Me and Charles

I have recently engaged myself, friends, in the reading of "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. I am starting to have somewhat of a history in regards to my relationship with Dickens books actually, since I was introduced to Dickens almost a year ago through "A Tale of Two Cities'. At the time I found it to very difficult to trudge through. Then earlier this year, as I've recorded here, I went through "Oliver Twist" and found it delightful. Since then my admiration has done nothing but grown for the writing style of Dickens, and I decided to pursue another of his works. I decided on Great Expectations since I had seen the modernized film version of it when I was the age of thirteen yet, so I was already aware of the story. So far I'm finding it to be amusing and enjoyable, even more so than Oliver Twist. I'm quite fond of his dry humor and irony, it's the type of humor I feel most at home with, I guess.

What I enjoy most about it though is that every chapter is usually full of philosophical investigations and thought-provoking insights into the nature of Man. For example in the eighth chapter of the aforementioned work he writes about how Estella showed contempt for Pip, especially for his coarse hands and boots, and how Pip came to consider them for the first time as a result. It is very similar to my own experiences. There was a time not long ago when I had literally no opinion of my own physical composition, yet in recent years I've formed opinions about almost all my proportions: my chin, my nose, my lips, my cheeks, my eyes, my forehead, my hair, my ears! Just to name a few. These considerations came only after having been exposed to many of a fairer physique, that I've come to realize the "inadequacies" of my own. Only through exposure to an alien environment does one come to question himself. This can be used in a positive way in regards to culture, religion and ideas. Only through, for the most part, actual geographical relocation can one put themselves in the position to question themselves.

.....in other news(!), I attended my second "Dustin gig" tonight, yet unlike last time I was able to socialize with him and his group and followers afterwards (I felt a bit awkard being bareheaded around my friends, but I would have felt even more uncomfortable making too Judaic a presence in such a place). I even helped by giving out cards (something which felt shamefully like soliciting to me, nonetheless). Afterwards, I used the experience somewhat as a stepping-board in my mind for me to start to gage my pattern of social interactions and interests. Why is it that out of the two thousand people at Touro I'm the only one to attend these performances? How do I decide to pick my friends and social acquaintances? Still very blurry to me, but it's clear that my method has been to choose very specific people and hook onto them like an eel. It must be considered further for me to come to any psychological/sociological conclusions about myself...