ge

On Christmas Eve of 1812, Pip, a boy aged 5, encounters an escaped convict in th e village churchyard while visiting his mother and father's graves. The convict beats Pip, and convinces him to steal food for him and a file to grind away his leg shackles. He threatens Pip not to tell anyone and do as he says or his frien d will cut out Pip's heart. Pip returns home, where he lives with Mrs. Joe (ofte n addressed as Mrs. J. Gargery), his older sister, and her husband Joe Gargery. His sister is very cruel and beats him as well as her husband with various objec ts regularly; however Joe is much more kind to Pip. Early the next morning, Pip steals food and drink from the Gargery pantry (including a pie for their Christm as feast) and sneaks out to the graveyard. It is the first time in Pip s life he s f elt truly guilty. This is an important event in the book because the convict wil l never forget the kindness (albeit forced) that Pip showed to him. The convict, however, waits many years to fully show his gratitude. During Christmas dinner with the minister, Mr. Wopsle, Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, and Uncle Pumblechook, Pip and Mrs. Joe's moderately wealthy uncle, no one notices t he missing food or brandy until Uncle Pumblechook drinks some brandy and spits i t out. Pip realizes that he filled the brandy jug not with water, but with tar-w ater, (a foul tasting tonic made of pine tar and water often used for medicinal purposes), instead. Pip sits at the table being told how lucky he is by all the relatives all the while in fear that someone will notice the missing pie. Howeve r, the moment his sister goes to the pantry to retrieve the pie and discovers it is missing, police officers approach the house and ask Joe to repair their hand cuffs and invite Joe, Pip and Mr. Wopsle to come with them to hunt for some esca ped prisoners from the local jail. As they hunt through the forest outside the v illage, they accost two convicts while engaged in a fight. One of them is the co nvict helped by Pip; however, when questioned about where he got the food and fi le, he claims he stole the items himself in order to shield Pip. The police take the two to the Boulder, a giant prison ship, and Pip is carried home by Joe, wh ere they finish Christmas dinner. A while after Pip s encounter with the convict, Pip's life returns to normal. He continues to attend the local school which is r un by Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt, and becomes friends with Biddy, an orphan who was adopted by the Wopsles; even though no more was said of the incident with the c onvict and he had been absolved of any wrong doing, he still feels guilty for th e theft. A wealthy old woman named Miss Havisham asks Pip's Uncle Pumblechook to find a boy of a certain age and bring him to her home to play. Pumblechook imme diately selects Pip and brings him to Miss Havisham's, who lives in the village in Stasis House. Miss Havisham is a spinster who wears an old wedding dress with one shoe on and has all the house clocks stopped at 20 minutes to nine. She has n't seen sunlight in years and claims to have a broken heart and just wants to s ee Pip play cards with Estella, a young girl she has adopted. Pip's first encounter with Miss Havisham and Estella is a strange one. He discov ers Mrs. Havisham is a shut-in whom has boarded up the windows around the entire house so as not to allow any light in. She remains seated in a tattered chair w here she instructs Pip to play cards with Estella. Here, Estella is cruel to Pip , calls him names and laughs at him. Mrs. Havisham seems to delight in this illtreatment of Pip and asks him repeatedly what he thinks of Estella in turn by wh ispering it in her ear. Mrs. Havisham continuously praises Estella for her pride and her beauty. Hurt and angry, Pip leaves Stasis House to walk the grounds and cries. Estella brings him food however she begins to make fun of him again as s he sees that he has been crying and teases him for doing so. Outside, Pip is acc osted by a young man of about the same age whom tries to engage him in a fight. He calls Pip out and Pip at first refuses to fight him however Pip eventually sw ings and strikes the young man, knocking him to the ground. The young man repeat edly encourages Pip to hit him even though he is clearly loosing and becoming in creasingly battered and bloody. After the fight is over, the two part ways; Este lla, having seen the fight kisses Pip for unknown reasons and he returns to the forge. Miss Havisham with Estella and Pip. Art by H. M. Brock

After this first meeting, Pip frequently visits Miss Havisham and Estella, for w hom he soon realizes he is in love with. He begins to tenaciously learn everythi ng he can from Biddy in school, with the hopes of becoming more educated and ref ined, in an effort to win Estella's affections, who had called him a common labo uring boy. One day, when Pip goes to the town pub to pick up Joe, they are appro ached by a messenger sent by Pip's convict who gives Pip two one pound notes bef ore leaving, however, upon returning home with the notes, Mrs. Joe takes the mon ey from Pip and places it in a jar with the intention of sending word to the pub the next day, as she believed that the messenger made a mistake and did not mea n to give such a large amount of money to Pip. Soon after his encounter with the messenger, Pip returns to Stasis House to visit Miss Havisham on her birthday w here she shows him her wedding cake, which is being eaten by mice, and the place where she will be laid out when she is dead, a death she looks forward to. He a lso meets the Pockets who give him a chilly welcome. Pip works with Joe for a few years in the forge, doing work that he once looked forward to however now despises as he begins to see it as "common" and "low". In an agreement with Joe, he visits Miss Havisham only on his birthday, when he re ceives a half-holiday. He and Joe work with a journeyman named Orlick. When he r eturns home, he discovers that Mrs. Joe had been attacked. The attack left her s eriously injured and as she was struck in the head with a blunt object several t imes, the brain damage left her an invalid. Pip feels guilty again when the poli ce believe escaped criminals attacked Mrs. Joe. The detectives from London howev er do not discover anything more about the suspected attacker and thus no one is ever apprehended. After her attack, Mrs. Joe spends her days calling for Orlick and drawing a capi tal "T" on a slate. Biddy believes that the "T" represents a hammer and that Orl ick is the attacker. When Orlick arrives however, Mrs. Joe is very pleased to se e him and soon after Orlick regularly comes to keep company and entertain Mrs. J oe. Meanwhile Biddy, being given the task of nursing Mrs. Joe, moves in with the Gargerys leading Pip to confide in her his true feelings for Estella. When Pip and Joe are listening to Mr. Wopsle read a murder trial from a newspaper, a Lond on lawyer, Jaggers, approaches Pip, revealing very startling news: Pip has inher ited a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor. The conditions of the re ceipt of said money require him to leave for London immediately, buy new clothes and become a gentleman. Pip behaves badly in society (mostly over jealousy of Estella) and squanders his allowance, running into debt. He is rescued on his 21st birthday, when he is no tified by Jaggars that he is awarded 500 pounds (equal to £36,000 today) and an in creased steady allowance, until such a time as his benefactor will appear and ma ke himself known to Pip. Magwitch makes himself known to Pip Pip originally believes Miss Havisham is his benefactress (and so the reader is led to believe, as well) for several years as he begins to learn to be a gentlem an, helped by the now grown Herbert Pocket, (whom he discovers is the young man he fought at Stasis House as a boy), who is assigned as his companion. Pip retur ns to the village often, however rarely visiting his family and instead visiting Mrs. Havisham. For several years Estella had been studying abroad in Europe (a fashionable tradition of women's educaton for the wealthy at the time), upon her return Pip finds Estella much changed and her attitude refined. She apologizes for her earlier cruelty however, seeing Pip's affections warns him that he shoul d not fall in love with her. Pip ignores these repeated warnings as he long harb ored the belief that Miss Havisham (as his benefactress) intended them for each other. Estella continues to warn him that her heart is cold and cannot love him and entreats him to take her seriously, but he refuses, still believing they wil l be married and that her heart is not as cold as she claims. During this time, Mrs. Joe dies. Pip returns home to the funeral where Biddy con fides in him that Orlick has made several unwanted advances toward her. Pip is i nfuriated and warns Orlick to stay away from Biddy, however Orlick continues to

harass Biddy after Pip is gone. Pip returns to London, heavily in debt which increases by the day. Having lead H erbert into debt as well, Pip feels a deep sense of remorse for his irresponsibl e actions. In one of Dickens' patented plot twists, Pip's benefactor turns out t o be instead Magwitch, the convict whom Pip helped, who had been transported to New South Wales, where he had eventually prospered and become extremely wealthy. Magwitch left all his money to Pip in gratitude for that kindness and also becau se Pip reminded him of his own child, whom he believes to have been killed by he r mother over two decades prior. The revelation of his true benefactor crushes P ip. He is ashamed of Magwitch's criminal past and deeply saddened by the realiza tion that Miss Havisham merely allowed him to believe she was the source of his expectations and never intended for Pip to marry Estella. However, Magwitch now expects to spend the rest of his life living with Pip in England. Pip, very relu ctantly, lets Magwitch stay with him. Pip is unhappy in his new found knowledge and the danger and uncertainty it brings. Pip, at one time entertained the idea of running off and joining the military to avoid Magwitch and his expectations. There is a warrant out for Magwitch's arrest in England and he will be hanged if he is caught in the country. Pip becomes increasingly suspicious of being watch ed and tells his landlord and all other close acquaintances (save for Herbert) t hat Magwitch is an uncle by the name of Provis. Eventually, it is understood tha t Magwitch cannot afford to stay in England much longer as the probability of Ma gwitch's arrest increases with each day her remains in the country. A plan is ha tched by Herbert and Pip which involves fleeing the country by boat. During these events, it is revealed to Pip that Estella is the daughter of Mr. J aggers' housemaid, Molly, whom he defended in a murder charge and who gave up he r daughter to be adopted by another of his clients, Miss Havisham, in return for his service in allowing her to be acquitted of the charge. Pip later realizes M agwitch is Estella's father. Mr. Jaggers, however does not outright confess to a nything, however gives Pip a hypothetical situation in which these events transp ired. He also hints that Molly, Estella's mother used to be jealous and wild and that in order to keep her wildness in check he beat her regularly and severely. These hints are proven true by Molly and Mr. Jaggers' interactions. Molly appea rs to be very much afraid of her master. Shortly before Magwitch and Pip are scheduled to flee, Pip receives an unsigned note at his home telling him to appear at the marshes near his old home that nig ht at 9pm. Pip is timid at first, but the letter mentions his "Uncle Provis" and threatens his safety. Pip is lured in by the threats to his benefactor and leav es for the village by carriage immediately. On the marshes, Pip is struck on the head by a blunt object and rendering him unconscious for a period of time. When he awakes, he finds himself bound in a small shack far away from any other resi dences. It is revealed that both the author of the anonymous note and his attack er is Orlick, who admits that he was in fact the one who attacked Mrs. Joe. Orli ck confides that he intends to kill Pip as he has was always jealous of young Pi p when he worked with Joe and for Pip's intervention with his advances on Biddy. Pip is sure he is going to die though he refuses to cry out or beg for mercy. Nevertheless, before Orlick can exact his revenge, Pip is rescued by Herbert, a village shop boy and their old friend Starthop. Herbert discloses that Pip accid entally left the cryptic note at their home which is how he knew where to find P ip. Orlick flees but it is decided not to alert the police as their situation wi th Magwitch is too precarious. Meanwhile, out of spite for Miss Havisham, Estella has married Bentley Drummle, a boastful rival of Pip's whom he very much dislikes. Mr. Jaggers hints that he believes Drummle will beat Estella into submission so as to prove who is the str ongest in the marriage. Pip in incensed and dejected although he refuses to beli eve that Drummle would do such a thing. Before Pip flees with Magwitch, he makes one final visit to Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham realizes that she created a monster out of Estella by encouraging her v anity and her coldness towards others but especially Pip. Miss Havisham claims t hat she adopted Estella for the sole purpose of saving someone else from the hea rtbreak and misfortune she herself suffered as a young woman. She instead taught

Estella to be cruel, prideful and vain. It is revealed that Miss Havisham was c onvinced into buying her half brother out of his share of the brewery at Stasis House by a young man who claimed to love her. The young man proposed Miss Havish am and arrangements were made. However on her wedding day, shortly before the ce remony the young man never shows she has been jilted. After this heartbreak Miss H avisham shut herself in her darkened house where she sits in her bridal gown amo ngst the rotting wedding cake for several years. Miss Havisham avowed never to b e heartbroken again and use Estella as a tool with which to exact her revenge on all men by encouraging her vanity and her meanness and her constant misleading of men. However, seeing how much these teachings have corrupted Estella and broken Pip's heart she asks him for forgiveness. Pip confronts Miss Havisham with Estella's history and present circumstance in an unhappy marriage, blaming Miss Havisham f or teaching Estella to be cold and unloving. In the heat of the confrontation, M iss Havisham stands too close to the fire and it ignites her dress. In effort to save her, he removes his overcoat and throws it around Miss Havisham. The fire is put out, however he and Miss Havisham are both badly injured however Miss Hav isham infinitely more-so. Pip, Herbert and another friend, Startop, make a gallant attempt to help Magwitc h escape, but instead he is captured and sent to jail. Pip is devoted to Magwitc h by now and recognizes in him a good and noble man and is ashamed that . Pip tr ies to have Magwitch released but Magwitch dies shortly before his execution. Un der English law Magwitch's wealth forfeits to the Crown, thus extinguishing Pip' s "Great Expectations". During an extended period of sickness, Pip is nearly arrested for his numerous u npaid debts to several creditors however due to condition, which included fever, he is not arrested at that time. During this illness, he is looked after by Joe and he eventually returns to good health. Joe leave early one morning leaving P ip with only a note of well-wishes, believing that as Pip had not visited him in years since, he would not visit him then and that he likely would never see Pip again. Pip is greatly saddened by this turn of events and realizes how thankles s and ungrateful he had been over the years. His guilt is compounded the discove ry that the police did not leave to allow Pip time to recover, but because Joe h ad paid all of his debts in full. Pip returns home to ask Biddy and Joe for forg iveness and to thank Joe for his unprovoked kindness, and unfailing love for whi ch Pip felt unworthy. When he arrives in the village, he finds that it is Biddy and Joe's wedding day. He congratulates the couple however tells them that his v isit is only temporary for he intended to pay Joe back ever dime of the money he paid the creditors. Afterwards, Pip goes into business overseas with Herbert. A fter eleven relatively successful years abroad, Pip goes back to visit Joe and t he rest of his family out in the marshes. [edit]Original ending Pip meets Estella on the streets. Her abusive husband Drummle has died and she h as remarried to a doctor. Estella and Pip exchange brief pleasantries and Pip st ates that while he could not have her in the end, he was at least glad to know s he was a different person now, changed from the coldhearted girl Miss Havisham h ad reared her to be. The novel ends with Pip saying he could see that "suffering had been stronger than Miss Havisham's teaching and had given her a heart to un derstand what my heart used to be." The full text of the original ending is: 'It was two years more before I saw herself. I had heard of her as leading a mos t unhappy life, and as being separated from her husband, who had used her with g reat cruelty, and who had become quite renowned as a compound of pride, brutalit y, and meanness. I had heard of the death of her husband from an accident conseq uent on ill-treating a horse, and of her being married again to a Shropshire doc tor who, against his interest, had once very manfully interposed on an occasion when he was in professional attendance upon Mr. Drummle, and had witnessed some outrageous treatment of her. I had heard that the Shropshire doctor was not rich , and that they lived on her own personal fortune. I was in England again - in L ondon, and walking along Piccadilly with little Pip - when a servant came runnin

g after me to ask would I step back to a lady in a carriage who wished to speak to me. It was a little pony carriage, which the lady was driving; and the lady a nd I looked sadly enough on one another. "I am greatly changed, I know; but I th ought you would like to shake hands with Estella, too, Pip. Lift up that pretty child and let me kiss it!" (She supposed the child, I think, to be my child.) I was very glad afterwards to have had the interview; for in her face and in her v oice, and in her touch, she gave me the assurance that suffering had been strong er than Miss Havisham's teaching, and had given her a heart to understand what m y heart used to be. New American Classics edition published by New American Library, copyright 1963 The story ends in the year 1841. [edit]Revised ending Pip and Estella meet again at the ruins of Satis House. She has was long separat ed from her husband whom eventually died "consequent on ill-treating a horse." "We are friends," said I, rising and bending over her, as she rose from the benc h. "And will continue friends apart". I took her hand in mine, and we went out o f the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first le ft the forge, so the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from he r.[4] Charles Dickens, Great Expectations [edit]Main characters in Great Expectations [edit]Pip and his family Philip Pirrip, nicknamed Pip, an orphan and the protagonist of Great Expectation s. Throughout his childhood, Pip thought that he was going to be trained as a bl acksmith, but with Magwitch's anonymous patronage, Pip travels to London and bec omes a gentleman. Joe Gargery, Pip's brother-in-law, and his first father figure. He is a blacksmi th who is always kind to Pip and the only person with whom Pip is always honest. Joe was very disappointed when Pip decided to leave his home and travel to Lond on to become a gentleman rather than be a blacksmith. Mrs. Joe Gargery, Pip's hot-tempered adult sister, who raises him after the deat h of their parents but complains constantly of the burden Pip is to her. Orlick, her husband's journeyman, attacks her and she is left disabled until her death. Mr. Pumblechook, Joe Gargery's uncle, an officious bachelor and corn merchant. W hile holding Pip in disdain, he tells Mrs. Joe how noble she is to raise Pip. As the person who first connected Pip to Miss Havisham, he even claims to have bee n the original architect of Pip's precious fortune. Pip despises Mr. Pumblechook as Mr. Pumblechook constantly makes himself out to be better than he really is. He is a cunning impostor. When Pip finally stands up to him, Mr. Pumblechook tu rns those listening to the conversation against Pip and his usefulness at succes sion. [edit]Miss Havisham and her family Miss Havisham, wealthy spinster who takes Pip on as a companion and whom Pip sus pects is his benefactor. Miss Havisham does not discourage this as it fits into her own spiteful plans. She later apologizes to him as she's overtaken by guilt. He accepts her apology and she is badly burnt when her dress catches aflame fro m a spark which leapt from the fire. Pip saves her, but she later dies from her injuries. Estella (Havisham), Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, whom Pip pursues romantica lly throughout the novel. She is secretly the daughter of Molly, Jaggers' housek eeper, and Abel Magwitch, Pip's convict, but was given up to Miss Havisham after a murder trial. Estella represents the life of wealth and culture for which Pip strives. Since her ability to love has been ruined by Miss Havisham, she is una ble to return Pip's passion. She warns Pip of this repeatedly, but he is unwilli

ng or unable to believe her. At one point, Estella is walking up some iron stair s represtenting how she is of a higher class than Pip when in fact she is of the same class. Arthur (Havisham), Miss Havisham's half-brother, who felt he was shortchanged in his inheritance by their father's preference for his daughter. He joined with C ompeyson in the scheme to cheat Miss Havisham of large sums of money by gaining Miss Havisham's trust through promise of marriage to Compeyson. Arthur is haunte d by the memory of the scheme and sickens and dies in a delirium, imagining that the still-living Miss Havisham is in his room, coming to kill him. Arthur has d ied before the beginning of the novel and gambled heavily, being drunk quite oft en. Matthew Pocket, a cousin of Miss Havisham's. He is the patriarch of the Pocket f amily, but unlike others of her relatives he is not greedy for Havisham's wealth . Matthew Pocket has a family of nine children, two nurses, a housekeeper, a coo k, and a pretty but useless wife (named Belinda). He also tutors young gentlemen , such as Bentley Drummle, Startop, Pip, and his own son Herbert, who live on hi s estate. Herbert Pocket, a member of the Pocket family, Miss Havisham's presumed heirs, w hom Pip first meets as a "pale young gentleman" who challenges Pip to a fist fig ht at Miss Havisham's house when both are children. He is the son of Matthew Poc ket, Pip's tutor in the "gentlemanly" arts, and shares his apartment with Pip in London, becoming Pip's fast friend who is there to share Pip's happiness as wel l as his troubles. He has a secret relationship with a woman called Clara. Herbe rt keeps it secret because he knows his mother would say she is below his "stati on". Camilla, an ageing, talkative relative of Miss Havisham who does not care much f or Miss Havisham and only wants her money. She is one of the many relatives who hang around Miss Havisham "like flies" for her wealth. Cousin Raymond, another ageing relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money. He is married to Camilla. Georgiana, an ageing relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her mon ey. Sarah Pocket, "a dry, brown corrugated old woman, with a small face that might h ave been made out of walnut shells, and a large mouth like a cat's without the w hiskers." Another ageing relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money. [edit]Characters from Pip's youth The Convict, an escapee from a prison ship, whom Pip treats kindly, and who turn s out to be his benefactor, at which time his real name is revealed to be Abel M agwitch, but who is also known as Provis and Mr. Campbell in parts of the story to protect his identity. Pip also covers him as his uncle in order that no one r ecognizes him as a convict sent to Australia years before. Abel Magwitch, the convict's given name, who is also Pip's benefactor. Provis, a name that Abel Magwitch uses when he returns to London, to conceal his identity. Pip also says that "Provis" is his uncle visiting from out of town. Mr. Campbell, a name that Abel Magwitch uses after he is discovered in London by his enemy. Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, simple folk who think they are more important than they rea lly are. They live in Pip's village. Mr. Wopsle, the clerk of the church in Pip's town. He later gives up the church work and moves to London to pursue his ambition to be an actor, even though he i s not very good. Mr. Waldengarver, the stage name that Mr. Wopsle adopts as an actor in London. Biddy, Mr. Wopsle's second cousin; she runs an evening school from her home in P ip's village and becomes Pip's teacher. A kind and intelligent but poor young wo man, she is, like Pip and Estella, an orphan. She is the opposite of Estella. Pi p ignores her obvious love for him as he fruitlessly pursues Estella. After he r ealizes the error of his life choices, he returns to claim Biddy as his bride, o nly to find out she has married Joe Gargery. Biddy and Joe later have two childr en, one named after Pip whom Estella mistakes as Pip's child in the original end

ing. Orlick was attracted to her, but his affection was unreciprocated. [edit]The lawyer and his circle Mr. Jaggers, prominent London lawyer who represents the interests of diverse cli ents, both criminal and civil. He represents Pip's benefactor and is Miss Havish am's lawyer as well. By the end of the story, his law practice is the common ele ment that brushes many of the characters. John Wemmick, Jaggers's clerk, only called "Mr. Wemmick" and "Wemmick" except by his father, who himself is referred to as "The Aged Parent", "The Aged P.", or simply "The Aged." Wemmick is Pip's chief go-between with Jaggers and generally looks after Pip in London. Molly, Mr. Jaggers's maidservant whom Jaggers saved from the gallows for murder. She is revealed to be the former lover of Magwitch, and Estella's real mother. [edit]Pip's antagonists Compeyson (surname), another convict, and enemy to Magwitch. A professional swin dler, he had been Miss Havisham's intended husband, who was in league with Arthu r to defraud Miss Havisham of her fortune. He pursues Abel Magwitch when he lear ns that he is in London and drowns when, grappling with Magwitch, he falls into the Thames. In some editions of the book, he is called "Compey". "Dolge" Orlick, journeyman blacksmith at Joe Gargery's forge. Strong, rude and s ullen, he is as churlish as Joe is gentle and kind. His resentments cause him to take actions which threaten his desires in life but for which he blames others. He ends up in a fist fight with Joe over Mrs. Joe's taunting and is easily beat en. This set in motion an escalating chain of events that lead him to secretly i njure Mrs. Joe grievously and eventually make an attempt on Pip's life. He is di scovered and arrested. Bentley Drummle, a coarse, unintelligent young man whose only saving graces are that he is to succeed to a title and his family is wealthy. Pip meets him at Mr. Pocket's house, as Drummle is also to be trained in gentlemanly skills. Drummle is hostile to Pip and everyone else. He is a rival to Pip for Estella's attenti ons and marries her. It is said he ill-treats Estella. Drummle would later be me ntioned to have died from an accident following his mistreatment of a horse. "Th e Spider" is Mr. Jaggers' nickname for him. [edit]Other characters Clara Barley, eventual wife to Herbert Pocket. A very poor girl that lives with her father who is suffering from gout. She dislikes Pip before meeting him becau se she is aware of how he influences Herbert's spending, but she eventually warm s up to him. Miss Skiffins, eventual wife to Mr. John Wemmick. She is known early in the nove l for her occasional appearances at the cottage called a castle belonging to Mr. Wemmick and for the green gloves which she sports due to Mr. Pip's company. Tho se same gloves were interchanged for white at the only in text marriage scene, t hough there are several others that occur "off book."