Pip's Quote

I think that what Pip is referring to here, is that there are experiences that you can live without your whole life, and be happy, but if you happen to stumble into them, that day will alter your life forever. He also talks about thorns or flowers, I think that here, he is talking about the good and bad side of things.
At this point in the book, Pip has just gone and saw Miss Havisham for the first time. Before this, he had never really seen the outside world of "high society" and was content with his life, because that's all he knew. But on this day, when he sees Miss Havisham, he is intoxicated by the young Estella, who is beautiful but cruel. Estella doesn't make wealthy living out to be so great, but she puts so much disgrace on being poor, that Pip is ashamed. From this day forward, Pip's whole outlook on his life changes.
The changes that occur in Pip after this day are great. He is so happy with his life before, and so grateful, because that's all hes been told- to be grateful for being brought up by hand by his sister. Now that hes seen what he could have had, he wants to be a gentleman. Pip no longer wants to work as a blacksmith, mainly because he thinks Estella would look down on that. At the end of chapter 13 and the begining of chapter 14, Pip is thinking a lot about where his life is, and how his home and family aren't what he would like them to be. Pip is frustrated that Joe is happy to be a blacksmith, and cant see why or how that would be enough for him.
A main turning point for me was when I went into 6th grade; it was the ending of my innocents. I know that everyone has this same kind of thing, and its not really something you can skip, or walk away from, but for me, it was a big thing. There are so many things in the world that you can do nothing about, and also so many things that you can change. One thing you cant change though, are other people. You cant change the way other people act, or what they do, and until 6th grade, I thought that I could. It was a valuble lesson, and a tough one to learn, but most of the time, you just gotta live, and let live.