Marcel continued taking notes on our extensive introduction to the novel and to Victorian England. I placed the overarching themes on the board such as the contrast between city and country values, Pip's moral and character changes, as well as the distinction between Pip the character and Pip the narrator. We discussed how old Pip, the narrator , might be at the time he is relating his story . I pointed out places in the text where Pip ,the narrator, interrupts his recitation of his life story and judges his past conduct. I then outlined on the board the three formal parts of the novel and described how each part functions. As the opening chapters portray Pip as a child , this section is both comic and imaginative. Marcel did very well in locating textual evidence of both the comic and the imaginative in the first chapters. We discussed the comic elements of the plot and Dickens' technique of using sarcasm or irony to paint the comedic elements. Marcel further discussed the social criticism of the violent treatment of children depicted in the first chapters. We then reviewed Marcel's essays on"Of Mice and Men" and discussed where certain ideas could be supplemented or elaborated by different textual quotes or details. For homework due Tuesday, read through and including Ch 8 and answer accompanying study guide questions.