LIT CIRCLES

My literature circle read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. We shared and discussed our information while reading the book through Facebook group chats.  I was in charge of identifying and explaining literary techniques in the novel.

Imagery - Used by Dickens to describe the appearance of new characters in Pip's journey.
"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.  A man with no hat, with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head.  A man who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin." (Page 2) (Describing Magwitch)
"She was dressed in rich materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all of white. Her shoes were white.  And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white.  Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table." (Page 47) (Describing Miss Havisham)

Personification - Used by Dickens to demonstrate Pip's nerves and his childhood imagination.
"Every crack in every board, calling after me, 'Stop thief!' and 'Get up, Mrs. Joe!'" (Page 12)
"The gates and dykes and banks came bursting at me through the mist, as if they cried as plainly as could be, 'A boy with Somebody-else's pork pie! Stop him!'  The cattle came upon me with like suddenness, staring out of their eyes, and steaming out of their nostrils, 'Holloa, young thief!'" (Page 13)

Diction - Used by Dickens to emphasize Joe's social standing through his poor speech.
"My father, Pip, he were given to drink, and when he were overtook with drink...he hammered at me with a wigour only to be equalled by the wigour with which he didn't hammer at his anwil." (Page 37)

Breaking the Fourth Wall - Used by Dickens to allow the audience to connect with Pip if they believe he is telling his story to them personally.
"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment 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." (Page 61)

Repetition - Used by the Dickens to show Magwitch's influential comments and emphasize Pip's many thoughts.
"A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open." (Page 4)
"I saw in this, that Estella was set to wreak Miss Havisham's revenge on men...I saw in this, a reason for her being beforehand assigned to me...I saw in this, the reason for my being staved off so long...I saw in this, the distinct shadow of the darkened and unhealthy house." (Page 260)

Metaphor - Used by Dickens to explain figuratively how used Pip feels by Miss Havisham and Estella.
"And it was not until I began to think, that I began fully to know  how wrecked I was, and how the ship in which I had sailed was gone to pieces." (Page 278)
"I only suffered in the Satis House as a convenience, a sting for the greedy relations, a model with a mechanical heart to practice on when no other practice was at hand." (Page 279)

Simile - Used by Dickens to describe the weather and Pip's feelings in a more illustrative way.
"The wind rushing up the river shook it that night, like discharges of cannon, or breakings of a sea." (Page 269)
"With my heart beating like a heavy hammer of disordered action, I rose out of my chair." (Page 274)