The Scorpion Quotes

Great Expectations/ The House of the Scorpion Essay Power can do many things in someone's hands. In the right hands it can help, in the wrong hands it can destroy anybodys life, including their own. The novel The House of the Scorpion (written by Nancy farmer), and classic Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) show this message. In the book, The house of the Scorpion a young boy named Matt is brought to the home of a powerful elderly drug-lorded called El Patron. There he is taken care of by the servant Celia and bodyguard Tam Lin. He soon discovers that he is only a clone of El patron, however this does not stop him from loving a girl named Maria. He then learns that he/ clones are only used for transplants and will die at fourteen. He tries

“‘Yes, Pip dear boy, I’ve made a gentleman on you!’” (page 250). “‘Do you see those grovelling and wandering eyes? That’s how he looked when we were tried together’” (page 28). This text says that even though Magwitch is a criminal he still looks out for and helps those that once helped him. Compeyson is just as bad as Magwitch, maybe worse, but since he has power as a gentleman he used it to throw his partner and friend under the bus, and help himself. This shows how even the smallest bit of power can corrupt someone. “‘Lookee here, old chap… Ever the best of friends; ain’t us Pip’” (page 367). “‘What have I Done!’... crushed her white hair, and returned to this cry over and over again” (page 312). This shows the difference between two of the parent figures in Pip’s life. Joe is kind to Pip even when Pip does not deserve it. He has and always will continue to be friends, and a father figure to Pip. Miss Havisham has been cruel and evil to Pip. She used her power to make him suffer in the place of her fiance that left. Miss Havisham and Joe both played a huge role in Pip’s childhood. Joe, however, even without power was able to be a father to Pip while Miss Havisham hurt Pip with her power. This shows how power corrupted Miss Havisham into taking advantage of innocent children. “Biddy was the wisest of girls” (page 100). “‘I think she is very proud… I think she is very

“‘How we scrambled for those coins… rolled in the dirt… didn’t have two pesos to rub together’” (page 101). Throughout the novel El Patron tells this story multiple times. Not only does this shows how El Patron became corrupt, but it shows how vastly different the two El Patron’s are. One is without money. He may not be happy but he is not an evil lord of a drug empire. El Patron became this new person through power. As he gained more power he became more corrupt until all that was left was an evil drug lord. “Rosa hurried down the steps and dumped Matt roughly onto the lawn” (page 24). “The men swung him up and out. He came down with a crash” (page 325). Both of these cases Matt is powerless to do anything and the people around him are corrupted with power. Mr. Alacrán, with the power of El Patron orders Rosa to toss Matt out like garbage. Jorge in the second case uses his authority as a keeper to make Matt pay for humiliating him. It shows how the power people have can be used to hurt innocent people. “He knew exactly how to reproduce the cold deadly voice that got results” (page 173). Throughout the book Matt uses his power as El Patron’s clone to do bad things. Matt becomes corrupted when he uses El Patron's power. He is a better person when he has no power from El Patron, such as when he is a lost boy. He has no power then but is making friends and is kind to the innocent and weak. As