Great Expectations Group

Question:

peeblessue
peeblessue
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What does the following sentence from Great Expectations mean and how might a seven-year-old express the same ideas?

In our already-mentioned freemasonry as fellow-sufferers, and in his goodnatured companionship with me, it was our evening habit to compare the way we bit through our slices, by silently holding them up to each other's admiration now and then-which stimulated us to new exertions. (Chapter 2)

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Posted by peeblessue on Monday September 14, 2009 at 1:50 PM and tagged with great expectations, literature.

Answers:


  1. scarletpimpernel Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The thoughts expressed in the quote are Pip's regarding his brother-in-law Joe.  Because Mrs. Joe is cruel to both Joe and Pip, they suffer together and share a special brotherhood because of their common antagonist (Mrs. Joe).  Each night, Joe and Pip silently compare how they eat their bread and strive (exert) to do it better or faster than each other the next time.

    Because the following is written in the manner of a seven-year-old, it is not grammatically correct.

    Me and Joe were like brothers because my sister treated us both so bad.  We had fun every night when we ate our bread, seeing who could eat the bread the best.  We had to be quiet when we did it, or my sister woulda' used Tickler on us both!

    Hope this helps!

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/great-expectations/style
    http://www.enotes.com/great-expectations/summary

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    Posted by scarletpimpernel on Tuesday September 15, 2009 at 11:53 AM