The Higher level critical essay exemplar centers around Lloyd Jones’ novel ‘Mister Pip’. Specifically, it analyzes a significant incident in the book that catches the reader off guard or causes them to feel shocked. The incident is briefly outlined and the essay explores how much the unexpected nature of this event enhances the reader’s comprehension of the entire text. Taking place on Bougainville, a small island within the Solomon Islands, during the 1990s when it was engaged in conflict with Papua New Guinea’s government.
Jones sets the stage for his story with the war and island blockade, using it as a backdrop for the main character’s journey. Matilda, a thirteen-year-old islander described as skinny, narrates the novel from her perspective. The plot takes a dramatic turn when Matilda discovers that her mother, Dolores, has stolen and hidden the only copy of Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’, which their teacher Mr. Watts had been reading to their class. This surprising theft not only shocks the reader but also sets off a chain of tragic events for the main characters.
Papua New Guinea soldiers have come to Matilda’s village searching for Pip, whom they suspect of being a white rebel organizer. Matilda, who is deeply infatuated with the fictional character Pip from ‘Great Expectations’, had previously written his name on the beach. Teacher Mr. Watts tells Matilda that Pip is not real and asks her to bring the book from school as evidence. However, Matilda comes back empty-handed because the book cannot be found. The soldiers burn the villagers’ belongings and warn them that they will return in two weeks for Pip.
Matilda returns to her hut and notices a rolled up sleeping mat wedged into the rafters. She unrolls the mat and discovers Mr. Watts’ copy of ‘Great Expectations’. Both Matilda and the reader are astonished to learn that Matilda’s mother, Dolores, had taken and concealed the book. This action is ironic because Dolores is portrayed as a devout Christian who would not be expected to break the commandment of “thou shalt not steal”. Dolores only knows what she has learned from the sermons and conversations of the previous minister. When Mr. Watts begins reading ‘Great Expectations’ to the class, it becomes their main source of education. However, Dolores strongly objects to Pip stealing from his own family for Magwitch. She questions what Pop Eye, her nickname for Mr. Watts, has to say about this. Dolores is bewildered by the acceptance of stealing from one’s own family, especially considering that food is scarce on the island. Her use of Mr. Watts’ nickname indicates her lack of respect for him. Overall, Dolores is skeptical of Mr. Watts.
Dolores sees Watts as a negative influence on her wife Grace, who went away to study and work in dental care but came back with a white man and mental health issues. Dolores and Mr. Watts clash over Matilda’s interest in ‘Great Expectations’ and his belief that the devil does not exist, which Dolores interprets as a rejection of God.
Dolores is angry with Matilda because she believes everything Mr. Watts says and doesn’t care about her own ancestors. This makes Dolores steal the only copy of ‘Great Expectations’ in order to end Matilda’s obsession with the story and break Mr. Watts’ influence on her. Dolores has never enjoyed reading a novel and can’t understand Matilda’s enjoyment of storytelling, which is a theme of the novel.
Matilda loses faith in her mother after she breaks a commandment. She understands her mother’s reasons, as she believes that her silence is meant to harm Pip and Mr. Watts, a godless white man who wants to introduce a fictional character in Matilda’s life. However, the theft of the book leads to unexpected consequences that add tension and drama to the story. The soldiers come back looking for Pip, but without the book, they cannot confirm his existence. Dolores pretends to have a splinter in her hand and refuses to reveal the book’s whereabouts, angering Matilda. As a result, the soldiers burn down the islanders’ houses and destroy the book, ensuring that Pip’s identity will remain unproven. Later, a group of young rebel soldiers called “rambos” arrive. To appease them, Mr. Watts tells them his life story through nightly biographical installments and introduces himself as Mister Pip, which inspires the novel’s title.
Once again, we witness the power of storytelling as it captivates both rambos and villagers. Mr. Watts skillfully combines elements from Dickens’ story, local myths, his own biography, and fiction. Dolores is convinced that she hears the truth about Grace, Mr. Watts’ wife, and how the loss of their child caused her depression. However, it is uncertain if Dolores is indeed hearing the truth. In a later part of the novel, when Matilda visits June Watts in Wellington to learn more about Tom Watts, there is no mention of a child.
The theme of truth is present throughout the novel and Tom Watts is eager for Dolores to have a positive opinion of him: ‘—saw Mr. Watts seek out my mum with a smile’. Each night, he tells stories about ‘the battle of the spare room’ and Grace’s difficulties, always looking directly at Dolores for her approval. When the ‘redskins’ return, this time with a captured ‘rambo’, they coerce him into identifying Mister Pip. Shockingly, Mr. Watts is shot and his body is then dragged out of the schoolhouse, chopped up, and fed to the pigs. The redskin officer challenges the islanders to acknowledge what they witnessed, once again highlighting the theme of truth.
No one except simple Daniel knows what happened to Tom Watts. Daniel witnessed Tom being taken off and brutally crucified. Surprisingly, Dolores also has knowledge of the event and confesses, “Sir, I saw your men chop up the white man. He was a good man. I am God’s witness.” Dolores has experienced a change of heart concerning Tom Watts, now considering him to be a good man who cared for and loved Grace. By proclaiming herself as “God’s witness,” Dolores seeks to atone for her previous sin of stealing the book by providing an accurate account of Tom’s character. Despite the danger she faces for speaking out, Dolores is repeatedly raped by the soldiers.
Furthermore, Dolores redeems herself in both Matilda’s and the reader’s perception by sacrificing her own life to protect her daughter from being raped by soldiers. When asked by the soldiers if she would give up her life for Matilda’s safety, Dolores bravely responds, “My life… I will give you my life.” Tragically, Dolores is subsequently shot and her body is fed to the pigs, just like Mr. Watts. The reader is shocked by the rapid succession of these horrific events. Matilda later describes her mother as a courageous woman, the bravest of all. The reader can only concur. Despite our previous disappointment in Dolores, her selfless act of standing up for truth and justice while sacrificing her own life for her daughter’s forgives any shortcomings.
Watts previously stated, “To be human is to be moral and you cannot have a day off when it suits.” Dolores momentarily took a “day off” by stealing the copy of “Great Expectations,” but she recognized her mistake and made amends. This unexpected and shocking act had a significant impact on the plot and added complexity and intrigue to Dolores’ character, connecting to the themes of the power of storytelling and the subjectivity of truth. Eventually, Dolores came to view Tom Watts as “a good man” through his storytelling.
