Great Expectations
AGE: Secondary |
THEME: Great Expectations |
AIM: |
| At the start of a new term, to look at what our expectations are and how they are formed. |
RESOURCES: |
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DEVELOPMENT: |
| Presenter 1: In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the central character, Pip, expects to serve out his apprenticeship to Joe Gargery, the local blacksmith, and then to become a blacksmith himself. In fact, his life doesn’t work out like that at all. Presenter 2: A strange man turns up - a solicitor called Mister Jaggers. Jaggers has life shattering news for Pip. He tells Pip that he has a benefactor... a rich person who is willing to offer Pip financial support that will change his life. Along with his new-found wealth, Pip is expected to become an educated gentleman. Presenter 1: The rest of the novel revolves around us watching Pip as he comes to terms with the new expectations people have of him. Presenter 2: Of course, it's true to say that everyone is under pressure. Some times the pressure is obvious and sometimes it is so subtle that we are hardly aware of it. We decided to interview some people about how they looked back at times in their lives when they were under pressure to achieve. We have blacked-out their faces to protect their identities. (The 'interviewees' come to centre stage, one by one, covering their faces with black card.) Interviewer 1: Please tell the viewers your story in your own words. Person A: I wanted to get in the Guinness Book of Records by being the first person to sail around the world in a bathtub. But Mum was worried I'd catch a cold if I got my feet wet so I gave up the whole idea. I'll always regret that. Interviewer 1: So you blame your mother for ruining your life. Person A: Don't blame my mother! She was only worrying about me. I blame myself. If I'd thought it through more carefully I would have realized I could've worn two pairs of socks. (with bitter regret) I could've been famous. (The placard holders rush up and hold up placards saying things along the lines of 'Aaaah! Sad! Shame,eh? What a loser!') (Interviewer 2 enters with PERSON B who is carrying a very large mechanical device such as a spanner.) Interviewer 2: How did you end up in this dreadful situation? Person B: When I was at school, they said I would make a great wangle shifter. Interviewer 2: A what? Person B: A wangle shifter. And I thought... Well, they must know what they’re talking about, so I went to university and learned how to wangle shift. Interviewer 2: Can you give us a demonstration of wangle shifting? Person B: Certainly. You attach the wangle and then you shift it. (Mimes a very simple action with the wangle.) See? It’s highly skilled work. Interviewer 2: And how long have you been shifting wangles? Person B: All my life. I expect I'll be wangle shifting 'til the day I die. But to tell you the honest truth I am bored here. I don't like it. I need the money so I stay but I wish I'd done what I really wanted to do. Interviewer 2: And what was that? Person B: I think I would have been a very good pop singer. Or a stand-up comedian. Or, failing that... a politician. Something glamorous along those lines. (The placard carriers rush up with placards saying things along the lines of 'Wangle shifting is dangerous to your health! Beware the idiot! This could happen to you!') (Interviewer 1 stands with Person C.) Interviewer 1: We took our cameras along to meet a politician. Do we have too great an expectation of what politicians can do for us? Person C: Looking back, somewhere, some time, some place, somebody must have decided I was not to be trusted. In the back of my mind I can just remember somebody saying that to me... 'You can't be trusted', they said. I can't even remember why they said it. May be it was justified at the time. Interviewer 1: And how did this change your life? Person C: Well... (getting upset) I started to believe it myself. I was doing my best but I thought nobody liked me and nobody trusted me. I thought I was useless. Interviewer 1: And what did you do then? Person C: I went to the careers advisor. I said I was apparently very good at giving the impression I couldn't be trusted and they said that this seems to be a useful quality if you want to be a politician. Interviewer 1: So you became a politician? Person C: I did. Looking back, I think I've made a big mistake. I shouldn't have listened. I should have made up my own mind. Looking back I realize I was pushed into something I never really wanted. (The placard carriers rush up with placards saying things along the lines of 'Seek good advice then make your own mind up! Some politicians can be trusted! Today does not equal tomorrow!') Person C: I never became the person I wanted to be. I only become the person they wanted me to be. (Interviewer 2 moves to Person D.) Interviewer 2: Tell us your story. (Person D is confident and happy.) Person D: My story is nothing like those losers. I've always been a winner. I trained hard and was expected to win the 50 metres. Interviewer 2: And did you? Person D: Yes. And I trained hard and was expected to win the 100 metres and I did. And then the 200 metres and then the 400 metres. No problem. Interviewer 2: No problems at all? So why are we interviewing you? Person D: There was a problem but it wasn't mine. THEY had the problem. Interviewer 2: They? Who are they? Person D: They are the people who have expectations and keep pushing you to do what they want you to do. They didn't like it when I decided to do aerobics instead of running. I was bored with running, so I stopped. Interviewer 2: But you were a winner. Person D: I'm still a winner. I still push myself hard. But the important word is 'myself'. The most important expectations are the ones I have for myself. (The placard carriers rush in with placards saying something along the lines of 'Never wrestle with a pig: you'll both get dirty and the pig will enjoy it!', 'Never try to teach an elephant to sing: you'll end up exhausted and the elephant will end up frustrated!', 'There are two sides to every story!') Interviewer 2: Do you mind if people pressurize you to start running again? Person D: They can pressure me all they like but the most important opinion I listen to is my own inner voice... (The presenters join in the discussion.) Presenter 1: (to Presenter 2) Don't other people's ideas mean anything to him / her? Presenter 2: Sounds a bit selfish, if you ask me. Pip in Great Expectations wouldn't have got very far if he'd taken that attitude. (The other performers agree loudly and ad lib their own comments until Person D backs down.) Person D: Okay, okay. I'm exaggerating a bit. What other people think is important. All I'm saying is you have to be careful who you listen to because... (The placard carriers have the last word. They chant in unison as they raise new placards containing the words 'No one can see around corners!') Everyone: No one can see around corners! |
REFLECTION: |
| PRESENTER: No one can see around corners. No one knows what is going to happen in the future. Other people may have views of what we should be like - great expectations for us. We may have great expectations for ourselves. Because we're human we often get our expectations out of balance, we expect too much - or not enough - of ourselves and those around us. Christians believe that Jesus has great expectations of everyone, that everyone can become the person they were created to be, and that God loves the person we really are. So let us think for a moment about what our expectations could really be, what gifts we have, what will truly help us become ourselves. If we get that right, it should help us to face whatever lies around the corner. |
MUSIC: |
| 'The Rose', Bette Midler, from Experience the Divine - Greatest Hits, Atlantic 7564-82497-2 |
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: |
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