After this year, I am definetely a ten times better writer. Last year I had no confidence whatsoever in my writing skills and it showed. But after going through lots of work this year with literary analysis, and all the other topics and things we've covered involving writing. Now i can easily sit down and go ever the rubrics and checklists on my own and figure out and fix each thing I think could be better. Before, I barely understood the things I was doing wrong, and now I can point them out in my own work.
I still am sure that I'm not a perfect writer. I obviously have some things that still need improvement. But I have gone from getting C's and D's on essays to getting A's and B's. One thing i know needs a little work is my hooks. I always start with a question which is a bad habit, but I never think of a better hook until later. Getting more commentary into each paragraph and chunk is still a bit of a challenge also. But I have still greatly improved either way.

The Hunger Games-By Suzanne Collins. I received this book this past Christmas as a gift and it looked like something good to read. But with other books to read for school and other work, reading multiple books at the same time was just too confusing so I had to wait til summer.
In The Woods-By tana French. I found this book while at Orca getting Romeo and Juliet, and it sounded really good to me. It's very weird and like a CSI type book, but something that interested me. But I haven't gotten a chance to really get far into it.

The first scene i would like to do is when Pip first meets Magwitch at the very beginning. I think it would be good to do becasue of the connection throughout the book with Pip and Abel. With Pip meeting him as a young boy, and being very scared, and then becoming so close to him 20 years later would show a great representation of progression throughout the book.

The second would be when Joe comes with Wopsle to London and visits Pip. Joe feels very let down and like Pip is a much better person now so he feels the need to call Pip sir. He doesnt't feel worthy enough around Pip. Afterwards Pip feels terrible about the way he treated Joe. Also, Pip recieves word that Miss Havisham wishes to see him.

The third I'd like to do would be when Abel shows up at Pip's house late at night around 20 years after they first met. It is when Pip first finds out about Abel being his benefactor and is a big shift and unexpected part of the book.

Fyi, my questions were referring to Abels most recent convictions. He did reveal what happened before he and Pip met, and one other time involving Miss Havisham's ex fiance, which both have obvious connections to Pip. But im questioning why he will not reveal his reason for his being in hiding now. I think he is trying to hide something from them, don't you??

Questiono Numero Dos

On page 345, after Pip and Herbert ask for details on his life as to why he is in so much trouble and hiding from so much, Magwitch says, "In jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail...I've been done everything to, pretty well-except hanged."
But he never told them the reason for why he is still in need of hiding and thats all they wanted to know. Why is he still running? And why wont he tell them?? Is he hiding something terrible? Did he kill Mrs. Joe and will not reveal it to Pip???

One aspect I dont fully understand is when Pip is explaining how he feels so lucky yet when he thinks of Estella he all of a sudden is overcome with, "hundreds of chances. Avoiding forbidden ground, as you did just now, I may still say that on the constancy of one person (naming no person) all my expectations depend." (P. 249) and also when he says "that, concentrating our attention on the examination, we altogether overlook one of the best points of the animal." (P. 249)
I felt a little confused because at first I thought he meant that being away from her gave him multiple opportunities to get off the non existent leash he felt attached to and do something he wanted to do because her opinion didn't hold him back.
Then I thought that he meant while he was away from her, that he realized the times when he was with her were times he never realized her feelings the way she wanted him to. And that he never understood her correctly until she was gone.
All I really want to know is: Am I just deeply confused in this whole topic and conversation, and wrong?
Or:
Was I correct in understanding that Estella was never understood by Pip how she wanted to be?
If that makes any sense.....