and be a cheer captain wearing short skirts. Also, Biddy is perceived as lower in social class compared to Estella, by Pip, considering that she did work for Mrs. Joe Gargery, which would incline him to believe he’s too good for Biddy. Thirdly, Biddy connects with the line, “standing by and waiting at your back door,” because she’s been waiting on Pip’s decision for such a long time. Through childhood and into adulthood, Biddy has listened to Pip’s problems, comforted him, given him advice, and consistently been there for him. She kept waiting for Pip to have a sudden realization of her effort, but she realizes that she waited too long at the back of his mind so he marries. It is ironic because Pip finally decides he wants to propose to her just as she is married to Joe. Biddy is represented by “You Belong With Me,” by Taylor Swift.
Herbert Pocket- “How to Save a Life”
Herbert Pocket, a main character from Great Expectations, is represented by “How to Save a Life,” by the Fray. Generally, the mood of this song is a combination of the character reflecting on his present situation and how his situation could go wrong. For instance, “Let him know that you know best, cause after all you do know best,” is Herbert’s situation being told from the position of his friend, Pip. Herbert wanted to marry Clara, but he couldn’t marry her unless he had more money and success. Pip thought the only way Herbert could ever be happy with this success, was if he convinced the happy with this success, was if he convinced the wealthy Miss. Havisham to sponsor him, which he did. But, he did this without Herbert’s knowledge because of his confidence that he was doing the right thing. Secondly, Herbert Pocket relates to the line, “He smiles politely back at you. You stare politely right on through,” which also symbolizes the relationship between Pip and Herbert. Pip was sponsored to become a gentleman, so he had no real problem with compiling enough money for that cause; However, Herbert clearly didn’t have enough money in general because he would have used it to marry his love, Clara. Pip and Herbert work cohesively and become best friends, but there is always that unspoken line between them saying that one of them has the means to follow their dream, while the other does not. Thirdly, Herbert is symbolized by the line, “And I would have stayed up with you all night had I know how to save a life.” This specific part is describing how Herbert would react if something bad happened to Pip like, for instance, when Herbert came to save Pip when he was kidnapped. Herbert would be willing to “stay up all night” finding a solution if it meant that he had a chance to save his friend. “How to Save a Life” represents Herbert Pocket’s personality.
Magwitch- “Secrets”
Abel Magwitch’s complexity is represented by OneRepublic’s song, “Secrets.” One instance where this is shown is in the lines, “Got no family I can blame. Just don’t let me disappear. I’ma tell you everything.” Magwitch is known as simply, “The Convict,” in the beginning of Great Expectations, but the reader later discovers that this character, seemingly gone from the main plot of the story, actually had been harboring secrets throughout the time he was absent from the book’s plot. When he appears to Pip randomly and reveals that he sponsored Pip’s great expectations, he knows that Pip wouldn’t want to continue being sponsored by a convict, so he draws him in with other secrets until Pip realizes he actually does care about Magwitch. These other secrets included that Magwitch’s daughter is Estella and Miss Havisham was never Pip’s benefactor. This is specifically crucial to the outcome of the story because Pip realizes that all of the time and hope he devoted to becoming a gentleman, in hopes of winning Estella over, was fruitless from the star and that he actually was higher in social class than she was. Pip’s new situation with Estella also bring about another connection Magwitch has with the song’s line, “Thought you saw me wink, no, I’ve been on the brink, so,” because Magwitch’s lies/secrets clear up a lot of confusion about the plot. Firstly, Magwitch is not as heartless and cruel as the first scenes of the book portray him to be. Little Pip was terrified into steeling a file for the convict that was staying in a graveyard; this didn’t exactly set a positive connotation for Magwitch’s character. Secondly, Pip realizes that he does not need to waste the rest of his life becoming a gentleman if the only reason why he’s doing it is to impress a girl that is lowlier than him anyway. Thirdly, I think that Magwitch revealing all of his actions both the reader and Pip sets up a new level of respect for him because he didn’t use his money to build himself up, but rather build somebody else up to admire what they’d become. This crosses some boundary of a criminal’s code of conduct, which, I think, can promote Magwitch from his criminal ways. The song “Secrets,” represents Abel Magwitch, in Great Expectations.
Mr. Wemmick- “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” represents Mr.Wemmick. This song is sung gently, but with emotion, which can be reflected in Mr. Wemmick’s laid back personality at home. However, this side of him is not always evident to the reader. The line repeatedly used in the song, “Like a bridge over troubled water,” connects with Wemmick specifically. He was facing a significant trouble in his life which was to become the same person both at work and at home. This trouble could really only be solved by Wemmick having enough self confidence in his personality. So, his “bridge” to relief ended up being his marriage. A second line, “If you need a friend, I’m sailing right behind,” symbolizes Mr. Wemmick’s friendly attitude towards everybody. For example, he invited Pip over to his house for a meal, just within a few days of knowing him. It took Mr. Jaggers a little longer to warm up to Pip that much, and even when he did invite him over it was with some of his other students too! Also, Mr. Wemmick takes care of his old father whom he calls, “The Aged Parent.” He is a dignified man who could probably have dumped his father and that responsibility on another relative or employee, but it really says something about Wemmick’s compassion that he can handle the burden of his father. It also says that Mr. Wemmick likes to care for somebody and keep his company, because he cares about his father. This also drastically contrasts with Mr. Wemmick’s colleague, Mr. Jaggers, and his lifestyle. Mr. Wemmick is represented by “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Pip, a main character from Great Expectations, can connect with the song “Human.” He can specifically relate to, “Sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door. Close your eyes. Clear your heart. Cut the cord.” This open door links to the significant opportunity that Pip was faced with when Mr. Jaggers came to educate him in his great expectations. Going to London, would be his entrance to basically a whole new life, much like a door leads to a room. He “cut the cord” to his old life by leaving the marshes, Estella, Mrs. Joe, Joe, and Biddy, which permanently injured any chances of regaining a true relationship with that part of his life ever again. Also, Pip had to clear his heart of all feelings except for his future as a gentleman, so it was not painful when he cut cord to those feelings. “My sign is vital, my hands are cold,” directly links with Pip because he begins to lose human qualities in his everyday lifestyle. For example, Joe came to London to visit Pip in his new environment. Joe felt extremely uncomfortable with the circumstances of the visit because he was used to the quiet, rather quaint, marsh environment from which he raised Pip. Pip treated him like his inferior and failed to show the compassion that Joe deserved for all the love and support that he gave Pip in his childhood; compassion also is an element that defines the human condition. A third connection is with the line, “Pay my respects to grace and virtue. Send my condolences to good. Give my regards to soul and romance.” Slowly, Pip begins to carry out good deeds for the only reason being that he needs to prove to himself that he is still connected to his old life in the marshes. For example, when Mrs. Joe died, Pip returns to the marshes for the funeral out of a feeling of obligation that wasn’t necessary an emotional feeling. Pip only gave his respects and condolences to keep up an image. Altogether, these actions of Pip do not fade away from his mind until the very end of the book, when Pip realizes that being a gentlemen is not everything and that he really does have emotions about the world and the people he loves. The song, “Human,” resembles Pip.
Estella- “King of Anything”
“King of Anything” reflects the personality of Estella. The overall mood of this song is that you can be independent and you don’t need anyone to take of you. This is also the overall mood of Estella throughout Great Expectations. She refuses to be manipulated by anyone because she prefers to be the manipulator herself. Specifically in the song it says, “Stare me down across the table, while I look outside.” This can be related to Estella’s situation with another main character from the book, Pip. Pip has admired Estella since the first time he was sent to the Satis House to be her playmate. He is encouraged by Miss Havisham to love Estella, even has Estella harshly rejects his affections by insulting him regarding his social class. Later, Pip directly expresses his love for Estella and she responds by continuing with a proposal to Pip’s enemy, Bentley Drummle. Going to back to that the line in the song, Pip is staring at Estella, while she turns a blind eye and continues with her life. Another line in “King of Anything” is, “You’re so busy makin’ maps with my name on them in all caps.” This also relates to Estella’s complicated relationship with Pip because Pip thought that Miss Havisham was the benefactor that sponsored his education in his great expectations. He furthermore thought that Miss Havisham had been his benefactor to ensure his entitlement to Estella. This entitlement was such a solid factor in Pip’s mind, that he planned most of his life around how he would win Estella over. A third way Estella relates to “King of Anything” is when the song says, “I hate to break it to you babe, but I’m not drowning. There’s no one here to save.” This resonates with Estella’s individual spirit and how she doesn’t need anyone to save from any decision she makes by herself. For example, Miss Havisham tried to dissuade her from marrying Drummle, to salvage Estella’s happiness, but Estella rejected her assistance so that she could make the point of telling the world to just let her live with her consequences. Estella has a connection with Sara Bareilles’s song, “King of Anything.”
Miss Havisham- “Haunted”
Kelly Clarkson’s song, “Haunted,” is a depressing tale about the disappointments of life. Miss Havisham’s entire existence in Great Expectations is the result of her disappointments in life. A line from the song, “Whispers taunting, all the things you said,” specifically connects Miss Havisham to “Haunted.” This is because Miss Havisham had had a fiance named Compeyson, when she was younger. He convinced her to buy into more of her father’s business because he planned to run away with the company’s profits and Miss Havisham’s brother. This all happened before they were married, so Compeyson didn't show up at their wedding, leaving Miss Havisham in grief over her lost love. All of the hope about their marriage that he had put into her was taunting her because it’s constantly reminding her that, what she wants, she will never get. Ever since her wedding day disaster, Miss Havisham has stayed with her old dress, home, possessions, and whimsical misperception of reality. It is almost like her life completely stopped and she was frozen in time. These lines also coincide with Miss Havisham’s relationship with Arthur: “They took you. They broke you. They tore out your heart.” Compeyson convinced Arthur to assist him in hoodwinking his future wive's money and abandon her. Arthur regretted this decision later and died as a man suffering from grief of his actions. A fourth connection Miss Havisham has with this song is with the line, “Let me be numb, I’m starting to fall.” This represents Miss Havisham’s last moments of life as she burns in a conflagration because dying is sort of like the last numbing process the mind can perceive. She had begun to lose her grip on her strict motto regarding breaking boys’ hearts, just before her death. Miss Havisham even shows remorse when Estella tells Pip of her plans to marry Bentley Drummle even after Pip poured his love and affection to her. Miss Havisham’s personality is reflected by “Haunted.”
Jaggers- “Space Oddity”
“Space Oddity” is a song about an astronaut and what he, Major Tom, is experiencing in space. At first glance, you may assume that “Space Oddity” cannot relate to any of the characters in Great Expectations. The character in the song actually can relate to Mr. Jaggers in figurative ways. For example, the line, “Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.” Mr. Jaggers is a lawyer and he proves that he is very serious about his business. This is demonstrated especially in a specific scene when Mr. Jaggers is portrayed with many clients around his feet that are begging for his assistance, while Mr. Jaggers is trying to give Pip a tour of his office. You could say that he takes his protein pills and puts his helmet on while he deals with these kind of circumstances because he needs to be firm and resilient in order to remain uninvolved with his clients’ obvious distress. Another line from the song, “And I’m floating in a most peculiar way and the stars look very different today,” symbolizes how Mr. Jaggers begins to see life differently. When Mr. Jaggers finds himself in charge of Pip’s great expectations, he has a new job: being partially responsible for somebody other than himself, which is a different step for Jaggers, who seems to have lived most of his life solely. This new responsibility includes forcing Mr. Jaggers to spend some of his precious time consulting Pip on his decisions. Thirdly, “For here I am sitting in a tin can, far above the Moon. Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do?” This line symbolizes the barrier that Mr. Jaggers puts around himself from people. As a result, he is extremely business oriented both at work and at home. Business orientation makes it difficult for Jaggers to relate to people on personal levels. Mr. Jaggers can relate to the character in “Space Oddity” by David Bowie.
Joe- “Old Days”
“Old Days,” by Chicago, is centered on a person that is reminiscing in what used to be. Joe can relate to this song because he really has done little wrong in his life and he didn’t deserve any of the negative that came from the drastic changes in his life. When “Old Days” says, “Take me back to a world gone away,” it could be referring to the world that Joe lived in before Pip moved to London to pursue his own life as a gentleman. When Pip moved, Joe was left alone with only Mrs. Joe, Biddy, Miss Havisham, and few others who could help his life remain normal. Slowly, his life began to dissemble. His wife died, Pip thought that he was too good for Joe, Miss Havisham died, and Joe basically was the only constant character in the marshes. Even when Joe’s life finally was put back together when Joe married Biddy and started a family, Pip never truly recovered from his alienation to Joe’s life and vice versa. Another line that Joe can relate to is, “Old days- darkened dreams of good times gone away.” The marshes that Joe assumedly grew up in began with a negative connotation, when the opening of the book described a graveyard, later Mrs. Joe died, followed by Miss Havisham’s disintegration, and Pip’s kidnapping. However, Joe keeps the image of good time and happiness that thought he had envisioned when he married Mrs. Joe because he thought he’d be making a difference in Pip’s world. Even though all of these terrible things are happening around him, he manages to hold on to sanity and routine until he finds pleasure again in marriage to Biddy. Joe’s life is similar to the life portrayed in “Old Days.”
Mrs. Joe- “Blown Away”
I interpret “Blown Away” to be about a girl who is regretting her old life and wants any remnants of it to just disappear. Mrs. Joe Gargery, a main character from Great Expectations, has a rather violent and upsetting introduction in the book. “Those storm clouds gather in her eyes,” a line from the song, represents this introduction. The storm clouds have a strong negative connotation as they gather, just like the actions of Mrs. Joe. For example, she would force both her husband and brother to drink disgusting tar water when she was angry at them. She also would whip or beat her brother, Pip, and even her husband, Joe, on occasion. This was done to such an extent that Pip winsomely states that his sister “brought him up by hand.” A second symbolizing Mrs. Joe is injured by Orlick, an employee of Joe’s, her ability to communicate is impaired, leaving her reliant on the people around her, like Biddy, Joe, and Pip. These people coincidentally happened to the very same people she had mistreated while she was in good health. So Mrs. Joe begins to renounce her old ways and becomes gentler to her caretakers. However, she did too much damage to ever fully erase her past. Thirdly, Mrs. Joe is symbolized by the line, “Her daddy was a mean old mister. Mama was an angel in the ground.” The only perspective of Mrs. Joe and Pip’s parents that the reader gets is in the very beginning of the story, which happens to have also been an extremely oppressive setting while Pip stares at their graves. All that is revealed is that they are both dead; however Mrs. Joe seems to have a motive to resent them because she was left with the care of Pip. So, Mrs. Joe would be inclined to describe her father as, “a mean old mister.” Mrs. Joe is symbolized by “Blown Away.”
Biddy- “You Belong With Me”
“You Belong With Me” is about a girl who is never good enough for the person she loves, making her feel like she’s not good enough at all. Biddy has experiences like this in Great Expectations. For example, she can directly relate with this line: “You’re on the phone with your girlfriend- she’s upset. She’s going off about something that you said.” This resembles the relationship that Biddy observes between Pip and Estella. The cycle is that Estella gets upset with Pip and then Pip goes to talk about his problem with Biddy. Estella constantly disapproves in Pip, making Pip’s consultation with Biddy fairly usual. A specific consultation that Pip has with Biddy is right before he departs for London, after Pip realizes that Estella is playing with his emotions yet again. Secondly, Biddy can relate to the lines, “But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts. She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers,” from “You Belong With Me.” This translates into Biddy’s life because she differs drastically with Estella’s supposed high social class. In these two analogies, Biddy is the lowlier of the two, so she would be the bystander wearing t-shirts, making Estella the higher of the two and be a cheer captain wearing short skirts. Also, Biddy is perceived as lower in social class compared to Estella, by Pip, considering that she did work for Mrs. Joe Gargery, which would incline him to believe he’s too good for Biddy. Thirdly, Biddy connects with the line, “standing by and waiting at your back door,” because she’s been waiting on Pip’s decision for such a long time. Through childhood and into adulthood, Biddy has listened to Pip’s problems, comforted him, given him advice, and consistently been there for him. She kept waiting for Pip to have a sudden realization of her effort, but she realizes that she waited too long at the back of his mind so he marries. It is ironic because Pip finally decides he wants to propose to her just as she is married to Joe. Biddy is represented by “You Belong With Me,” by Taylor Swift.
Herbert Pocket- “How to Save a Life”
Herbert Pocket, a main character from Great Expectations, is represented by “How to Save a Life,” by the Fray. Generally, the mood of this song is a combination of the character reflecting on his present situation and how his situation could go wrong. For instance, “Let him know that you know best, cause after all you do know best,” is Herbert’s situation being told from the position of his friend, Pip. Herbert wanted to marry Clara, but he couldn’t marry her unless he had more money and success. Pip thought the only way Herbert could ever be happy with this success, was if he convinced the happy with this success, was if he convinced the wealthy Miss. Havisham to sponsor him, which he did. But, he did this without Herbert’s knowledge because of his confidence that he was doing the right thing. Secondly, Herbert Pocket relates to the line, “He smiles politely back at you. You stare politely right on through,” which also symbolizes the relationship between Pip and Herbert. Pip was sponsored to become a gentleman, so he had no real problem with compiling enough money for that cause; However, Herbert clearly didn’t have enough money in general because he would have used it to marry his love, Clara. Pip and Herbert work cohesively and become best friends, but there is always that unspoken line between them saying that one of them has the means to follow their dream, while the other does not. Thirdly, Herbert is symbolized by the line, “And I would have stayed up with you all night had I know how to save a life.” This specific part is describing how Herbert would react if something bad happened to Pip like, for instance, when Herbert came to save Pip when he was kidnapped. Herbert would be willing to “stay up all night” finding a solution if it meant that he had a chance to save his friend. “How to Save a Life” represents Herbert Pocket’s personality.
Magwitch- “Secrets”
Abel Magwitch’s complexity is represented by OneRepublic’s song, “Secrets.” One instance where this is shown is in the lines, “Got no family I can blame. Just don’t let me disappear. I’ma tell you everything.” Magwitch is known as simply, “The Convict,” in the beginning of Great Expectations, but the reader later discovers that this character, seemingly gone from the main plot of the story, actually had been harboring secrets throughout the time he was absent from the book’s plot. When he appears to Pip randomly and reveals that he sponsored Pip’s great expectations, he knows that Pip wouldn’t want to continue being sponsored by a convict, so he draws him in with other secrets until Pip realizes he actually does care about Magwitch. These other secrets included that Magwitch’s daughter is Estella and Miss Havisham was never Pip’s benefactor. This is specifically crucial to the outcome of the story because Pip realizes that all of the time and hope he devoted to becoming a gentleman, in hopes of winning Estella over, was fruitless from the star and that he actually was higher in social class than she was. Pip’s new situation with Estella also bring about another connection Magwitch has with the song’s line, “Thought you saw me wink, no, I’ve been on the brink, so,” because Magwitch’s lies/secrets clear up a lot of confusion about the plot. Firstly, Magwitch is not as heartless and cruel as the first scenes of the book portray him to be. Little Pip was terrified into steeling a file for the convict that was staying in a graveyard; this didn’t exactly set a positive connotation for Magwitch’s character. Secondly, Pip realizes that he does not need to waste the rest of his life becoming a gentleman if the only reason why he’s doing it is to impress a girl that is lowlier than him anyway. Thirdly, I think that Magwitch revealing all of his actions both the reader and Pip sets up a new level of respect for him because he didn’t use his money to build himself up, but rather build somebody else up to admire what they’d become. This crosses some boundary of a criminal’s code of conduct, which, I think, can promote Magwitch from his criminal ways. The song “Secrets,” represents Abel Magwitch, in Great Expectations.
Mr. Wemmick- “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” represents Mr.Wemmick. This song is sung gently, but with emotion, which can be reflected in Mr. Wemmick’s laid back personality at home. However, this side of him is not always evident to the reader. The line repeatedly used in the song, “Like a bridge over troubled water,” connects with Wemmick specifically. He was facing a significant trouble in his life which was to become the same person both at work and at home. This trouble could really only be solved by Wemmick having enough self confidence in his personality. So, his “bridge” to relief ended up being his marriage. A second line, “If you need a friend, I’m sailing right behind,” symbolizes Mr. Wemmick’s friendly attitude towards everybody. For example, he invited Pip over to his house for a meal, just within a few days of knowing him. It took Mr. Jaggers a little longer to warm up to Pip that much, and even when he did invite him over it was with some of his other students too! Also, Mr. Wemmick takes care of his old father whom he calls, “The Aged Parent.” He is a dignified man who could probably have dumped his father and that responsibility on another relative or employee, but it really says something about Wemmick’s compassion that he can handle the burden of his father. It also says that Mr. Wemmick likes to care for somebody and keep his company, because he cares about his father. This also drastically contrasts with Mr. Wemmick’s colleague, Mr. Jaggers, and his lifestyle. Mr. Wemmick is represented by “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”