Great Expectations Essay

In the novel Great Expectations, it’s never quite understood how Miss Havisham became the thoughtless, selfish woman she is portrayed as. Many believe that the man who left her at the altar on their wedding day was the cause of her change. While it’s obvious that Miss Havisham was in pain, Dickens shows that there are many possible reasons that caused her overall cruel and harsh behavior.

Some would say that Miss Havisham had been foolish falling in love with a man lower in society than her. She put her trust in him only to have him con her out of her money and stand her up at the altar, leaving her only with heartbreak. Miss Havisham soon found out the horrible truth, that Compeyson had never really loved her, he had only loved her money. Even worse, she learned that he and her brother were in league with each other and had come up with the scheme of stealing her money. Miss Havisham’s love of her pain, that she had become so accustomed to, could possibly be the root of her nasty behavior. The thought of moving on and pushing past her pain may have been impossible for Miss Havisham to do. If she moved on, what would she do? Her life had been dedicated to making others hurt, just the way she had. “’I’ll tell you,’ said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, ‘what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smitter—as I did!’” (p.240)

Miss Havisham was a woman who loved her self image, and a woman with plenty of pride. She hid her hurt from most of the world, making them believe that she was a confident woman, when underneath she was broken and only wanted to be loved. Her confidence was merely a mask, a mask that if taken off would have horrible consequences. It is also possible that Miss Havisham was so deeply in love with her ex-fiancé, Compeyson, that she became extremely bitter when he did not love her back. So bitter, in fact, that she would take out her anger and her misery on everyone around her. Her personality and behavior changed the people she interacted with, because of her own selfish ways.

Dickens shows that love, good or bad, is not to be underestimated. Miss Havisham’s loss effected many people, even the people who had brought the loss upon her. Love can change even the best of people into the worst, just as it did to Miss Havisham. It does not change everyone for the worst, but only the people that chose to not move on and to hold onto their pain forever.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Essay

Veteran—by definition, a veteran is an experienced person who has been through many battles; someone who has given long service. To many people, veterans may be a grandfather, their uncle, their older brother, or a family friend; a person who has fought for our country to keep us safe. We should not have only one or two holidays honoring these heroes, but instead have every day as a day to celebrate and honor veterans for all of the service they have done for the United States.

Did you know that many people you know may be veterans? They’re everywhere—you’re teacher, your next door neighbor, someone you see often . At one point in time, they left their families and their loved ones to go halfway across the world to serve our country, leaving all that they knew to go make the United States a better and safer place. Having only one day to honor them seems unfair, when they should be celebrated all of the time. Why shouldn’t we honor veterans every single day? They risk their lives for us every day, and we should celebrate that always. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big ordeal, but we should at the very least show them that we appreciate all of their hard work. They deserve the respect and support, no matter what the time, we should always honor our military heroes.

Many people have different opinions on this subject. Some believe veterans should only be honored on veterans day, others say all the time. No matter the opinion, everyone knows that veterans should be honored. Instead of having only one or two holidays honoring our heroes, we should have every day as a day to celebrate and honor all of the service veterans have done for the United States.

Good Earth Summative

Change—it happens to all of us, whether we like it or not. Some avoid it, others embrace it. Humans are ever-changing, occasionally for the worst. In the novel, The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck displays how we as humans tend to become the thing we fear being like the most, when given the opportunity.

The Wang Lung in the beginning of the novel differs very much from the Wang Lung towards the end. His money is like a treasure to him, and he spends it carefully and wisely. Wang Lung is a clever man, and makes sure that he gets the most out of his money. He starts out as a young farmer, kind to all, but changes drastically throughout the novel. Although Wang is poor at first, he does not think about luxuries like a rich man does. He is content with his lifestyle, until his first trip to the House of Hwang.

Thoughts of the House of Hwang had always intimidated Wang Lung. They were rich, powerful people living their carefree lives, indulging themselves with whatever they pleased -- exotic foods, extravagant clothing, enormous homes. As Wang makes his first trip to the House of Hwang to retrieve his new wife, he becomes nervous about appearing before such important people. “He turned his steps with great shyness toward the House of Hwang. Once at the gate of the house he was seized with terror (p.11)

Once at home with his new wife, O-lan, Wang Lung’s life already seems to be improving. He treats her well, better than most men would have. Wang appreciates her, and the work she does around the farm. He liked having a woman like O-lan, he liked the fact that she was his. “Wang Lung felt in him a great pride that this woman was his and did not fear to appear before him but would not before other men. (p. 23) Soon enough, O-lan gets pregnant with their first child, a baby boy.

Wang takes the first step to becoming like the lords at the House of Hwang when he starts giving into the luxuries of rich people. He and O-lan travel to the House of Hwang to show the Old Mistress and the other slaves their newborn son. Wang Lung waited for O-lan, and when she finally came out with the baby she tells him that the lords aren’t doing well money-wise that year. “I believe, if one should ask me, that they are feeling a pinch this year in that house… the Ancient Mistress wore the same coat this year as last. I have never seen this happen before. And the slaves had no new coats” (p. 50) Wang decides to purchase some of the Hwang’s land, seeing as his farm had made good money. “Is not my money as good to spend as other man’s? And money I do not lack in these days. I have had good fortune.” (p.175)

Soon, Wang Lung’s family and the people in the city suffer through a terrible famine. He and his family go to the south in attempt to survive. In the south, the poor people orchestrate a raid of a rich family’s home. Wang Lung participates, and finds an old lord in one of the courts. The lord is frightened by Wang, and thinking he will kill him otherwise, he gives him all of his gold. “’Out of my sight, lest I kill you for a fat worm!’ This Wang Lung cried, although he was a man so soft hearted that he could not kill an ox.” (p.140) Wang himself knew he wouldn’t hurt the man, but he took the money anyway, for he and his family to go back to their home in the north.

Wang Lung soon returns back home with their new riches. He first buys 300 more acres of the Hwang’s land, taking most of what they had left. Wang also hires Ching to work on his land, and allows him to stay in their front house. Ching begins building more courts for the house on Wang Lung’s orders. “Come out of the fields from this day on, for I need a scholar in the family to read the contracts and to write my name so that I shall not be ashamed in the town.” (p. 164) Wang converts even more so like the House of Hwang lords when he sends his two eldest sons off to school, for his benefit of course.

One day at the teashop, Wang discovers pictures of beautiful women for sale. He sees one he likes, named Lotus, and visits her every night. Before long, he decides to buy her for himself, also paying for her servant, not caring how much it cost. “The woman who is keeper for the master of the tea house will do it for a hundred pieces of silver on her palm at one time, and the girl will come for jade earrings and a ring of jade and a ring of gold and two suits of satin clothes and two suits of silk clothes and a dozen pairs of shoes and two silken quilts for her bed. (p. 197) Buying Lotus, the beautiful woman in the picture, begins the horrible treat of O-lan by Wang Lung.

O-lan began her life with Wang Lung treated as a wife. As Wang transforms into the old lords more and more, his treatment of O-lan becomes more how he would treat a slave. He calls her ugly to her face, takes her pearls for Lotus, and treats her like dirt in general. Wang Lung feels no remorse for his actions until his young daughter comes to him, crying about her bound feet. “My mother said I was not to weep aloud because you are too kind and weak for pain and you might say to leave me as I am, and then my husband would not love me even as you do not love her.” (p. 252) His treatment of women was exactly like the lords, and helped Wang to become just like them.

Most human beings try to abstain from changing as much as they possibly can. In the novel, The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck displays how we as humans, when given the opportunity, tend to become the things we fear being like the most.