Analyse how the strengths/weaknesses of one or more characters reinenforceded a message
Callum McGeorge
In Lloyd Jones' novel Mister Pip, the character of Dolores is used as catalyst to extol the evils of religion. Dolores's devotion to the Bible is portrayed as her greatest weakness, through her actions, her deteriarating relationship with her daughter Matilda, and how it is the cause of Dolores' death.
Dolores' has a natural aversion to the teaching of Great Expectations because "(Mr. Watts) should be teaching you kids propper behaviour and the Bible..." Her devotion to bible later causes her go against her beliefs. Dolores tells a story about children having to steal from their mother, "Would you steal your mothers pork pie?" She sees this as a …show more content…
Dolores "...could not take a day off in being a moral person..." and so as a result she provokes the redskins by refusing to remain silent about the killings that they had done and to protect Matilda from being raped by the redskins, Dolores offers her life to them instead. However this sacrifice is ultimately in vain as her provokation does not result in any meaningful change amongst the villagers, and "(Matilda) didn't think (her) rape was too big a price for (her) mother's life." If she had not decided to adhere to her religion, she could have ensured her life and found a way to help her daughter and the village. While there is honour in her christ-like sacrifice, it does not ultimately do much, for the characters.
In conclusion, Lloyd Jones uses Dolores's attachment to religion, to extol the evils of religion. Dolores betrays her beliefs to aid her beliefs by stealing Great Expectations, Dolores slowly pushes away Matilda because of her devotion to the Bible and her inabilty to accept Matilda's to Great Expectations, and Dolores sacrifices herself in vain to uphold these
Callum McGeorge
In Lloyd Jones' novel Mister Pip, the character of Dolores is used as catalyst to extol the evils of religion. Dolores's devotion to the Bible is portrayed as her greatest weakness, through her actions, her deteriarating relationship with her daughter Matilda, and how it is the cause of Dolores' death.
Dolores' has a natural aversion to the teaching of Great Expectations because "(Mr. Watts) should be teaching you kids propper behaviour and the Bible..." Her devotion to bible later causes her go against her beliefs. Dolores tells a story about children having to steal from their mother, "Would you steal your mothers pork pie?" She sees this as a …show more content…
Dolores "...could not take a day off in being a moral person..." and so as a result she provokes the redskins by refusing to remain silent about the killings that they had done and to protect Matilda from being raped by the redskins, Dolores offers her life to them instead. However this sacrifice is ultimately in vain as her provokation does not result in any meaningful change amongst the villagers, and "(Matilda) didn't think (her) rape was too big a price for (her) mother's life." If she had not decided to adhere to her religion, she could have ensured her life and found a way to help her daughter and the village. While there is honour in her christ-like sacrifice, it does not ultimately do much, for the characters.
In conclusion, Lloyd Jones uses Dolores's attachment to religion, to extol the evils of religion. Dolores betrays her beliefs to aid her beliefs by stealing Great Expectations, Dolores slowly pushes away Matilda because of her devotion to the Bible and her inabilty to accept Matilda's to Great Expectations, and Dolores sacrifices herself in vain to uphold these