Making Connections with GE

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens reminds me of a short story I read, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe. Starting from the second stage of Great Expectations, I notice Pip's narration feeling more sad and extremely guilty in the last few chapters we read. My mind instantly thought of Poe's work including his books and poems. Poe usually written his work from a dark perspective that looks back at past things that already happened; like Pip's narration. I think that's one reason why classmates and I are sometimes confused that Pip's character sounds present tense and we get so caught up, we forget he's looking back when he is older. The unnamed narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart represents Pip, he has reached what he always wanted then feels ultra guilty about it. If my prediction goes correctly, then Pip will tell all his loved ones his faults of being a gentleman to be relieved. Pip's expectations are represented as the old man's body pieces underneath the floorboards. The cop that enters the old man's house in the short story is simliar to Pip's loved ones such as Biddy and Joe.

 The suspense from Poe's short story seems more noticeable to feel the guilt; but in Dickens' novel, the suspense of Pip learning from his guilt trips are interesting to readers. In The Tell-Tale Heart ,the narrator begins to hear a faint noise. As the noise grows louder, the narrator comes to the conclusion that it is the heartbeat of the old man coming from under the floorboards. The sound increases steadily, though the officers seem to pay no attention to it. Shocked by the constant beating of the heart and a feeling that not only are the officers aware of the sound, but that they also suspect him, the narrator confesses to killing the old man and tells them to tear up the floorboards to reveal the body. I think Pip is going to do the same with his expectations because between chapters 27-35 viewing all the guilt, but in chapter 35 he really wants to come back to visit Joe and Biddy. He is revealing that he can solve the problem but it is going to be hard to actually do it.