The comparison between the High Hopes and the Great Expectationsstrikes a similar one. The characters Pip in the book and Valerie in the film are from similar backgrounds. Pip and Valerie both come from poverty and want to have a better socioeconomic status. It is evident in Pip’s change in attitude after spending time with wealthy Ms. Havishman and her adopted daughter Estella. Valerie as well is very curious about her mother’s new next-door neighbors, whom happen to be wealthy and creating gentrification in the community that was once a working class neighborhood. Although both characters at a certain point have enough to live comfortably they are not satisfied with life.
It is interesting to see the development of brothers and sisters raised in the same household end up being very different people. Pip’s sister and her husband Joe who is a sweet kind man raised Pip. Joe always looked out for Pip, yet Pip because of his ambitions deteriorates the relationships with Joe. Cyril who is Valerie’s brother is also a kind-hearted man with no ambitions and is content with his dead end job. Laetitiareflects many characters in the book especially Estella who treated the lower class as if they were a subspecies and could not be bothered with their problems. Cyril and his girlfriend Sheryl do not have much to offer in terms of capital or social connections but compassion and love including Joe are the ones who were there for the people who needed help at their lowest points. Watching the dynamic between relationships unfold and develop depicts the human nature in people. Both Mike Leigh and Charles Dickens portray that really well.
I really enjoy the idea that as relationships unfold and develop we see a deeper side of the characters that starts to show how the human nature is portrayed in both the film and book. Human nature is a big theme in both stories and I think you capture that well, touching both on family upbringing and the influence of outside caring figures. Overall, well done and it was an interesting read!
ReplyDeleteI adore your title. I think looking at the parallels in these two stories, in the dichotomy of how sibling turn out is an interesting angle. In both stories, the sister and brothers both seek to change their lives and economic classes in different ways. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI also think it is interesting to note how two siblings grow up to have very different perspectives on life. Cyril and Valerie seem to be complete opposites, and it saddens me that Valerie did not even care about her own mother.
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