Great Expectations Passage

In the passage, Pip is reflecting upon his experience at Miss Havisham's house that day. Previously, he had not been aware of the possibility that there could be much more to his contentedness than working with Joe in the forge and had not given thought to the fact that others would look down on him due to his class. In addition, he had most likely not met a person before, namely Estella, for whom he had romantic feelings. When Pip tells the reader to think of, "the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day," he is speaking metaphorically of the fact that his life from then on would feel altered completely, only as a result of that one day. After meeting Estella, his thoughts are mainly occupied with the desire to become a gentleman, something that he had never done before. Also, he begins to consider Joe, one of his greatest friends, as common, a most definitely negative change. As a whole, after first going to Miss Havisham's house, Pip becomes much less satisfied and content with his life, quite irrationally.

In my life, I find it difficult to think of a single day that I can compare to Pip's, as the many changes in my life were started by more gradual intervals of time. However, one experience that could be similar is the day that I started middle school at NOVA. The school had a greatly different community than I had experienced in the past, and over the time I spent there, I learned a lot about myself, especially in how my role as a student changed from year to year. In this way, the transition for Pip between his prior life and his exposure to new ideas is similar to my transition between a public elementary school and a private middle school. I think that the change for me was more positive than for Pip, as it was enjoyable, whereas Pip's made him in ways miserable. I think for sure that since that day, I have become more open and thoughtful, in terms of both personality and idea.