Pip's Quote

The chain that Pip is talking about refers to his life. I think the two different kinds of chains mean different social classes, because that is a large focus of the book, and flowers/thorns are easy to obtain as opposed to iron/gold. It could also have to do with how you live your life- flowers/thorns are wild, grow in different ways, and are easy to break. This could mean that someone whose chain consists of these materials is flimsier and more whimsical then most. Iron/gold is more structured and solid, so perhaps that is talking about people whose lives are very steady and include little risk. The specific link he is talking about is when one day greatly changes the course of your life- like if you met someone who got you a job which you had your entire life. You only met them on one day, but had you not met them, your life would be completely different. This day has altered Pip because now he wants to change his social class, and he is also now in love with Estella. Instead of being satisfied with becoming a blacksmith's apprentice and growing up to be like Joe, he now wants to become a high-class gentleman.

One day in my life that shaped who I am was when I stopped eating meat. If I hadn't became a vegetarian, then I think I would be a lot less healthy.

Great Expectations, the Second Stage

I think that one of the most important events which have taken place in the second stage of reading is when he first came to London. He expected something really impressive, because he associated London with being a gentleman. However, when he finds out how dirty London is, he is severely disappointed. The cause of this disappointment comes from the fact that he associated London with becoming a gentleman, which made him think that it was going to be an amazing place.

Pip's disappointment upon arriving in London goes along with the theme about how upper class isn't as great as it initially seems. When Pip first wants to become a gentleman, he thinks that everything about the upper class is perfect. But as he learns more about becoming a gentleman, he realizes more and more that the upper class isn't much better than where he used to be. Perhaps this is foreshadowing that Pip will eventually wish he could return to Joe and become a blacksmith, instead of learning with no purpose.