Life Lessons Learned from Mr. Watts
Novels provide the reader with a sense of fascination and an element of surprise in a time when many people need an escape from the perils of reality. Throughout much of the novel Mister Pip written by Lloyd Jones, a variety of themes important to the novel’s overall message appear. These topics help the reader to understand the thoughts and emotions of the characters as well as learn about themselves: the ability to make the wrong choices and not be perfect, the desire to not be the practical individual, but instead, the person who lives a life more extraordinary than others, and the suggestion that the small details of a human provide an accurate and descriptive account of whom they thrive to be and are destined to become. All of these subjects directly relay to my life as I become an adult while also relating to the tremendous amount of growth I encountered in myself throughout the six weeks of summer school.
Human beings have an innate desire to achieve perfection and to never make the wrong decision; the idea of striving for flawlessness causes destruction and torment to many individuals. In the novel Mister Pip, Matilda encounters this idea when Mr. Watts says to her, “‘It is hard to be a perfect human being, Matilda,’ he said. ‘Pip is only human. He has been given the opportunity to turn himself into whomever he chooses. He is free to choose. He is even free to make bad choices.’”(Jones 71). This quote encompasses the entire meaning of being a human; humans make wrong decisions countless times throughout their lives, but what matters is what they do with their lives and who they eventually become. Perfection has always plagued me in both my personal and educational goals. I strive to be perfect. Perfection, for me, is not an idea, but a way of life. I strive to be in perfect shape, I strive for the highest grades, and I strive to have the perfect amount of extracurricular activities. The desire to be perfect eventually cost me my health and I became diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease presumed to be caused by stress.
I realized no matter how much I desire to be perfect, perfection never occurs. I could only be the best person I could be and needed to be happy with that. Throughout the past six weeks that idea has been reiterated throughout the novel Mister Pip and various class discussions and blogs. Matilda realizes perfection occurs when an individual becomes happy with the person they have become after dealing with the ailments and struggles in the journey of life. Perfection is achieved through happiness and quality; if a life is lived with regret and torment, happiness will never occur causing the particular individual to never experience overall content. The journey of life should not be wasted on practicality, but instead lived with outlandish and extraordinary behavior.
Once the journey of life comes to an end, people wonder how the specific person will be remembered now that they are gone; will they be remembered for an ordinary, practical life or a life that was lived with excitement and pleasure. People who live according to the rules and regulations rarely generate remembrance; in fact, it is the people who break the rules and live their life by their own rules that are remembered. Mr. Watts desired to live his life with imagination and exuberance in a world that rarely accepted a life not lived practically. Mr. Watts used theatre to get away from reality, and through his theatre he ultimately met his future wife. Grace allowed Mr. Watts to become whatever character he desired; she let him live as he intended. As the relationship progressed, Grace and Mr. Watts became known for their outlandish behavior which involved him wearing a clown nose pulling her in a trolley. Even though both individuals die at different times throughout the novel, their legacies live on because of their unexpected lifestyle. People only live once and the people who live their lives free of inhibition are always remembered and praised.
Throughout my life I try to achieve the balance of living by the rules and living as I desire. However, since the second session of summer school began, I have grown to realize I need to live my life as I chose; I need to make myself happy through my actions and choices. I will remember the people in the English 123: Introduction to Literature class because of the variety of personalities and the various lifestyles of each individual. The journeys that were shared in class involving ATV’s, significant others, and thunder storms will continually be in my memory. The details of the journey contribute to the stories of the individuals that will never be forgotten.
Details create an image no picture can create; details make a person interesting, as well as create an unforgettable representation of the individual. When Mr. Watts loses Grace, it is the memories of the people that help create an illustration of the young woman his wife was before she left the island.
Others began to speak. They gave their bits of memory to Mr. Watts. They filled in a picture of his dead wife. In this way he learned of a girl he had never met. A girl who could hold her breath underwater for longer than anyone else. A girl who could speak German with the nuns. A tiny girl who once got lost. They searched everywhere for her. And where did they find her? Curled up under the shell of a boat. The big things came back to us, and the little things. Mr. Watts did not care how small. He learned what color ribbons his dead wife wore to school as a girl. He heard how she lost a front tooth. It happened as she lay prone on a canoe, daydreaming she was a fish, when the prow popper up and smacked her life. He learned how proud she had been of her first pair of shoes (Jones 142-143).
This illustration created through the smallest details help convey who Grace was when she was a young child and ultimately, give a glimpse to the woman she grew up to become. This quote also applies to Matilda’s remembering of Mr. Watts after his death. She remembers him for the stories he shared with her; the stories of Pip, the reason behind the clown nose, and his peculiar choice of clothing. Oftentimes people forget the details of a person or situation; details make the person and the situation interesting and insightful. Without the details the world would consist of only the beginning and the end, the middle section would be gone because the details would not exist. Ironically, it is the details about each one of the members of the Introduction to Literature class that allows me to think of the onetime strangers as friends.
Mister Pip provides a large variety of subjects relating to the lives of many individuals; these topics prove necessary to understand and learn about throughout the journey of life. With people realizing life should consist of no inhibitions, perfection becomes reachable and the details become memorable. Matilda understands these particular life lessons and applies them to her personal life throughout the novel. When she grows up she maintains the idea that she will make the wrong decision, but it is the details of the rest of her life journey that becomes important. The ability to grow and achieve success involves work and it is with that work that I have met some incredible individuals who changed my life and allowed me to live my life by my rules and aspirations.
