Connections!

One book that relates to Great Expectations is Gone With the Wind. In both novels, there is the motif of convicts. They both help out the main Characters. Like Pip's character gives him money for helping him and he keeps running into him. Scarlett uses convicts throughout the story to help her make money. Both stories have the convicts help them achieve the life they want to live. Pip becomes a gentleman from receiving expectations from his and Scarlett is rich and glamorous because they run her mill.

Another connection is the feeling of being ashamed of home. Pip doesn't want to be a blacksmith and wants to only be a gentleman who doesn't work. When Scarlett becomes poor she doesn't want to have to work in the fields like the slaves and not wear fancy clothes. She wants to be rich again and be a lady that all the higher class people want to be around. They both fantasize on becoming wealthy and think about it often. They ruin relationships just to achieve what they think will bring them utter happiness.

Money is a big deal in both stories. For those two characters they discover money can't buy you happiness. Pip talks about the sadness he feels and that he had done wrong by everyone that he couldn't go back to his old life. He had enough money to buy anything he wanted but that's not the same feeling you get when your with people you love. The thirst for money gave her a bad reputation and she lost a lot of friends. She bought everything she could imagine, but in the end of the story she is still not satisfied with her life.