Mister Pip Literary Elements

A novel

Bougainville, Australia, Europe; 1989-2000’s

The story is narrated by Matilda, its main character.

The story is written in calm, rather neutral mood. The author always tries to show deeply the characters’ cores, feelings, the reasons of this or that their action.

The protagonists of the story are Mr Watts, Matilda, Grace and some other characters, and the antagonists are Dolores, ex-Mrs Watts. From the other point of view the protagonists are the villagers and the antagonists are the Redskins.

Major conflict takes place between Mr Watts and his “prism” of views and the views of the other villagers, especially Dolores. Also there is conflict between the villagers and the Redskins.

The culmination of the story takes place when the Redskins come the last time and kill most of the main characters of the story: Mr Watts and Dolores.

The author addresses many issues in the story: color of the skin doesn’t mean anything, only inner essence is important; faith should be sincere and true, it should make people kinder, not ruder.

The author uses understatement when describing Matilda’s feelings when her closest people were cruelly killed: she just didn’t feel anything. But using of this method helped the author show Matilda’s grief even more.

Perhaps most prominently, the author alludes to “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens. Also there are allusions to Bible, to folk songs such as “Waltzing Matilda”, etc.

see imagery section

N/A

The author uses this method describing everyday life in Bougainville and the war as a background of it. Also it is used in “battle” between Bible and “Great Expectations”: Matilda and Mr Watts.

The author uses these devices in such examples as when Dolores was afraid to “lose her Matilda to Victorian England”; or “white world”, etc.

The author sometimes uses this method, such as “disrespectful sun”, “shame of trees” which have “no conscience”, etc.