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A war of emotions

Book : Great expectations

Year : 1861

Author : Charles Dickens

Synopsis : Pip, an orphan raised by his sister 'by hand' struggles to find himself amid the war outside and within

Genre : Undefined

Rating : ★★★★☆



Pip, a young orphan, finds himself under too many control territories, where he loses control of himself. While reeling under rejection and his induced sense of liability, he finds a warm kind-hearted companion in Joe, his sister's poor husband.


The only comforts that Pip enjoys are his short yet lively chats with Joe and his gravy. His distinct way of calling his sister Mrs.Joe explains the master-slave relation they had, far away from an affectionate one.


This book mainly discusses the internal conflicts we all have in the truest essence. Pip struggles to process and accept his surroundings and circumstances. He displays the traits of a whole flawed human being and sometimes makes us ponder whether we really are what we think we are. In the process of being controlled by strings like a puppet, he forgets who Pip, in his own truth, is.


While trying to navigate his through throngs of messy problems thrown along the way, he loses track of himself and battles with himself, not knowing himself well. This is his journey of finding and truly understanding the ins and outs of himself completely, which probably isn't possible. He struggles to respond to his problems and questions, overwhelmed and lost.


The book speaks of our massive towering expectations of how life must treat us and how it never turns out to be the same. It speaks of the internal emotional battle we face between our decisions, wishes, wants, hopes, fears and dreams. It speaks of Pip, who like us, is stranded, not knowing whether to choose the long-travelled path of fear and pity or tread on the sparkling road not taken. His heart yearns to fly and explore while his mind hushes his inner voice and tells him to keep swallowing words of rejection.


Pip is that little caterpillar trapped in his cocoon, fighting against the forces of nature and emerge in flying colours.


What I really liked about this book is the lucid style of writing which makes sure no minute detail escapes the narrative. Dickens keeps his characters as real and human as possible and is not afraid to reveal the flaws of every player on stage, connecting with millions of readers worldwide even today.   
 

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