Mister Pip
The book that I choose to read this term was Mister Pip. This book is based on a teenage black girl named Matilda. We learn that the village that she lives in is one of many on the island. The main form of business on this island is mining. Matilda’s father was a miner, but shortly after the book starts he leaves to go to Australia were he has been offered a higher job. Shortly after he leaves the red army blockades the island. While this is happening a group of rebels called the Rambos is formed. These are villagers from across the island that want money and are apposed to the Red Skins. While the island has been taken control of many people evacuated to the safety of Australia. Matilda and her mother did not get off the island though. Matilda, along with all the other children that were still in the village went to a school run by the one white man that lived on the island. This man went by the name of Mr. Watts. He was not the smartest man, but what he could offer the children was a story. He read his class Charles Dickens, Great Expectations. Throughout the novel, Matilda begins to form an obsession with Great Expectations, and starts to mature and learn about contradicting ideas, and religious beliefs. The Red Skin Army eventually finds Matilda’s village and in the end kill both Mr. Watts and Matilda’s mother. In the conclusion of the book Matilda is reunited with her father in Australia. She goes on to become the top English student in her high school, and then goes on to become a teacher after completing university in Brisbane.
One of the major themes in this book is religion. The motif that supports this theme in the book is the contrasts between Mr. Watts and Matilda’s mother. Having them being on either side of the scales created a pull effect on Matilda. The reason that I think that this was a significant theme was because the feud between Matilda’s mother and Mr. Watts was based on the fact that they believed different things; she believed, and he didn’t. Another large theme is the book is war. There was a constant battle going on throughout the book. The two competing armies, the Rebels and the Red Skins demonstrate this theme throughout the book.
The first rhetorical device that I found in the book was the use of a simile, “This rain dropped down like flung stones.”(212) I think that this stood out to me because I think that something like rain, which you don’t always expect to be dangerously violent, could be demonstrated as something powerful like a rock. Another rhetorical device that I found was the use of a metaphor when Agnes Haripa was using the lychee in a sex-ed class, “sweet things are never worn on the outside.”(63) The reason that I liked the use of this was because I think that it added a bit of comedy into the way that the classes were being held in an immature, and informal fashion.
The Language throughout the book is very good; it is consistent, and engaging. I enjoyed reading this book more then the others throughout the year because I think that it was challenging; but I found that the author did not over write things, like Dickens did in Great Expectations. I did notice some similarities throughout the book though to other books that we have read this year. I connected this book with the Kite Runner, because I felt that the protagonist had to fight through an unthinkable enemy, and no matter what, she didn’t give up. Also I thought that this was similar to the Kite Runner because I thought that the protagonist was being cowardly, and she realized this as did Amir is the Kite Runner. I found also that due to the connection between this book and Great Expectations, it mirrored a lot of the different plot turns. When the protagonist, in each story, is presented with an opportunity to leave everything behind to better their own circumstances, they do.
There were a few things in the book that I think that the author could have changed. I think that there should have been more conflict throughout the book; it would keep the reader attached to the book more. I also thought that near the end of the story, the author dragged it on a bit too long. I think that if he had ended it about 20 pages earlier it would have been much better, and a more enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to people that are not disturbed by extreme events happening to the protagonist’s friends. I also would recommend this book to someone that is looking for a good story. I would rate this book a 7.5 out of 10 because I think that the plot could have been thicker, but it was still a very good read.
