《远大前程》英文赏析

ThegreatexpectationofPipandMagwitchWeallknowthatchapter39istheturningpointofthewholenovel.PipknowsthathissponsorisnotMissHavisham,buttheescapedprisonerMagwitch,whoissavedbyPip.ThistruthmakesPip’sgreatexpectationshattered.Fromthecontext,wecanseethat“thegreatexpectation”isakindofambitionfrombothPipandMagwitch.Itissuchanambitionthatholdupthelifeofbothtwopeopleandbringalotofchangetotheircharacter.Andtheambitionisalsotheindicationofone’slife.First,let’sseePip’sambition.Althoughthetextdon’tillustrateitclearly,wecaninferfromseveraldetails.Atthebeginningofthetext,Pipstatesthat“Ihadatasteforreading,andreadregularlysomanyhoursaday.”ThisstatecanfullydemonstratethatPiphasastrongeagertolearnknowledge,whichmeansthathewantstobecomearealgentlemanintheupperclass.AndwhenPipistoldthathisbenefactorisMagwitch,ratherthanMissHavisham.Heisshocked,disappointedaswellasheart-broken.Herepeats“Estella,Estella”,whichtellsusthathisintentiontobecomeagentlemanwasbecauseofEstella,hewantstobeabletomatchwithher.Fromtheabove,wecanconcludethatPip’sambitionistobeagentlemanandgetaccesstoEstella.ThegreatexpectationdescribesnotonlyPip’sambition,butalsootherpeople’sambition,includingthatblacksmithJoe’s,Pip’sfriendHerbertandhisbenefactorMagwitch’s.Let’stakeMagwitch’sambitioninthetextforexample.IthinkhisisrathercomplicatedthanPip’s.Therearetwomainlyambitions:oneisthathewantstorepayPipforsavinghislife,anotheristhathewantstoshowhisgreatnessformakingalittleboyintoagentlemaninupperclass,whichisalsoakindofdissatisfactiontothesociety.Justashementionedinthetext,“Itellit,furyoutoknowasthattherehunteddunghilldogwotyoukeptlifein,gothisheadsohighthathecouldmakeagentleman”.Thesocietytreathimasanastydogandheislookeddownuponthosepeopleintheupperclass.Buthehasanabilitytoturnavillageboyintoagentleman,andhethinkshimselfisnoblerandgreaterthanthosepeople.Heuseshisactiontosatirizethem.Theambitioninpeople’sheartislikeaguidinglightintheirway.Asone’sambitionchanges,people’sbehaviormaychangeaccordinglyandunconsciously.PipstudieshardinordertogetaccesstoEstella.Butatthesametime,badcharacterslikeselfishnessandmammonismarisesfromhim.Inthefrontpartofthetext,whenPipseesMagwitch,hepaysattentiontohisclothingfirstandemphasizeshissubstantiallydress,butroughly.SupposeifMagwitchisnotwell-dressedandlookslikepoorjustasthefirsttimetheymeet,willPipaccepthimandlethimin?WhenPiprecognizedMagwitch,hisastonishmentismorethanhispleasanceandhesupposestherewillbenoconnectionbetweenthem.WhyPipbecomessoindifferent?Itisbecauseofthe“differentcircumstances”hementionedinthetext.Thecircumstancesthatheisanupperclassmembernowandhecannothaveanyconnectionwithunderclasspeople,letaloneanescapedprisoner.Betweensocialclassandoldrelationship,hechoosessocialclass.Wecansaythatitismoneythattemptshimandmakeshimindifferent,orthemoneydistortshisambition,whichmisleadshisbehavior.Toconclude,IthinkPipismoremisfortunatethananyotherpeople.Itisnotbecauseheisanorphanorhelosthismoneyintheend,itisbecauseheistreatedasatoolbyotherpeople,unknowingly.Heistreatedasamoneymachinebyhissisterwhenheislittle,andheisplayedbyEstellaasatooltopleaseMissHavisham.Later,althoughbeingendowedwithalargefortune,PipisindeedanexamplewhoismadebyMagwitchtomanifesthisgreatnessandtorevengetotheworld.Pip’sgreatexpectationismadebyMissHavisham,Estella,Magwitchandhimself,andruinedbythem.