This excerpt from "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens introduces us to Pip, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, who is also referred to as Philip Pirrip, as per his father’s tombstone. Orphaned at an early age, Pip uses the inscriptions.......
Great Expectations - Oxford Reading Circle - Class 8 - English
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Back Exercises - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Literature | English | Class 8
Use the following in sentences of your own.
a. freckled
b. ravenously
c. more explicit
d. religiously entertained
e. shuddering
f. clasping
a. The little girl's face was covered in freckles, giving her a playful and youthful appearance.
b. After hours of hiking, the group was ravenously hungry and devoured their meal in record time.
c. The teacher used visual aids to make the complex concept more explicit and easily understandable for her students.
d. Every Saturday, the elderly couple religiously entertained their grandchildren, filling their home with laughter and joy.
e. The horror movie had the audience shuddering in fear, gripping their seats tightly.
f. The child ran towards her mother, clasping her hand tightly as they crossed the busy street.
What is the difference between the words in each pair? The first word in each case has been used in the story, and may have a particular meaning according to its context.
a. marsh/swamp
b. infant/adolescent
c. beyond/above
d. derive/conclude
e. entertain/amuse
f. parish/community
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Sign up nowBack Questions - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Literature | English | Class 8
What were Pip’s first impressions of his parents, and where had he derived these from?
Pip's first impressions of his parents are based on the inscriptions and images on their tombstones. He imagined his father to be a square, stout, dark man with curly black hair due to the shape of the letters on his father’s tombstone. From the character and turn of the inscription, ‘Also Georgiana, Wife of the Above,’ Pip had the childish conclusion that his mother was freckled and sickly. This just shows how the young Pip's imagination and inexperience led him to form a unique perception of his parents, whom he had never seen.
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What kind of countryside surrounds the graveyard? Pick out all the descriptive words and phrases used to describe the countryside.
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Sign up nowWhat overall impression does the reader get from the author’s description of the countryside? How does this contribute to the general atmosphere created?
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Sign up nowWho does Pip meet in the graveyard, and what is he doing there?
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Sign up nowWhy is the convict interested to hear that Pip’s brother-in-law is a blacksmith?
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Sign up nowWhat does the convict tell Pip about his companion, and why does he do this?
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Sign up nowWhich words and phrases in the text tell us that the convict is a wretched man?
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Sign up nowDo you think Pip feels frightened of the convict or sympathy for him? Give evidence for your answer.
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Sign up nowHe started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder.
‘There, sir!’ I timidly explained. ‘Also Georgiana. That’s my mother.’
a. Why did ‘he’ act as he did?
b. What does the boy point out timidly to ‘him’?
c. Why does the boy say ‘Also Georgiana’ and not just ‘Georgiana’?
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Sign up now‘Say Lord Strike you dead if you don’t!’ said the man.
I said so, and he took me down.
a. To whom is the man talking, and why does he say this?
b. Why does the responder take the oath?
c. What does ‘take me down’ refer to?
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Sign up nowThe convict makes a number of mistakes in his speech. He also uses colloquial expressions and does not speak as well as Pip. Put his statements into correct, modern English, and explain what is wrong in each case.
1. ‘Tell us your name!’ said the man.
2. ‘Pint out the place!’
3. ‘Darn me if I couldn’t eat ‘em,’ said the man.
4. ‘And is that your father alonger your mother?’
5. ‘And you know what wittles is?’
6. ‘You fail, or you go from my words in any partickler, no matter how small it is, and your heart
and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate.’
7. ‘…you remember what you’ve undertook, and you remember that young man, and you get
home!’
8. ‘I wish I was a frog. Or a eel!’
9. ‘Once more,’ said the man, staring me. ‘Give it mouth!’
10. ‘Much of that!’ said he, glancing about him over the cold wet flat.
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Sign up nowDiscuss the effect the meeting with the convict has on Pip. If you were in his shoes, would you return to the scene? Give reasons for your answer after considering all the implications about his character, his feelings for the convict, his fear, and whether or not he wants to keep his word.
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Sign up nowThe convict is described as ‘A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.’ Why is the man in grey and why does he have an iron on his leg? Is it ever right to put a man in shackles and to make him wear a particular uniform? Discuss this.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Literature | English | Class 8
‘A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.’
‘A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.’
a. Who is the ‘fearful man’, and why is he described as such?
b. What does the ‘great iron on his leg’ signify about this man’s status?
c. Why is it significant that the man is ‘in coarse grey’?
a. The ‘fearful man’ is a prisoner who is described as such due to his threatening demeanour. His clothes are coarse and ragged, he keeps Pip in a state of fear and unease throughout their encounter, and he threatens Pip with death if he doesn’t comply with his demands.
b. The ‘great iron on his leg’ is an iron shackle, signifying that the man is a fugitive or an escaped convict. This detail further increases Pip’s fear and adds to the dramatic atmosphere of the scene.
c. The fact that the man is in ‘coarse grey’ suggests that he is poor or of a low social class. Grey is often associated with dullness, sadness, and hardship, and his clothing's being coarse, again, indicates his lower social class and hard life. This can also contrast and highlight Pip’s comfortable and safe life with the man’s harsh and dangerous one.
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‘You bring me, tomorrow morning early, that file and them wittles.’
a. Who is the speaker in this dialogue, and who is he speaking to?
b. Why does the speaker require ‘that file and them wittles’?
c. What might be the consequences for the addressee if they fail to fulfil the speaker’s request?
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Sign up nowQuiz - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Author - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
The author of "Great Expectations" is Charles Dickens, an iconic writer of the Victorian era. Born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England, Dickens began his literary career as a journalist and sketch writer. His novels were initially serialized in periodicals, earning him fame and recognition over time.
Dickens' work is characterised by his sharp social commentary, particularly on the socio-economic conditions of Victorian England, and his memorable and distinctive characters. His upbringing and own experiences with poverty greatly influenced his storytelling, with many of his works, including Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, exposing the harsh realities of the class system and workhouses.
Despite the often bleak nature of Dickens' narratives, his stories also portrayed a sense of optimism and fundamental human goodness, qualities which, along with his keen observation and wit, have made him an enduring figure in classic literature. He died in 1870, leaving behind a rich legacy of beloved novels and characters.
Summary - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Orphanhood and Loneliness:
Pip is orphaned and alone in a desolate landscape. His imagination fervently creates images of his dead parents, and he turns tombstones........
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. The Introduction of Pip:
The chapter opens with Pip introducing himself and telling us about his name. He gives details about his parents and brothers, whom he never.....
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. “My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip.” This is the opening line of the novel, not just introducing the protagonist but also.........
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - Great Expectations | Oxford Reading Circle | Class 8 Literature | English
Explicit: clear; expressing every detail
The teacher gave explicit instructions for the assignment.Tombstone: a gravestone, a headstone in a graveyard
The tombstone marked the final resting place of the deceased.
Derived: developed from; coming from a particular source
Her idea was ........................
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