"My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Phillip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip." ― Chapter 1
Phillip Pirrip, or Pip, is the main protagonist and narrator in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. He is the brother of Mrs. Joe Gargery and the brother-in-law of Joe Gargery and Biddy.
Orphaned and apprenticed as a blacksmith when he was young, Pip finds his life changed forever when he receives a large fortune from an unknown benefactor, but he later questions everything he has done.
Description[]
Pip is one of Dickens’ most important characters, even considered one of the most studied fictional literary characters of all time. Great Expectations is a bildungsroman, meaning it is a coming-of-age story of Pip’s growth from child to adult, and he learns important lessons about life, perception and worthiness. Pip is also the narrator since he tells his own story many years after the story's events. Not only does he tell his tale from his point of view and perspective, but he also allows the reader to understand his emotions in his narrative.
Growing up a poor orphan, Pip dreams of moving up the social class rankings and being well-off in a wealthy society; however, along the way, he has encounters that affect his path to being a gentleman. He is confronted by the convict Magwitch, who threatens his life if he does not comply with his demands; he meets the eccentric, reclusive spinster Miss Havisham, whose young ward Estella is trained to pretend to love him and then reject him. He ends up being a blacksmith apprentice but is given the unexpected news by a lawyer that he has received a fortune from an unknown benefactor. He immediately suspects Miss Havisham to finally make him worthy enough to have Estella, whom he loves. But as he becomes a gentleman, he realizes that money isn’t happiness as he finds himself heavily in debt, and Estella again rejects him. The crushing blow comes when Magwitch reveals himself as his true benefactor, making Pip feel that his ambition is all for nothing. By the novel's end, Pip’s life is forever changed by his “great expectations.” He now fully understands personal prejudice and how he should be grateful to those who were kind and loving. His name, Pip, suggests he started life as a “seed,” and the “seed” grows with spirituality and intellectuality through Pip’s personal growth from childhood to adulthood.
In addition to being a gentleman, Pip is also searching for his true identity. He doesn’t know what he will do with his life or what kind of person he is. At times, he finds himself playing cruel mind games by Miss Havisham that trick him into believing Estella does love him and that it looks like his dreams are becoming a reality; in actuality, this is not how he can uncover his identity. When he does become wealthy, it still doesn’t do anything to improve it. Only after he tended to Magwitch on his deathbed did he finally discover the truth of his identity: true love and friendship. His family and friends loved and valued him so much that he gets the point that wealth was never essential in making his life worthy; it is only the power of friendship and love that makes his identity.
Storyline[]
Childhood in the Marshes/Meeting The Convict[]
As an infant, Phillip Pirrup could not pronounce his full name, so he called himself Pip, which has stuck since. He is also an orphan living with his older sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, about 20 years older, and her husband, Joe, a blacksmith. They reside in a village near a river in the marshes of Kent, England.
One evening on Christmas Eve, Pip, aged seven, is in the churchyard viewing his parents' graves that he never knew or what they had looked like in life.[1] He views his father's name, Phillip Pirrup, and in his mind, describes him as a stout, dark man with curly hair. He also pictures his mother, Georgiana, as a sickly woman with freckles. Five small lozenges were arranged neatly next to his parents' graves; they were his brothers who died in infancy. As Pip views the graves, he starts to cry.
A voice calls out as a convict appears behind one of the tombstones at the side of the church porch. He demands Pip to be quiet and threatens to cut his throat. He is a fearsome man with a leg iron and an old rag tied around his head. He is also wet and filthy as he grabs Pip's throat.
Pip pleads for his life, and the convict demands that he tell his name. Pip says his name, and the convict demands him where he’s from. Pip points towards the village about a mile from the church. The man then turns him upside down and empties his pockets, which only have a piece of bread. Pip sits on a tombstone, trembling as the man eats the bread ravenously.
The convict asks where his parents are, and Pip points toward their gravestone. He then asks where he lives now. Pip explains that he lives with his older sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and her husband, the blacksmith. The convict looks at his iron leg and then at Pip several times. He holds Pip by the arms, leans him towards the tombstone, and demands that he bring him some food and a file, or he will have his heart and liver. Pip becomes frightened and clings to him.
The convict shakes him and orders him to bring him the food and file early tomorrow morning to the fort called the Old Battery, and when Pip does, he must not tell anyone of their meeting together. If Pip obeys to keep his encounter a secret, the man will spare his life; if he doesn’t, he will cut out his heart and liver, cook and eat them. He also reminds Pip that he isn’t alone on the marshes. Another younger man, his former accomplice, knows everything he says. He is out looking for Pip, and no matter how hard he tries to keep himself hidden, he will find and kill him. However, the man says he will protect him from his accomplice if Pip brings him what he needs.
Pip promises to find food and a file and bring it to him early in the morning at the Old Battery. After reminding him of everything he has heard, the man orders Pip to go home immediately. Pip bids him goodnight and watches as he limps away through the brambles. He looks back at Pip until he reaches the church wall and turns around to look for him.
Pip hurries home, where his small, wooden house is adjoined by Joe’s forge.[2]When he gets inside, the forge is locked up, and Joe sits alone in the kitchen. Joe warns Pip that Mrs. Joe has been out looking for him several times, and she has brought the Tickler with her, a cane she uses to beat Pip when she’s angry. Pip anxiously looks into the fire and asks how long she has been gone. Joe replies that she has been out for 5 minutes when he hears Mrs. Joe coming and urges him to hide behind the door. Pip is about to hide when Mrs. Joe bursts into the kitchen and drags Pip out, demanding where he has been. Pip cries that he was at the churchyard, and she rants that he would have been buried there if she didn’t have to bring him up by hand and hopes she’ll never have to do it again.
Mrs. Joe prepares some bread and butter, and while the family sits down for their meal, Pip isn’t hungry to eat his buttered bread and hides it in his pants. Joe and Pip often compete on who would eat their bread slices quickly, but Joe and Mrs. Joe are surprised that Pip’s slice is already gone. Mrs. Joe assumes that Pip has gulped it down so fast, and Joe says it values his health. Mrs. Joe angrily pounces on Joe while Pip looks on with guilt, but Joe assures him they are still friends. Mrs. Joe forces Pip to drink some tar water to make him digest better.
At the same time, Pip is nervous that he has to rob Mrs. Joe to help the convict and fulfill the promise he is forced to keep. He also thought he heard the convict's voice outside his house, reminding him that he must be given food tomorrow. In addition, Pip fears the younger convict, who is determined to eat his liver tonight.
Since tomorrow is Christmas, Pip has to stir the Christmas pudding for an hour. When he's done, he hears gunshots outside and asks Joe what the gunshots are. Mrs. Joe snappishly replies that there is someone on the loose. Joe says a convict escaped last night, and another one may have escaped, too. Pip asks where the gunshots are coming from, and Mrs. Joe impatiently replies that they are coming from prison ships called Hulks. Pip wonders who is kept on the prison ships, and Mrs. Joe says there are mostly murderers, but they may also have thieves and other criminals. Afterwards, she orders Pip to go to bed.
Pip is never allowed to take a candle to bed, so he is forced to go to his room in the dark. He fears falling asleep that night, as his mind is filled with his convict and accomplice. He even dreams he was taken to the Hulks and hanged by the shore. He knows he must rob the pantry in the morning, as doing it at night will be difficult since he would have no light.
When it's morning, and his black makeshift curtain is dimly lit, Pip wakes up and goes downstairs. With every step he takes, he fears he will be discovered and denounced as a criminal. When he enters the pantry, he is frightened to see a hanging hare but knows he cannot waste any time. He takes some bread, cheese, half a jar of mincemeat, and some brandy he pours into a glass bottle. He also takes a meat bone and pork pie. He ignores the pie for a moment but takes it anyway, hoping it will be forgotten. A door in the kitchen goes into Joe's forge, and Pip unlocks the door and takes a file from Joe's tools. With the bundle of food and file in his hands, Pip goes outside, closes the door behind him, and runs out into the marshes.
It is a damp, chilly morning, and Pip sees the frost on his bedroom window.[3] Everything outside, from the hedges to the grass, is covered in frost. The mist is so thick that the signpost directing to his village is invisible until he gets closer, although nobody goes in that direction anyway. When Pip looks at the signpost, it looks like it is directing him to the Hulks.
The mist is thicker when he enters the marshes. Everywhere Pip looks, he fears that he will be discovered and someone will holler, "Stop, Thief!". Even the animals look at him suspiciously, and Pip says he can't help it when a black ox looks at him irritably. He approaches the river but runs so fast that he doesn't have time to warm his feet, which are cold from the frost. He knows where the Old Battery is, as he was there last Sunday with Joe. But because of the mist, Pip goes in the opposite direction and tries to return the other way. He is getting closer to the Battery when he spots his convict, with his back toward Pip and is sound asleep. But when Pip gently touches him, the man jumps up, but it isn't his convict. He is a younger man with grey clothes, a leg iron, and wears a low-brimmed hat. The man swears at him and hits him, but he misses and quickly runs away into the mist. Pip thinks it could be the young man the convict had mentioned yesterday.
Pip arrives at the Old Battery, where he finds his convict hugging himself and shivering from the cold. He is so hungry that when Pip gives him the file, the convict snatches it and is going to eat it when Pip opens the bundle and empties his pockets. The convict devours the mincemeat and drinks the bottle of brandy, but he shivers so badly that he nearly bites off the neck of the bottle. Pip tells him it's too cold to stay in the marshes, and he replies that he'll finish his food before he's caught and hanged. The convict eats the mincemeat, pork pie, bread and cheese all at once while he listens anxiously around him. He asks Pip if he has brought anyone with him, and Pip insists he didn't. While the convict continues eating, Pip tells him he's glad he enjoyed his meal.
The convict thanks Pip, but Pip says there won't be enough food he brought for the young man he discovered earlier. The convict stops eating at once and asks Pip where he saw him. Pip points to the area where he found him and thought it is his convict, but he is dressed and wearing a hat. The convict seizes Pip's collar, and Pip asks if he heard the cannons firing last night. The convict replies that when a man is alone in the marshes, he won't hear anything all night until he hears cannons firing and is rounded up by soldiers in red coats. The convict demands Pip to describe the young man more, and he says he has a bruised face. The convict demands to be shown where the young man is and wants the file.
Pip describes the direction where the other convict went, but his convict is sitting on the ground, desperately filing away his leg iron. Pip is afraid of him again and knows he must go home, so he tells the convict he has to leave now. The convict ignores him and mutters to himself, so Pip leaves him. But when he walks further into the mist, he can still hear the sound of the file.
Capturing the Convict[]
On the way home, Pip expects a police constable waiting to arrest him in the kitchen.[4] When he enters the kitchen, there is no officer, and the robbery hasn’t been discovered yet. Mrs. Joe is busy preparing the house for the Christmas festivities that day, and Joe is on the kitchen doorstep to stay out of her way.
Mrs. Joe asks Pip where he has been, and Pip lies that he was out listening to Christmas carols. Mrs. Joe rants about how she should have been listening to the carols if she wasn’t married to a blacksmith. Joe then enters the kitchen and signals to Pip that she is in a bad mood. The dinner for Christmas includes a leg of pickled pork and greens, a pair of roasted fowl, and a pork pie. Mrs. Joe assures her husband and brother that she has much hard work today.
Pip and Joe have bread slices with milk and water. Mrs. Joe puts up some clean white curtains, replaces a new flounce over the chimney, and prepares the parlour. This room is hardly used and mostly covered in silver paper. Despite Mrs. Joe being a hard-working housekeeper, her cleaning would make the room look uncomfortable. While she is busy with her housekeeping, Joe and Pip prepare to leave for church. Joe's Sunday clothes make him look awkward, and none of his other clothes look good. Pip sees him come from his room wearing his strange outfit while the church bells are ringing.
Pip thinks his older sister may have an idea that he is a young delinquent who was delivered to her by the police to be raised legally. Pip and Joe go to church, but Pip cannot help but feel worried whenever Mrs. Joe goes near the pantry where his crime would be discovered. He hopes that attending church will save him from the younger convict. During the church service, Pip thinks he should confess to the vestry but knows the congregation will keep him from doing it since it is Christmas Day, not Sunday.
The clerk at the church, Mr. Wopsle, is invited to the Christmas dinner at the Gargerys' home. Also invited are Mr. Hubble, the village wheelwright, his wife, Mrs. Hubble, and Joe's uncle, Uncle Pumblechook. When Pip and Joe return home, the table is already laid out. Mrs. Joe wears her best clothes, and the back door is unlocked for the guests to enter. So far, there has been no discovery of the robbery yet.
Before long, the guests have arrived, and Pip opens the back door to greet them. Mr. Wopsle comes in first, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Hubble and Uncle Pumblechook, who brought some wine for Mrs. Joe, as he occasionally does every Christmas. Everyone will have dinner in the kitchen before going to the parlour for the festivities. During that time, Pip is not allowed to speak and is served scraps of food nobody wants, but the adults would talk about him, making him embarrassed and uncomfortable. While at the table, Mr. Wopsle says grace and Mrs. Joe reminds Pip to be grateful. Uncle Pumblechook agrees with her. Mrs. Hubble comments on why young children are never grateful, and Mr. Hubble replies that they are vicious. Everyone murmurs in agreement and unpleasantly looks at Pip. Joe comforts Pip by giving him half a pint of gravy.
Later, during the meal, Mr. Wopsle talks about what sermon he would give if he were in charge of the church. Uncle Pumblechook suggests that sermons about pork would be a great subject. Mrs. Joe whispers sharply to Pip to listen to this. Mr. Wopsle points to Pip and says something is wrong with him by claiming a boy is as hateful as a pig. Mr. Hubble suggests a girl being hateful, too, and Mr. Wopsle assents there are no girls with him.
Joe gives more gravy to Pip as Uncle Pumblechook asks Pip if he was born a pig but lived elsewhere. Mr. Wopsle interrupts by pointing to the roast pork on the table, and Uncle Pumblechook says that Pip would have enjoyed himself with his family, but he probably wouldn't. Instead, he would have been sold at the marketplace and bought by a butcher for his weight, who would then beat and kill him instead of bringing him up by hand. Pip is now afraid to take more gravy from Joe. Mrs. Hubble tells Mrs. Joe that Pip is always troubled, and she replies by complaining about all the illnesses and injuries he suffered and wishing he was dead.
Everyone stares at Pip disgustingly, with Uncle Pumblechook commenting if pork is rich. Mrs. Joe suggests that Uncle Pumblechook should have some brandy. Pip clutches the leg of the table in horror, awaiting his fate. Mrs. Joe returns the stone bottle and serves him the brandy. Pip trembles in fear while Joe and Mrs. Joe clear the table for the pie and pudding. He can't stop staring at Uncle Pumblechook as he happily drinks the bottle, springs up coughing madly and runs outside. Pip can see him coughing and choking violently outside the window and clutches hard onto the table as Joe and Mrs. Joe run to him.
Pip fears that he has killed Uncle Pumblechook but is relieved when he comes inside and gasps that he just drank tar. Earlier, Pip filled the brandy bottle with tar water and knew it made Uncle Pumblechook worse. Uncle Pumblechook asks for some hot-and-gin water, and Mrs. Joe then prepares the gin water. Pip feels safe while holding onto the table. He is calm enough to let go and serve some of the pudding. Uncle Pumblechook becomes relieved from the gin water, and Pip thinks everything is alright until Mrs. Joe asks her husband to bring some cold plates. He again clutches to the table in fear as Mrs. Joe tells the guests that she will be serving the pork pie that was a gift from Uncle Pumblechook. The guests murmured their compliments, with Uncle Pumblechook looking forward to having the pie.
Pip hears Mrs. Joe walk to the pantry with the guests waiting to satisfy their appetite and Joe telling Pip he should have a slice, too. Pip cannot take it anymore and decides he must run away. He releases himself from the table and runs for the front door, but he is met with a group of soldiers with muskets, one holding a pair of handcuffs. The guests rise from the table confused, with Mrs. Joe returning and asking what happened to the pie.
The sergeant speaks to Pip before telling the others that he and his soldiers are on a search and need Joe.[5] The sergeant turns to Joe, says that the cuffs' locks are broken, and asks him if he can fix it. Joe examines them and says he would need to light his forge, which may take 2 hours to repair. The sergeant tells him to get started immediately, and then his troops enter the kitchen, place their firearms in the corner and stand in the room.
Pip is worried that the soldiers have come to arrest him but is relieved when he learns that the cuffs aren't for him and everyone seems to have forgotten about the stolen pie. The sergeant asks Uncle Pumblechook what time it is, and he replies that it is half past two. The sergeant then asks how far the marshes are from their home, and Mrs. Joe replies that they are about a mile away. The sergeant says they will start to find the convicts before dusk. Mr. Wopsle asks about the convicts, and the sergeant replies that two are loose in the marshes. He asks the others if they know anything about the fugitives, and everyone says no, except for Pip, but nobody thinks about him.
Joe changes into his leather apron and goes into the forge. One soldier opens the windows, and another lights the fire. The rest of the soldiers stand in the forge as Joe fixes the cuffs while Pip and the guests look on. Mrs. Joe takes a pitcher of beer from the cask to serve the soldiers and invites the sergeant to have a glass of brandy. Uncle Pumblechook tells Mrs. Joe to serve him wine instead as he thinks there is no tar water. The sergeant thanks him and says he prefers to have the wine. After he drinks it, he compliments Uncle Pumblechook for bringing the wine and makes a toast for his health. The sergeant looks ready for another glass, and Uncle Pumblechook takes the bottle from Mrs. Joe and serves it to everyone, including Pip. As Pip watches the adults enjoying themselves in the forge, he thinks that his convict has approved of the party, as everyone is excited in anticipation of the manhunt.
Joe finishes fixing the cuffs, and the loud noises inside the forge stop. As he puts on his coat, he suggests that some of the guests should go into the marshes to witness the capture of the convicts. Uncle Pumblechook and Mr. Hubble refuse, but Mr. Wopsle says he will join the hunt if Joe comes along. Joe agrees and wants to take Pip with him if Mrs. Joe approves. But since she wants to know about the manhunt and how it ends, she reluctantly agrees.
The sergeant takes his leave, and the soldiers grab their muskets. Joe, Mr. Wopsle and Pip are told to stay behind in the rear and not speak after they reach the marshes. Pip whispers to Joe that he hopes they won't find the convicts, and Joe replies that he would instead give a shilling if they did. Other villagers don't join them, as it is getting cold and dark. A few people gazed at them outside their windows but didn't come out. The search party go past the signpost and towards the churchyard. They stop for a few minutes as the sergeant gives a signal, and two or three of his men separate to search the church's graves and porch. After they find nothing, the group enters the marshes through the side entrance of the churchyard, with Joe carrying Pip on his back.
As they venture out into the marshes, Pip fears the convict will blame him for bringing the army to him. He decides not to answer this question as he, Joe and Mr. Wopsle press on with the soldiers before them. They take the route that Pip used that brought him into the mist. This time, the mist isn't out yet, or the wind blew it away. The beacon, gallows and the Battery become visible in the glare of the sunset. Pip looks around anxiously at any signs of the convicts. While he doesn't see or hear them, he is constantly alarmed by Mr. Wopsle's heavy breathing. Pip thinks he can hear the file, but it is just a sheep's bell.
The soldiers walk down the route towards the Battery until they suddenly stop. They hear loud shouting coming from the east. There are also two voices raised at the same time. The sergeant talks with his nearest men when Pip and the others catch up with them. They listen to the soldiers' conversation, and the sergeant declares they shouldn't answer the voices but take a different route. The soldiers then take a slanted direction to the east, with Pip holding onto Joe tightly as he breaks into a run.
The group runs up and down banks and over gates, and as they approach the shouting, it sounds like it's more than one voice. It sometimes stopped altogether, and the soldiers would stop in their tracks. When the voices rose again, the soldiers broke out onto a run, and with Pip and the others catching up, the voices cried, “Murder!” and “Runaway convicts!”. The sergeant ran ahead first, with two soldiers following him with their weapons ready. They spot two convicts in a ditch fighting and order them to surrender. Some soldiers went down into the ditch to help the sergeant, dragging out Pip’s convict and the younger man struggling.
Pip’s convict convinces the soldiers that he will turn the other convict to the police. The sergeant orders the handcuffs, and the convict laughs that it won’t do him any good. The other convict is covered in bruises, and his clothes are torn. He is out of breath to speak, but when both convicts are handcuffed separately, he tells a soldier that the first convict tried to kill him. Pip’s convict retorts that he just prevented him from fleeing from the marshes and dragging him to the Hulks. The other one again insists he attempted to kill him, and Pip’s convict claims to the sergeant that he initially planned to escape the moment he was far away from the prison ship. When he spotted his opposer on the marshes, he would not allow him to be free and would be pleased to have him back in custody.
The other convict again repeats that he had wanted to murder him, and Pip’s convict angrily demands that he is a liar. The other convict says he isn’t interested in looking at his opposer. Pip’s convict becomes irritated enough to charge at him but is held back by the soldiers. The other soldiers tremble with fear as he insists he is nearly killed. The sergeant has enough of the convicts’ claims and orders the torches to be lit.
While one of the soldiers opens his basket to get something out, Pip’s convict looks around him and spots Pip, who had gotten off of Joe’s back when he was on the brink of the ditch and stood still. Pip and the convict gaze at each other, moving his hands and shaking his head, hoping the convict will see him and assure him of his innocence. The convict gives him a look that Pip doesn’t understand and doesn’t openly say anything about him. The soldier with the basket lights up 3-4 torches and gives some to the others and one to himself. It soon gets dark very fast, and before the group departs from where they captured the convicts, 4 soldiers fire twice into the air. There are some lit torches behind Pip, while there were a few more on the marshes opposite the river. The sergeant then declares everyone to march.
The group hasn’t gone far when 3 cannons fire ahead of everyone. The convicts are kept apart and walk while accompanied by a separate guard. Pip holds onto Joe’s hand as he holds a torch. They walk along the river's edge and past a wall with a miniature windmill on top and a muddy-sluice gate. Pip could see the bright lights of the torches, blazing with flame and lighting up the pathway. Other than that, Pip could see nothing else but darkness. The torch flames warm the group, with the two convicts enjoying it. The group couldn’t walk fast because of the convicts’ lameness, and they had to stop a few times quickly to rest.
After walking for over an hour, the group stops in front of a wooden hut and a dock. A guard is standing at the hut, and after the sergeant answers him, everyone goes inside. The interior smelled tobacco and whitewash, and inside was a bright fire, a lamp, a stand of muskets, a drum and a low wooden bedstand. 3 or 4 soldiers are asleep in the beds. After the sergeant makes a report and an entry in his book, the other convict is the first to be drafted with his guard. He is taken onto a rowboat and is rowed back to the Hulks.
Pip’s convict never looks at him again and instead stands before the fire. He stares at the flames, puts his feet in front of it and looks around at the others. He suddenly turns to the sergeant and wants to confess to prevent suspicions. The sergeant tells him he can say what he likes, but he can’t do it here, and he will have a chance later. The convict says this is something else and confesses he stole food from the village where the church overlooks the marshes and stole them from the blacksmith. Joe and the sergeant are astonished, and the convict says one of the foods he took was liquor and a pie. The sergeant asks Joe if he is missing a pie from his home, and Joe replies that he and his wife noticed just as the soldiers arrived. The convict glances at Joe and confesses that he has eaten his pie. Joe sympathetically tells him he was more welcome to have it, as he couldn’t bear to have him starve to death.
The boat returns, and Pip and the others walk to the dock, where the convict is placed into a boat with other convicts. Nobody says anything to the convict except when someone orders the men to start rowing. The black prison ship can be seen on the shore by the torches, where large, rusty chains moored it. The boat then rows away to the prison ship and disappears into the darkness, with everyone tossing their torches into the water.
Pip feels he should tell the truth to Joe, but he knows it will hurt their close bond if he does.[6] He fears that Joe will never again let him stroke his face by the fireplace, and during mealtimes, Joe would be suspicious if Pip was in the pantry. He may also suspect that Pip had put tar water in his beer, and Pip realizes he is being a coward for being dishonest.
He is already tired as everyone leaves the prison ship, and Joe carries him home on his back. At home, Pip staggers sleepily into the kitchen but is fully awake from an exclaim by Mrs. Joe and Joe telling the guests about the convict’s confession, and they are curious how he got into the house. Mr. Pumblechook suggests that the convict may have climbed onto the house roof, where he climbed down the kitchen chimney. Everyone agrees with Mr. Pumblechook except Mr. Wopsle, who is exhausted but has no theory. Pip hears this until Mrs. Joe drags him upstairs to bed.
First Visit to Satis House[]
A few years pass, and Pip is now old enough to spell the inscription on his parents' grave.[7] He suggests that "Wife of the Above," which refers to his late mother, could refer to a heavenly place where his father is. Whenever his deceased relatives were referred to as "Below," he couldn't help but think of bad opinions about them.
He is also old enough to be apprenticed by Joe. He becomes Joe's "odd boy" in the forge, but when the other villagers need a boy to do some of their errands, he is assigned to do the offers, such as chasing off birds or collecting stones. A money box is placed in the kitchen where Mrs. Joe keeps Pip's earnings, and while Pip feels like the money will be donated to the National Debt, he doesn't get to see any of the earnings he received.
Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt runs an evening school in the village. She is a strange, old woman who sleeps every night from 6 to 7 o'clock, and the villagers would pay her twopence per week to have their children educated at her school. She rents a small cottage, and Mr. Wopsle has his room upstairs. Pip attends the school, and he and his classmates hear Mr. Wopsle reading out loud. Whenever he was in the classroom, Mr. Wopsle would read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar out loud, followed by William Collins's Ode to Evening to the students. He would even pretend to use a bloody sword and a war trumpet. The great-aunt also runs a general store in the classroom but is unaware of the store's stock or the prices of the items sold. However, a memorandum book was kept in the drawer and used as a Catalogue of Prices.
Biddy, Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt's granddaughter, manages the store. Like Pip, she is an orphan brought up by hand. Pip always wondered how she was related to Mr. Wopsle, but he frequently noticed her at the school because of her unbrushed hair, dirty hands and shoes that needed to be mended. She went to church on Sundays.
At school, Pip struggles with his alphabet, reading and math skills, but with Biddy's help, he improves his learning. One night, Pip sits in the chimney corner, writing on his slate. He writes a letter to Joe, but it is poorly written. Joe is awestruck and praises him for his learning by calling him a scholar. Pip admits he felt like becoming a scholar as Joe reads the slate and says the letters "J" and "O" out loud. Pip encourages Joe to read the rest of the sentence, but Joe can only read the numbers one, two, three and "J and "O." Pip leans over Joe and reads him the whole letter with his finger.
Joe again praises Pip, and Pip asks how he could spell. Joe says he doesn't know how to spell, and Pip asks if he has ever tried to read and spell. Joe replies that he can't and cannot read as well, even asking Pip if he could read him a book or newspaper by the fire. Pip realizes that Joe is illiterate and asks him if he ever went to school, and Joe replies no. Pip asks him why he never went to school. While poking the fireplace with the fire poker, Joe explains that when he was a boy, his father was an alcoholic, and he would beat him and his mother when drunk. Joe and his mother tried leaving him several times. When his mother found a job, she was determined to put her son in school. But his father would find them and bring them back home. Joe concludes that this is why he never received an education.
Pip takes pity on Joe, and Joe explains that he had to work hard for his father in the forge, staying with him until he died. Despite his abuse and drinking, Joe sees his father as a man with a good heart. His mother was also broke and suffering from poor health, and their remaining money was left to her until she died. Joe wipes tears from his eyes while poking the fire, explaining he found it lonely living alone. He became acquainted with Mrs. Joe and thought she was a fine woman. Pip stares at the fire doubtfully as Joe declares that no matter how harsh Mrs. Joe is, he considers her a "fine figure of a woman." Pip sarcastically replies to Joe that he's glad about what he thinks about her, and Joe agrees with him.
Pip asks who signifies him, and Joe explains how Pip was still a baby and was brought up by hand by Mrs. Joe when he became acquainted with her. This became well-known with the locals, and he tells Pip that if he remembered being a tiny baby, he would have made an opinion about himself. Pip tells Joe not to mind him, and Joe brings up that when his relationship increased and she was ready to move into the forge with him, he insisted on adopting Pip and keeping him with them in their home. Pip bursts into tears and apologizes, embracing Joe. Joe expresses their close friendship and agrees to let Pip tutor him, but it must be done by stating that Mrs. Joe is given to the government. Pip asks, startled by what he means, and Joe explains that Mrs. Joe wouldn't want scholars in their home, nor would she want him to become one. Joe claims he doesn't deny the times Mrs. Joe would dominate the household or carry out beatings but whispers to Pip that she is a "mastermind."
Joe then recalls how he saw his poor mother suffering at the hands of his father's abuse and never making peace with her, and he is afraid of ending up like his father and mistreating Mrs. Joe. He wishes he wouldn't let Mrs. Joe use the Tickler on Pip and wishes he took her beatings instead. Pip notices that both he and Joe are becoming equals and develops more admiration for him.
Joe puts out the fire as the clock strikes 8 o'clock but notices Mrs. Joe isn't home yet and hopes Uncle Pumblechook didn't slip on the ice and hurt himself. Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook would make occasional outings on market days, and she would assist him in shopping for household supplies and goods. After Joe sweeps the hearth, he and Pip go outside to wait for the chaise cart. It is a dry, cold night, and the wind blows intensely. It is so frosty out that Pip thinks a man could freeze to death if he slept out on the marshes. Joe then sees the horse approaching, and they get a chair ready for Mrs. Joe and stir up the fire to brighten up a window. They do a final survey around the kitchen to ensure everything is in good order and the chaise cart arrives. Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook dismount from the vehicle and enter the kitchen. Their entrance makes the warm room colder from the chilly air outside. Mrs. Joe excitedly unwraps herself and hangs her bonnet, saying Pip should be grateful tonight but still has her worries. Uncle Pumblechook replies that she would know better, and Pip is confused about who is being addressed as "she."
Mrs. Joe snaps that Uncle Pumblechook is addressing Miss Havisham, who has invited Pip to play at her house and insists Pip accept the invitation. Pip has heard of Miss Havisham, who lives uptown and is a wealthy, grim woman who lives inside a large, gloomy house as a recluse and is barricaded from robbers. Joe wonders how she came to know Pip, and Mrs. Joe isn't sure. Joe hints that some individual may have sent Pip to play at Miss Havisham's and asks if she sent Uncle Pumblechook to find a boy to invite over. He also asks if Miss Havisham is considerate enough to ask the Gargerys to choose Pip as her playmate. Mrs. Joe hopes Miss Havisham will make Pip a fortune, and Pip will go with Uncle Pumblechook into town in his chaise cart to spend the night before visiting Miss Havisham the next morning. She is shocked to see how filthy Pip looks, and she forcibly washes him until he is clean. Afterwards, he is changed into stiff, linen clothing and taken to Uncle Pumblechook, who reminds him he should be grateful to those who brought him up by hand. Pip then says goodbye to Joe, for he has never left him before and can barely understand why he is going to Miss Havisham's house as Uncle Pumblechook drives away with him.
When they arrive at Uncle Pumblechook's house in the town's High Street, Pip is sent straight to his bed, which is located in the attic with a sloped roof so low in the corner where he slept that the roof tiles were about an inch from his face.[8] Uncle Pumblechook is also a seedsman, as Pip sees in his drawers in his shop that contain many seed packets early the next morning. At 8 o'clock, Pip and Uncle Pumblechook eat breakfast in the parlour behind the shop. Aside from Uncle Pumblechook giving small crumbs to Pip and filling warm water into his milk, he would arithmetically quiz him several times.
Pip is relieved when they finally leave at 10 o'clock for Miss Havisham's, though he is nervous about how he should behave in front of a wealthy woman. They arrive at Miss Havisham's house a quarter of an hour later. It is an old and gloomy brick house surrounded by iron gates. Some windows are boarded up; others are barred, including the courtyard in front. They ring a bell and wait for someone to come and unlock the gate for them. Pip peeks through the gates and can see a large brewery at the side of the house, but it hasn't been used for ages. A window is raised, a voice calls out a name, and Uncle Pumblechook replies. The window then closes, and a pretty, proud young girl comes out with a pair of keys. Uncle Pumblechook introduces the girl to Pip, and she invites Pip inside.
Uncle Pumblechook is about to come in when the girl stops him and says she has not invited him. Uncle Pumblechook looks at Pip seriously and calls out to him to let his behaviour be credited to those who brought him up by hand. Pip waits to see if he will ask another math question, but he doesn't. The girl locks the gate, and they walk across the courtyard, which is neat and paved with grass growing through the crevices. The brewery is kept behind wooden gates and surrounded by an enclosed wall. The cold wind blows against the gate, making a howling noise around the brewery. The girl sees Pip at the brewery and says he could drink all the beer brewed there. Pip shyly admits he wishes he could, and the girl thinks he wouldn't try the beer now as it would be sour. She adds that the old brewery will never be used again and will continue standing until it falls into disrepair, and the strong beer kept inside the cellar is enough to flood the Manor House.
Pip asks if that is the house's name, and she replies that it is one of its names. But she says it only has one, called Satis, meaning "enough" in Greek. Pip thinks "Enough" is an odd name for a house, and the girl replies that the house got its name from whoever owned it and could have nothing else. Despite the girl calling him "boy," Pip notices she is around the same age as him, though she looks slightly older and is beautiful but scornful. They enter the building by a side door as chains barred the front entrance. Pip notices how dark the passages are, and the girl takes a candle as they walk through more passages and up a dark staircase, with the candle's flames lighting the way. They arrive at a door, and the girl beckons Pip to go in. Pip tries to be polite and invites her in first, but she refuses and walks away with the candle. Feeling embarrassed and half-afraid, Pip knocks on the door, and a voice invites him in.
He enters the room and sees a large dressing room lit with wax candles but no sunlight. There is a table with a mirror, and he assumes it's a lady's dressing table. In an armchair with her elbow on the table, he sees the strangest old woman he had ever seen: she is wearing a white dress made of silk, satin and lace, with some sparkling jewels in her hair and on the table. She has one shoe on and the other on the table; her veil is half-arranged, she wears no watch or chain, and the lace, handkerchief, gloves, flowers and a prayer book lay on the table. It takes only a few moments for Pip to see everything and notice that everything that was once white is now yellowed and faded with age. The woman's bridal dress had withered and shrank to the bone, and she had sunken eyes and white hair. He remembers seeing hideous waxwork at the fair, and the other time he was taken to one of the old churches in the marshes to see the skeletal remains of a woman wearing a rich dress exhumed from the church's burial vault, which reminds him of the woman's thin, frail appearance.
The woman is Miss Havisham, and Pip introduces himself. Miss Havisham asks him to come closer to her, and as he approaches her, he notices her watch, and a clock in the room is stopped 20 minutes to 9. Miss Havisham asks Pip to look at her and if he is not afraid of a woman who had never seen the sun before he was born. Pip replies no, as he isn't afraid to answer this question. She then lays her hands on the left side of her chest and abruptly says her heart is broken, followed by a strange smile. She then says she is bored with men's and women's entertainment and demands Pip to play, which makes him wonder how she would make a poor boy like him do something difficult.
Miss Havisham again demands Pip to play, and a fearful Pip now considers running back to Uncle Pumblechook's chaise cart. But he changes his mind as he says he is sorry for her and cannot play, for her complaining would get him in trouble with his sister. But he will still do it if he can and then comment on her home's strange, depressing appearance before he stops going further. He gazes at her again, and she turns her eyes from him and stares at her dress, the table and herself in the mirror. She then mutters everything Pip had said and orders him to call Estella while still looking at her reflection. Pip thinks she is talking to herself before she turns to him and again orders him to call Estella. He thinks calling her name in the dark passage is worse than being ordered to play, and the pretty girl arrives with the candle.
Miss Havisham beckons Estella to her, taking a jewel and trying it on the girl's chest and brown hair. She tells her it will soon be hers one day and asks her to play cards with Pip. Estella is disgusted that she has to play with a common labouring boy, and Pip thinks Miss Havisham told her to break his heart for a moment. Estella scornfully asks Pip what he plays, and he replies that he plays the card game Beggar My Neighbour. Miss Havisham orders Estella to play with him, and she and Pip sit down with a deck of cards. During the game, he notices everything in the room suddenly stopped long ago, such as Miss Havisham leaving the jewel in the same spot she left it. While Estella is dealing with the cards, he glances at the dressing table and notices the now yellowed shoe on the table was never worn, and Miss Havisham's barefoot had a yellowed and worn-out silk stocking. He wonders if Miss Havisham's dress could have been a burial outfit and her veil shrouded. She sits still as she witnesses the game, and Pip thinks she could easily be turned into dust from the sunlight.
Estella mockingly says Pip calls the knaves Jacks and mocks his rough hands and thick boots. Pip doesn't know what to do with himself, as he has never doubted his hands, boots or knaves. Estella wins the first round and criticizes Pip for being a stupid, clumsy, labouring boy. Miss Havisham remarks to Pip not to say anything to Estella, despite what harsh things she would say about him and asks him what he thinks about her. He stammers that he would rather not say, and she wants him to tell her in her ear as she bends down. He whispers that Estella is very proud and beautiful but cold. He then decides to go home, and Miss Havisham asks him if he won't see Estella again. Pip isn't sure about not wanting to see her again and wants to leave immediately. She then says aloud that he can go after he finishes the game.
Estella beats him in the final round. Miss Havisham then thinks about when Pip should return, with Pip reminding her that today is Wednesday. After counting her fingers, she declares that she doesn't know the days and weeks of the year and tells him to return in 6 days. She then orders Estella to lead him out, give him some food and let him wander around while he eats. Pip follows Estella down the dark staircase until they reach the side door, and he thinks it must be nighttime for a moment as he feels he was in Miss Havisham's room for hours. Estella tells him to wait and disappears behind the closed door. He then goes into the courtyard and inspects his hands and boots, as he now knows they bother him for making him look poor and wonders why Joe never taught him to call the cards Jacks instead of knaves. He also wishes he and Joe were brought up in a polished lifestyle. Estella then returns with some bread, meat and a mug of beer. She places the beer on the stones in the yard and gives him the meat and bread without looking at him as if he's being treated like a dog.
Pip is so hurt and humiliated that he starts to cry, and Estella looks on delightfully before she leaves him. After she is gone, Pip looks for a place to release his emotions and goes behind the brewery wall, where he leans against the wall and cries bitterly. Afterwards, he looks around the deserted, withered courtyard, where he spots a pigeon house in disrepair with no birds living in it, no animals in the stable, and no smells of grain being grinded into beer. There are also some empty beer casks by the brewery. On the far end of the brewery is a garden surrounded by an old wall, and it is high enough for Pip to climb over and look over it. He sees the house's garden overgrown with weeds, but some tracks are on the paths. He starts exploring the brewery, but wherever he goes, he sees Estella everywhere; she is up ahead of him, her back turned toward him, spreading her brown hair and not looking around before disappearing.
Pip enters the brewery in the room where the beer is produced and stands near the door when he spots Estella ascending the iron stairs up to the loft. While inside, Pip also spots a white figure on a wooden beam in a low nook of the building. She resembles Miss Havisham, wearing a white, yellowed dress with only one shoe, and her dress looks like earthy paper. It seems she is calling to him, and terrified, Pip runs from the beam but then runs towards it. He then realizes there is no figure there. He thinks the meat, bread and beer he has eaten won't bring him to his senses, and then Estella appears with the keys to release him. He wonders if she has some fair reason if she has secretly watched him, and she gives him a satisfying glance. She unlocks the gate and holds it open for him. He is just about to walk past her without looking when she suddenly touches him and asks him why he wouldn't cry. Pip replies that he didn't want to, and she says he cried earlier and looks like he may cry again. She then laughs and pushes him out, locking the gate behind him.
Pip immediately heads back to Uncle Pumblechook's, relieved to see he isn't home. After telling the shopman when he will return to Satis House, he sets out on the 4-mile walk back home while pondering on everything he had seen and whether he is a common labouring boy, that his hands were coarse and his boots thick, and how he calls jacks "knaves," and the low social status life he lives in. After he arrives home, Mrs. Joe questions him about his visit today, and since he doesn't know what to tell her, she shoves him into the kitchen wall.[9] He felt that if he told his sister what Miss Havisham looked like, she might not believe him or even Miss Havisham herself. He also thinks Miss Havisham may not appreciate being taken out of her home in her bridal attire and introduced to Mrs. Joe or society, so he decides to keep quiet.
Uncle Pumblechook arrives for tea in his chaise cart. As soon as he is seated by the fire, he asks Pip about his visit to Satis House, and he replies that it was well. Uncle Pumblechook says that isn't an answer and wants him to be more specific, and Pip reflects for some time and repeats that it went well. Mrs. Joe is getting more impatient, and Pip knows Joe won't save him as he is busy in the forge, but Uncle Pumblechook intervenes with Mrs. Joe to not lose her temper as he will chat with Pip himself. He turns to him and asks how much 43 pence is, and Pip replies £400. Uncle Pumblechook then quizzes him about money counting until Pip has no further questions.
Uncle Pumblechook asks what Miss Havisham looks like, and Pip replies that she is tall and dark. He concludes he never actually met the old spinster. Mrs. Joe wishes he always had Pip with him as he knows how to deal with him. He then questions Pip about what Miss Havisham was doing when he arrived, and he again lies by saying she was sitting in a black velvet coach. He also explains how he saw her niece Estella serving her some cake and wine through the coach window on a golden plate. He and Estella were also served cake and wine on golden plates, and Estella ordered him to eat his cake behind the coach. There were 4 large dogs fighting over veal cutlets in a silver basket. Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook stare at each other in amazement.
Mrs. Joe asks where the coach is, and Pip replies that it is in Miss Havisham's room and quickly adds that no horses are attached to it. Mrs. Joe asks Uncle Pumblechook if what Pip says is true, and he says she's just a giddy woman who spends all her time in a sedan chair, but he has never seen her before. He next asks Pip what he played while at Satis House. Pip lies again and says he played with flags, with Estella waving blue and red flags and Miss Havisham waving a golden one out of her coach window. Then they played with swords from a cupboard filled with pistols, jam and pills. There was no daylight in the room, but it was lit with candles.
Pip knows he will betray himself if they ask him more questions. But since they are already occupied with themselves and not questioning him, Pip leaves them. Later, when Joe comes in from his forge for tea, Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook are still thinking about Pip's pretended experiences, and she reveals them to Joe. Pip is remorseful when he sees Joe's reaction, only for him but not for Uncle Pumblechook. Mrs. Joe thinks she will offer him a fortune, while Uncle Pumblechook believes he may be offered a trade. Joe feels it is a disgrace for Pip to interact with some large dogs, and Mrs. Joe tells him to get back to work if he cannot have any positivity for Pip.
Later that day, after Uncle Pumblechook left and Mrs. Joe was busy washing, Pip goes into the forge to be with Joe and stays with him until he finishes his work for the night. Pip then confesses to Joe that he has something to tell him. He holds and twists Joe's sleeve, revealing that everything he said wasn't true and that he had lied to Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook. Joe asks him everything, from the coach to the large dogs, if they really happened, and Pip shakes his head. Joe tells him this won't do any good and how he'll go with it, with Pip saying how terrible it is. Joe asks why he lied, and Pip says he doesn't know as he releases Joe's arm and sits down at his feet with his head hung down. He wishes he had never taught him to call knaves at cards.
Pip confesses to Joe that he was miserable at Miss Havisham's, which he never revealed to Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook. He says a beautiful, proud young girl mocked him for being a common-labouring boy and wished he was never in low social status. Joe tells him lying is wrong, and he shouldn't lie again, as that won't get him to a better social status. He also tells him he is uncommon in other things, such as becoming a scholar. Pip insists he is ignorant, and Joe says he wrote an entire letter last night in print, and it astounded him with his handwriting, but Pip still feels he has learned nothing. Joe hopes he’ll be a common scholar before becoming a higher social status. He explains how the King of England was once a lowly prince learning his alphabet before he could write his acts for the Parliament. Joe explains that low social status citizens should interact with others of the same status rather than be of higher social class. He asks Pip if he played with flags at Miss Havisham's. Pip replies no, and Joe says nothing can be done about it now. He gives him some important advice: he should be common first before becoming uncommon. Pip asks Joe if he's angry with him, and he says no but tells him never to lie again or talk about immorality.
After he goes upstairs to his room and says his prayers, Pip thinks about everything Joe has explained. He wonders what Estella would think about Joe being a common blacksmith with thick boots and coarse hands. He thinks about Mrs. Joe and Joe being in the kitchen while Miss Havisham and Estella sit above all the common labourers. He falls asleep about what happened at Satis House. He thinks today was memorable as it made some important changes for him.
About a day later, Pip decides he will stop being uncommon.[10] He thinks the first step is to have Biddy teach him everything she knows, and while attending an evening class at the village school, he tells her he wants to make some progress in his life and asks her to educate him more, which Biddy agrees. The students of the school would go through a strange routine. They would eat apples and put straws down one another's backs until Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt woke up and wobbled towards them with a birch rod. Afterwards, the students would form a line and pass a textbook hand in hand, which contained the alphabet, arithmetics and spelling, but during this process, the old woman would doze off and would be awake either from sleep or rheumatism. The students would then read a confusing subject in the book until Biddy came in and gave them three damaged Bibles. She would deal with some unruly students before she gave out a page number, and everyone would read them out loud together. The students were confused about what they were reading, and this happened until Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt woke up, staggered to a boy and pulled at his ears. This signalled that class was over, and the students left with relief.
Pip remarks that students don't need a slate or ink, but learning becomes difficult during winter, with the classroom and the general store lit with a dimly lit candle. He knew it would take some time to become more uncommon, but he is determined to try. That night, Biddy gives him a newspaper headline clipping, and Pip learns how to write the letter D. There is a tavern in the village called The Three Jolly Bargemen, where Joe would sometimes go to smoke his pipe, and Mrs. Joe orders Pip to call for Joe there and bring him home. On his way home from his evening lesson, Pip heads to the Three Jolly Bargemen. It is Saturday night, and Pip walks into the bar down the passage. There is a large kitchen fire, and Joe is smoking his pipe alongside Mr. Wopsle and a stranger. Joe greets him when he walks in, while the stranger turns around and stares at Pip.
Pip has never seen the stranger before. One of his eyes is half-closed, and he is also smoking a pipe. He nods at the boy as he blows out the smoke while looking hard at him, making room beside the settle for Pip to sit. He sits down as the stranger rubs his leg oddly, capturing Pip's attention. Joe tells the stranger that he’s a blacksmith. The man says he didn't know his name before, and Joe repeats it. The stranger asks if he would drink at his expense. Joe says he doesn't have a habit of drinking for someone's expense but his own. The stranger urges him to drink since tonight is Saturday. Joe replies that he wants some rum, and Mr. Wopsle also wants some. The stranger calls the landlord for 3 rums for him. Joe introduces the stranger to Mr. Wopsle as the clerk of the village church.
The stranger puts his feet onto the settle, wearing a flapping, broad-brimmed hat with a handkerchief tied over his head. He stares into the fire and says he is unfamiliar with the area, but it looks solitary down the river. Joe comments on how the marshes are solitary, and the stranger asks if he saw any gypsies or tramps out in the marshes. Joe replies no, but there would be escaped convicts occasionally, and they aren't easy to find. The stranger asks if he has ever been outside if there were some convicts in the marshes, and Joe says how he once witnessed the capture of the convicts with Mr. Wopsle and Pip. The stranger stares suspiciously at him and wonders what his name is. Joe replies that he is called Pip, a name he has called himself since infancy. Joe also says Pip isn’t his son or nephew.
The stranger is confused about how Pip relates to him, and Mr. Wopsle explains Joe and Pip's relationship. The stranger stares at Pip but says nothing until the rum glasses are brought to the men. Pip watches as he stirs his drink and tastes it. He isn't using a spoon but a file and carefully uses it without anyone but Pip noticing. When he finishes, he wipes the file and puts it in a breast pocket. Pip is shocked that it is the same file he stole from Joe's forge several years ago and gave to the convict. The stranger takes very little notice of him as he talks about something else.
On Saturdays, Joe sometimes stays late at the tavern for over half an hour. Afterwards, he leaves with Pip. As they are about to go, the stranger stops him and says he has a shilling in his pocket, and Pip should have it. He then removes some change, wraps it in the paper, and hands it to Pip. He thanks the man, and the stranger bids goodnight to Joe and Mr. Wopsle but stares at Pip suspiciously. Mr. Wopsle leaves the bar, and Joe and Pip walk home. Pip thinks he should talk with Joe, but his memories of stealing for the convict make him quiet.
Mrs. Joe is in the kitchen when Joe and Pip come in. Joe tells her about the shilling Pip received from the stranger, and Mrs. Joe wants to see it. Pip unwraps it, and Mrs. Joe notices it's a two-one-pound note. Joe takes the shilling and rushes back to the tavern to return it to the stranger, and while he is gone, Pip sits on his stool and hopes the stranger isn't there. Joe returns and says the man is gone, but he has expressed his concern at the tavern about the banknotes. Mrs. Joe seals them in a piece of paper and puts them under some tea leaves inside an ornamental pot in the parlour for safekeeping. Pip has nightmares about the stranger that night, as if he is secretly conspiring with the convicts. He is also troubled by dreams about the file but distracts himself by thinking about his Wednesday visit to Miss Havisham's. However, the file comes flying out from a door, causing him to wake up screaming.
At the appointed time the next day, Pip arrives at Satis House and rings the gate bell.[11] Estella arrives and locks the gate right after Pip enters. As usual, she leads him up the dark passage with a lit candle and doesn't notice him until she looks over her shoulder and tells him he is going to a different room today. She leads him into another part of the house. This passage is longer and seems to take up the entire basement of the house. At the end of the passage, Estella puts down her candle and opens the door. Pip finds himself in a small, paved courtyard with a detached dwelling house that looks like it belonged to the manager of the old brewery. There is a clock on the house's outer wall, and just like the one in Miss Havisham's room, it was stopped twenty minutes to nine.
Pip and Estella enter the house door, which is left open. They are in a gloomy room with a low ceiling; some people are inside. Estella orders Pip to stand by the window until he is wanted, and he stands where he is told to and looks out. Outside is a neglected garden with cabbage stalks and a box of trees clipped around a long time ago with new growth, but it was out of shape and a different colour. There was some light snow overnight, with the snow still on the ground. The guests quickly notice Pip when he walks in.
There are three women in the room and one gentleman, looking bored. One woman named Camilla comments on someone being their enemy, and the gentleman agrees. Another woman named Sarah Pocket, who calls him Cousin Raymond, says they should love their neighbour. Raymond asks who else they would love if a man were not his neighbour, and the women laugh. Camilla says it was the idea, and Sarah replies it is true. The guests talk about a man while staring at Pip and mentioning Matthew. Camilla discusses how they refused to pay for "deep trimmings" for a funeral, and Cousin Raymond agrees. She then talks about how she was told to stay firm, and without the trimmings being paid, the family will be in disgrace; she cries about it until Cousin Raymond orders her to do what she likes and buys the trimmings.
Estella asks Camilla if he had paid for them, and she replies that she doesn’t know but bought them herself. Then, there is a distant ringing bell from the passage. Estella orders Pip out of the room, and as he leaves, the Pockets all look at him with disdain, and as soon as he is out, they go back to their conversation. He follows Estella with the candle down the dark passage before she suddenly stops and asks him if she is pretty and insulting. He replies that she is pretty, but she wasn’t insulting like last time, and she slaps him and asks what he thinks of her now. He says he won’t tell her, not even if they go upstairs. She then asks him why he doesn’t cry again, and he replies he won’t cry for her again, but deep down, he makes a false statement and is already aware of the pain she’s causing him.
Pip and Estella ascend the stairs. Along the way, they pass by a large, burly gentleman with a dark complexion and a sharp expression. He looks at Pip, holding his chin up and asks if he is from around here. Pip says yes, and Miss Havisham had sent for him here. The man orders him to behave and releases him. As he goes downstairs, Pip is relieved he let him go as his hands smell of soap, and he wonders if he could be a doctor, but he cannot be as he doesn’t have a persuasive, quiet manner. He barely has time to think this over as he and Estella arrive at Miss Havisham’s room, where everything is the same. Estella leaves him at the door, and Pip waits until Miss Havisham invites him inside. She is surprised at how quickly the days went by, and Pip is about to say what day it is, but Miss Havisham doesn’t want to know and asks him if he’s ready to play.
Pip replies that he could if he wanted to, and Miss Havisham says if the house strikes him old and does not want to play, she asks him if he would work instead. After he agrees, she points to the door behind him and tells him to go to the opposite room and wait for her until she comes. He crosses the staircase, landing and into the room, which is stuffier and has no sunlight. A fire is lit in the fireplace grate that is slowly going out, and the smoke from the fire makes the room cold. The candles on the chimneypiece are dimly lit, and everything in the room is in disrepair and covered in dust and mould. The one object that is the most notable is a long table with a tablecloth, with a decaying wedding feast and a centrepiece standing in the middle that's heavily covered in cobwebs and spiders scurrying. Pip also hears the mice hurrying behind the panels, and cockroaches are on the hearth. He watches the insects crawl by when he feels Miss Havisham's hand on his shoulder and holds a cane in her other hand.
Miss Havisham points to the table with her cane and says she will be laid there when she dies and where her body will be viewed. She points her walking stick again at her wedding cake hidden under the cobwebs. After glancing around the room, she leans against his shoulder and orders him to walk her around the room. Pip walks her around, and after a while, Miss Havisham orders him to go faster.
Sometime later, Miss Havisham orders Pip to call Estella. Pip calls her from the landing and then walks Miss Havisham around again. Estella then appears along with the Pockets, and Pip attempts to be polite by stopping, but Miss Havisham twitches his shoulder and makes him keep going. Sarah Pocket tells her how well she looks, but Miss Havisham insists she is yellowed in skin and bone. Pip feels like stopping when they approach Camilla, but he is forced to keep walking. Miss Havisham sharply asks Camilla what is wrong. Camilla says nothing is wrong but doesn't wish to show her feelings and thinks more about her. Miss Havisham demands her not to think of her, and Camilla cries. Raymond consoles her that her feelings for her family are undermining her, and she observes she would take great claim on someone to think of them. Sarah disagrees with her, and Camilla states that thinking is easy as it improves her fragile health and mind from her assumed concerns about her older relative.
Pip walks around the room with Miss Havisham, brushing past the Pockets. Camilla brings up how Matthew Pocket never comes to see Miss Havisham and how she would lie on the couch miserable for hours and was never thanked for it. Sarah wonders whom she would thank, and Camilla explains how she was miserable when Raymond watched her suffer. After the name Matthew is mentioned, Miss Havisham stops Pip and herself. She sternly declares that Matthew will see her when she is laid on the table and assigns the different spots at which he and the Pockets will be standing when they view her body. She then orders Pip to walk her again.
Camilla decides nothing else to be done and leaves, wishing Matthew shares the same. After she kisses Miss Havisham's hand, Camilla leaves with Raymond, and Sarah and Georgiana decide who should go last. After Georgiana is sent away, Sarah bids goodbye to Miss Havisham and blesses her.
While Estella escorts the guests out with her candle, Pip and Miss Havisham walk more slowly until she stops by the fire and reveals to him that today is her birthday. Pip is about to wish her a happy birthday, but she raises her cane at him and doesn't wish to have their guests talk about it. The Pockets visit her every year on her birthday, but they never speak of it. She pokes at the cobwebs on the table with her cane and explains that on her birthday, many years before Pip was born, the now rotten feast was brought to her, and she and the feast have decayed together. She explains that once everything has been completely ruined, she will lie on the table in her yellowed wedding dress and wishes it was done today.
Miss Havisham continues to stare at the table while Pip remains quiet. Estella returns and is also quiet. Everyone is silent for an extended period. Finally, Miss Havisham orders them to play cards, and they return to her room to play. As usual, Estella beats Pip in every game while Miss Havisham watches them, and Pip's attention is directed more to Estella's beauty. In addition, her treatment of him was the same as before, except she didn't speak. After a few more games, another day is arranged for his return, and Pip is taken to the courtyard, where he is fed like a dog and left there like before to explore the grounds. On one occasion, there was a garden wall where he climbed over to peek, and the gate was either opened or closed. This time, it was left open, and since Estella had released the visitors and returned with the set of keys, Pip took the opportunity to explore the garden.
The garden is withered, with deformed, overgrown vegetables. After wandering around the garden and the greenhouse, he finds himself in a dismal corner with a window. Thinking the house is empty, Pip peeks inside and sees a pale young gentleman with red eyelids and light hair reading. He quickly disappears, reappears beside him, and greets him. Pip tries to be polite, and the pale young gentleman asks who let him in and allowed him to roam around the grounds. Pip replies that it is Estella, and the pale young gentleman challenges him to a fight. Pip accepts his challenge since he doesn’t know what else to do. The pale young gentleman smacks Pip, pulls his hair, kicks him and headbutts him in the stomach. Pip strikes back at his opponent and is about to do it again when the pale young gentleman dodges backwards and forwards, and he looks on helplessly.
He initially feels afraid of the pale young gentleman but ends up following him to a nook in the garden. The pale young gentleman leaves briefly and returns with a bottle of water and a sponge dipped in vinegar. After putting them against the wall, the pale young gentleman removes his jacket, waistcoat, and shirt. Pip notices how sickly he looks; he appears to be the same age as him, only a bit taller. He is worried his opponent is getting over in his head as he squares at his balling fists, but Pip punches him and falls over on his back with a bloody nose. His opponent immediately gets up and squares at him again, with Pip striking him for the second time and leaving him with a black eye. The pale young gentleman isn’t strong enough to hit Pip hard. After he is knocked down, he will quickly get up and relieve himself with the sponge and bottle before facing off against him. He gets more bruised, and Pip hits him harder, but he keeps coming back up until he falls against the wall; after helping himself with the sponge, he declares Pip the winner.
Pip feels so dismayed by his victory that when he changes his clothes, he considers himself a savage young wolf. He asks his opponent if he needs help, and he replies no. He bids him good afternoon and returns to the courtyard, where he sees Estella with the keys. She doesn’t ask him where he is or why he kept her waiting, but she appears flushed. Instead of heading to the gate, she steps back into the passage and beckons Pip to her, where she tells him he may kiss her if he likes. Pip kisses her cheek, but it feels like it was given to a common boy for money and is worthless.
On his way home, it is getting dark, and the glow from the fire inside Joe’s forge reflects on the road and the marshes.
Apprenticeship with Joe/Mrs. Joe is Attacked[]
Pip’s mind on the pale young gentleman becomes uneasy, and the more he thinks about their fight, the more he thinks about the consequences. He fears he will be in trouble with the law and imagines how village boys who break into houses or fight with other children would receive harsh punishment.[12]
He stays home for the next few days and looks out the kitchen door before going for errands in case an officer caught him from the county jail. His pants are stained from the pale young gentleman’s nosebleed, and he tries to wash it off every night to get rid of any trace of his guilt. His opponent’s teeth also cut his knuckles, and he tries to come up with an explanation if he is ever brought to the judges. On his appointed day for his next visit to Satis House, he fears the authorities from London would be at the gate to arrest him or if Miss Havisham, possibly disturbed by the noises from their fight, would be armed with a pistol and shoot him. He also fears a gang of mercenaries would beat him to death at the brewery. He doesn’t believe vengeance would come from his opponent, but his family relatives would wish to protect his honour and family name.
But when he arrives at Satis House, nothing happens. It is never spoken of, and the pale young gentleman is nowhere to be seen. The same gate to the garden is left open, and he explores the withered garden. He looks inside the windows of the detached house, but it is all covered up with closed window shutters. The corner where the fight occurred has a bloodstain from the pale young gentleman, and Pip covers it with garden mould. On the landing between Miss Havisham’s room and the other with the long table was a wheelchair, which had been there since his previous visit. During his current visit, he repeatedly pushed Miss Havisham into the wheelchair when she got tired of walking in her room, the landing, and the other room for about 3 hours. This becomes a daily routine for Pip, as he is required to return on an alternate date at noon to perform this ritual, and he does this for 8-10 months.
Pip’s acquaintance with Miss Havisham increases, and she asks him questions about what he has learned and wants to be. He explains he wants to be apprenticed by Joe, and he thinks she would help him maintain his goal by talking about this to her. But she doesn’t help him, as she doesn’t give him any money or provide to have him paid for his services. Estella is always around and lets him out, but she never asks him to kiss her again. She would sometimes act cold toward him and tell him she hated him. Miss Havisham would frequently ask him in a whisper if Estella was pretty, and if Pip said yes, she looked delighted at his response. She would still watch Pip and Estella play cards, and no matter what mood she feels that leaves Pip puzzled, she embraces Estella and murmurs in her ear to break men's hearts and show no mercy.
At the forge, Joe would hum a song about Old Clem, the patron saint of blacksmiths. Pip thinks this is not a dignified way to render homage to a patron saint but believes Old Clem has that relation with blacksmiths. One day, after another day of pushing Miss Havisham in her chair, she suddenly orders him to sing. He finds himself singing the Old Clem song as he pushes her around the floor, and she appears to like his singing that she sings along in a low voice. It becomes a habit for Pip to sing the song while he moves Miss Havisham’s wheelchair, and Estella often joins in, too.
Pip wonders how he would be used to his routine at Satis House and if he would be influenced by it. He thought he might tell Joe about the pale young gentleman despite confessing the lies he made about his visits. Even so, Joe won’t even recognize the pale young gentleman, so Pip decides not to say anything. As time passes, the topic of Miss Havisham and Estella becomes overbearing for him. So much so that he only turns to Biddy as a confidante and tells her everything, which leaves her concerned.
Meanwhile, Uncle Pumblechook often comes over to talk about some prospects with Mrs. Joe in the kitchen, leaving Pip so infuriated that he wishes he could remove the linchpin from Uncle Pumblechook’s chaise cart and have him crash. When Pip sat on his stool in the corner, Uncle Pumblechook would seize him by the collar, place him before the fire, and address him as the boy Mrs. Joe brought up by hand. He orders Pip to be grateful to those who look after him. He rumples Pip’s hair the wrong way and holds him by the sleeve. Afterwards, Uncle Pumblechook and Mrs. Joe would talk about Miss Havisham and what she would do with Pip. Pip is so upset that he feels like striking out at him. During these conversations, Mrs. Joe would insult Pip with Uncle Pumblechook overseeing him.
Joe didn’t take any part in the discussions, but he was often talked about with Mrs. Joe, considering Pip is not suitable to be Joe’s apprentice in the forge. When Joe sits at the fire with the poker raking the ashes, Mrs. Joe is so aggravated that he wants Pip to be a lowly blacksmith that she snatches the poker from him, shakes it, and puts it away. The debates are becoming more irritating, and when Mrs. Joe catches sight of Pip, she orders him to go to bed.
More time passes at Satis House, and Pip thinks this would likely go on for a little longer, until one day, when he is walking Miss Havisham, she stops him short by leaning on his shoulder and noticing how tall he has grown. She doesn't say anything else but occasionally stops to look at him while frowning disdainfully. After another day of their usual walking exercise, Miss Havisham sits at her dressing table and asks him to tell her the name of his blacksmith brother-in-law. Pip replies that his name is Joe Gargery, and he wants to be apprenticed to him. Miss Havisham decides he should be apprenticed immediately and asks if he would be fine bringing Joe to Satis House with him, along with some indentures. Pip says Joe won't have a problem. He would go with him and asks when they should come over. But since Miss Havisham knows nothing about time, she suggests to him that he and Joe come over as soon as possible.
When Pip gets home that night and informs Joe of the news to Joe, Mrs. Joe is furious that she isn't invited and is being excluded from Joe and Pip's company. After throwing a candlestick at Joe, she sobs as she takes the dustpan to clean up the mess. She then uses a pail and cleans the house while Pip and Joe are forced to stand outside, shivering from the cold evening. At 10 o'clock, Joe and Pip sneak inside, and Mrs. Joe asks her husband why he didn't marry a black woman. He doesn't reply but looks at Pip downheartedly.
On their trip to Satis House, Joe dresses in his Sunday clothes while Pip wishes he would wear his regular work clothes.[13] Joe looks uncomfortable in his formal outfit as he pulls his collar up to look neater, but it pushes his hair up in the back. Mrs. Joe says she will come to town with them at breakfast and spend the day at Uncle Pumblechook's. The forge is closed for the day, and Joe puts up a sign on the forge door that says he is away, which he often does when he is not working. It also includes an arrow in the direction he's going. Pip, Joe, and Mrs. Joe walk to town, with Mrs. Joe leading the way and wearing a large sunbonnet, carrying a basket in plaited straw and an umbrella despite it being a nice day.
They arrive at Uncle Pumblechook's; Mrs. Joe immediately enters, so Pip and Joe head straight to Satis House. As usual, Estella lets them in through the gate. She takes no notice of them and leads the way Pip already knows so well. Pip follows her, with Joe coming from behind, and when they walk down the long passage, Estella orders them to go in. Pip leads Joe into Miss Havisham's room, where she is seen sitting at her dressing table. Miss Havisham asks Joe if he is the husband of Pip's sister, but Pip can see what a mess Joe looks like in his outfit. Instead of replying to Miss Havisham's question, he addresses Pip that he married his sister when he was a bachelor.
Miss Havisham asks Joe if he is taking Pip in as his apprentice. Joe tells Pip they may be friends but asks if he can do business in the forge. Miss Havisham questions him if Pip is willing to make a trade. Joe replies to Pip that he has always wished to be his apprentice since he was still a young boy. Pip feels embarrassed and must persuade him to speak to Miss Havisham. She then asks him if he has the indentures, and Joe tells Pip he has them ready and takes them out. But instead of giving them to Miss Havisham, he gives them to Pip. He now looks ashamed of Joe and can see Estella standing behind Miss Havisham’s chair, and it seems like she will laugh. He takes the indentures from Joe and hands them to Miss Havisham.
While looking them over, Miss Havisham asks Joe if he expected Pip to have no premium. He makes no reply, and Pip demands him to speak. Joe cuts him off by saying there is already an answer between them, and the answer is no. Miss Havisham then takes a small bag from her dressing table, says it is Pip’s premium of 25 guineas and asks him to give it to Joe. He tells Pip he is open-minded about this, but now he looks forward to doing their duties together in the forge. Miss Havisham bids Pip goodbye and then orders Estella to let them out. Pip asks if he could return, and she replies no, as Joe is his master now. As Pip prepares to go out the door, Joe is summoned back to Miss Havisham, and Pip can hear her say to Joe that he is a good boy and Joe won’t expect much from him.
Pip doesn’t know how Joe leaves Miss Havisham’s room, but he goes upstairs instead of down and goes after him. A minute later, Estella releases them and locks the gate behind them. Once they are out in the daylight, Joe feels astonished. Pip thinks he has lost his senses. Joe seems so brightened by his visit that he comes up with something to say when they arrive at Uncle Pumblechook’s. They enter Uncle Pumblechook’s parlour, where Mrs. Joe asks Pip and Joe what had happened and if they would return to society. Joe lies by claiming Miss Havisham sent her compliments to Mrs. Joe, and Mrs. Joe comments on how good they would be to her but still looks gratified. Joe adds that Mrs. Joe wasn’t invited because Miss Havisham was in poor health and did not want any female company.
Mrs. Joe says Miss Havisham was polite at least to send her regards and asks about what she has given Pip. Joe replies that she has given him nothing, and Mrs. Joe is about to freak out, but Joe continues. He claims Miss Havisham wanted to give Mrs. Joe something, and she questions Joe how much he has got. Joe asks her if she would be fine with 10 pounds, and she says it would be fine. Joe hints that the money is more than that. Mrs. Joe is curious to know more, and Uncle Pumblechook says he already knows and urges Joe to say more. Joe gives the bag to his wife and reveals they received 25 pounds. Uncle Pumblechook repeats this to Mrs. Joe and congratulates her for the money. He seizes Pip by the arm and tells the Gargerys that Pip should be bound, and Mrs. Joe offers her thanks as she takes the money.
The next day, Pip is at the local town hall for him to be sworn in as Joe's apprentice by the magistrate. Uncle Pumblechook pushes him to give him the impression that he is a badly behaved boy by the crowd inside. He finds the town hall a queer place with pews higher than a church, with people watching him on the pews and the judges in powdered wigs leaning back in their chairs, and they were either reading, sleeping, writing, or sitting with folded arms. His indentures are signed and attested in a corner, all while Uncle Pumblechook takes hold of him. When they exit the building and away from the boys, who seem to enjoy watching him humiliated in public but are disappointed when his friends rally on him, Pip, the Gargerys, and Uncle Pumblechook go to Uncle Pumblechook's store. Mrs. Joe is so excited by the 25 guineas that the family has dinner at the local inn, The Blue Boar. Uncle Pumblechook brings the Hubbles and Mr. Wopsle over in his chaise cart.
Pip is miserable throughout the day, and they constantly ask him why he isn't enjoying himself. At the dinner table, Uncle Pumblechook addresses the guests on Pip's apprenticeship and his liability to punishment if he plays cards, drinks alcohol, stays up late with bad company or does other actions that would be impossible to do from his indentures.
When Pip dozes off, the guests wake him and tell him to have fun. Everyone is cheery on the way home. When he finally gets home, Pip goes upstairs to his bedroom in misery, and while he is looking forward to Joe's trade, he's already disliking it now.
Pip is more miserable than ever, and he hates being at home. It has never been an excellent place because of his sister's fiery temper, despite it being more bearable with Joe's comfort.[14] He imagines the parlour as a fancy, elegant saloon, the kitchen as an impressive room, and the forge where he would become an independent adult. A year has passed, and his hopes have been dashed. He is now living a life as a coarse commoner, and he hopes Estella and Miss Havisham would not view the environment he's in. He blames himself for his new change, and Mrs. Joe and Miss Havisham have nothing to do with it.
Normally, he would be happy when he rolls up his sleeves and enters the forge. He finds himself filthier from the dust, and his weight is felt upon his remembrance, making the anvil feel light. Sometime later, he would stand in the churchyard on Sunday evenings when it was getting dark. He compares his perspective to the windy marshes and how they metaphor his future, as they are dark, flat, low, and misty. He continues to feel depressed from his apprenticeship but doesn’t tell Joe how he feels if his indentures lasted. Since Joe is so faithful to him, Pip doesn’t run away to become a soldier or a sailor, and Joe also has a strong virtue in his profession. Pip works hard as a blacksmith because of Joe’s faithfulness and virtue.
But what Pip dreads the most is when he looks up, he expects to see Estella staring at him through the forge window. He fears she may find him sooner or later, with black hands and face and doing his coarsest work; she would be delighted and cold to him. Often after dark, he would use the bellows, and he and Joe would sing Old Clem. He would see Estella’s face in the fire, her pretty hair flowing in the wind and staring at him with spiteful eyes. Afterwards, he would have dinner but is still ashamed of living and working at home.
Pip is now too old for the village school and stops going there. Biddy then begins teaching him everything she knows, from a catalogue of prices to a comic song she bought for a halfpenny.[15] He manages to read the opening lines of the clipping and even turns to Mr. Wopsle to offer him more education, and he agrees to tutor him. However, Mr. Wopsle only wants him to portray dramatic acting, and Pip gives up.
Meanwhile, Pip plans to pass on his knowledge to Joe and hopes he will be less common and be part of the wealthy social class. Joe and Pip would go out to the Old Battery in the marshes to study with a broken slate and a slate pencil. Joe smokes his tobacco pipe, and Pip isn’t sure he is learning anything each week.
The Battery is a pleasant, quiet place that overlooks the sails on the river. Whenever Pip sees the vessels sail out to sea, he thinks about Miss Havisham and Estella and their strange life at Satis House. He still feels the same during a storm. One Sunday afternoon, Joe is smoking his pipe and being dull with himself, so Pip gives up and lies on the ground. He looks out for glimpses of Estella and Miss Havisham over the landscape. Afterwards, he asks Joe if she should visit Miss Havisham. Joe says that Miss Havisham may suspect Pip wants something from her, and she may or may not be credited for it. Joe says that Miss Havisham has done a proper thing for them both and reminds Pip of what she told him to not return to Satis House again.
Pip thinks about it for a bit and then tells Joe he never got to thank Miss Havisham for approving his apprenticeship or ask about her and how he’ll remember her. Joe understands what he means but says that gifting her a pair of shoes won’t be an acceptable gift, and Pip interrupts him by saying he doesn’t talk about gifting her. But Joe is already talking about presents, such as a chain for the front door or a gridiron. Pip insists he is not getting her a gift.
Joe tells Pip he shouldn’t see Miss Havisham again and brings up how it won’t work, giving her a chain when she already has one on her front door and how a low social-class workman can’t present himself with a gridiron. Pip grabs his coat and begs him to stop, and Joe tells him he is right with his statement. Pip tells him that all he really wants from him is to give him a half-holiday tomorrow and go to Satis House. He almost says Estella’s name but quickly changes it to Havisham. Joe reminds him that isn’t her correct name unless she is renamed. Pip apologizes for his mispronunciation, and Joe eventually agrees to give him some time off tomorrow but reminds him that if the visit is not well-received or he is encouraged not to return, he must never return to Satis House again. Pip promises he will abide by his words.
Joe works with another blacksmith in the forge named Orlick. He pretends his first name is Dolge, but Pip thinks the name is fake, and he is decisive. He is a large, burly man who would often slouch at work on accident, and whenever he dined at the Three Jolly Bargemen or went away at night, he would slouch away as if he didn’t know where he was going. He stays at a sluice keeper’s home in the marshes and would slouch to work with his food tied in a bundle on his neck or dangling by his back. Every Sunday, he would laze about on the sluice gates or against the ricks and barns. Whenever he raised his head from slouching, he would have a half-puzzled, angry expression. Orlick was never friendly to Pip, reminding him that the Devil lived in the forge and he knew him well. After Pip becomes Joe’s apprentice, Orlick suspects he may replace him, but he still hates the boy.
Orlick is at work in the forge when Pip asks Joe to give him half a holiday. Joe and Orlick say nothing to Pip as they work away with their hammers, and Pip works with the bellows. During their shift, Orlick asks Joe if he can also have a half day off. Joe questions him about what he’ll do if he has time off, and Orlick replies that he will do as much as possible. Joe explains that Pip is going uptown, and Orlick retorts that he can go, too. Joe tells him not to lose his temper, and Orlick says he will show off his anger until he gets what he wants. Joe refuses to answer him until he has calmed down.
Orlick draws a red-hot iron bar from the furnace, lays it on the anvil and hammers it hard. He again demands what he wants, but when he calms down, Joe gives everyone a half-holiday off to satisfy them. Mrs. Joe is standing outside the forge when she hears Joe. She looks at him through the window, calls him a fool for giving his staff time off, and wishes he was her master. Orlick retorts to her that she can have a master if she dares.
Mrs. Joe angrily rants that she can’t be a match for rogues without a master. Orlick insults her by calling her a foul shrew while Joe tells him to leave her alone. Mrs. Joe shrieks at Pip about what Orlick called her, and Orlick again insults her. Mrs. Joe cries in a rage about Orlick’s insults, then throws off her cap, pulls down her hair and rushes to the door, which Pip locks. The tensions between the men worsen, and Joe fights Orlick. After Orlick lies in the dust beaten, Joe unlocks the door and picks up his wife, who has just fainted. He carries her into the house to lay her down, but she pulls at his hair when she wakes up. Once everything has calmed down, Pip goes upstairs to get dressed. When he returns downstairs, he finds Joe and Orlick sweeping, with Orlick having a bloody nose from the fight. A pot of beer from the Three Jolly Bargemen is on the table, and the two men share it to make up.
Pip arrives at Satis House and debates whether he should leave without ringing the bell or return when he has the time. He rings the bell, but Sarah Pocket greets him instead of Estella. She demands what he wants, and he explains that he wants to see how Miss Havisham is. Sarah ponders if he should let him in, but seeing how important his business is, she lets him in and orders him to “come up.”
He reunites with Miss Havisham, who tells him he will get nothing. Pip says he has only come to explain that he is doing well with his apprenticeship and to offer thanks. She tells him to visit her on his birthday, and then she suddenly turns towards him and asks him if he is looking out for Estella. He has been looking around for her and wonders if she is well. Miss Havisham explains that she has been sent abroad to be educated into a pretty, fine lady. She asks him if he fears he has lost her, and she laughs with Pip at a loss for words.
After Miss Havisham dismisses him and Sarah Pocket locks the gate behind him, Pip feels more dissatisfied with everything in his life, including his home and apprenticeship. While walking on High Street, he gazes miserably into the shop windows and wonders what he would buy if he were a gentleman. Mr. Wopsle comes out of the bookstore with a copy of a tragedy by George Barnwell that he just bought and will read out loud at Uncle Pumblechook’s for tea. When Mr. Wopsle sees Pip, he convinces him to visit Uncle Pumblechook’s home. Pip decides he needs a diversion from his misery and goes with him.
Mr. Wopsle reads aloud the play that goes on until 9 o’clock. When Mr. Wopsle gets to the part about Newgate, Pip wonders if he won’t be hanged at the gallows since his career is slowing down. He feels more apologetic inside, and Uncle Pumblechook and Mr. Wopsle seem to make him more depressed. Mr. Wopsle finishes reading, and Uncle Pumblechook warns Pip to take warning as if he is thinking about murder.
It is now a dark, misty night when Pip and Mr. Wopsle walk home. Beyond the town, the mist is thick and wet. The turnpike lamp is a blur, and Pip and Mr. Wopsle notice the thick mist from the wind when they spot a man slouching under the turnpike house. The two men stop and call out to Orlick, who replies that he is waiting for a minute for some company. Pip tells him he’s late, and Mr. Wopsle says he read his performance late. Orlick growls and joins the rest back home, and Pip asks him what he has done during his half-holiday in town. Orlick answers that he was in town shortly after Pip but didn’t see him. He also says the guns have been firing again. Pip questions if it’s from the Hulks, and Orlick says some fugitives are out again, as the guns have been firing since dark.
The men haven’t walked further when they hear the loud boom from the guns over the river. Orlick comments on how capturing an escaped convict is a good night. Pip thinks about this in silence, with Mr. Wopsle meditating aloud about his garden at Camberwell and Orlick slouching at his side. Now and then, they will hear another boom of the guns. Pip is still lost in thought, Mr. Wopsle meditates, and Orlick growls the Old Clem. Pip wonders if Orlick is drinking, but he doesn’t appear drunk.
They arrive at the village at 11 o’clock, and their path takes them past the Three Jolly Bargemen. The men are startled to hear a commotion from the Three Jolly Bargemen, with its door open and the lights on. Mr. Wopsle goes inside to find out what happened and assumes it is about an escaped convict. He runs back quickly and tells Pip something has happened at his home. Pip asks what is wrong as he rushes behind Mr. Wopsle with Orlick beside him. Mr. Wopsle says someone must have broken into the house when Joe was away, and somebody was attacked and hurt.
The men are running so fast that they don’t talk about it and don’t stop until they reach Pip’s house. Everyone in the village is gathered around the yard. Joe, the surgeon, and a group of women are inside the kitchen. The bystanders let Pip inside, and he sees Mrs. Joe lying on the floor unconscious. She had been struck in the back of the head by a mysterious attacker when she was facing the kitchen fire.
Pip’s previous guilt resurfaces when he believes he has something to do with his sister’s attack or any events leading up to the incident.[16] He became a suspect more than anyone else, but he soon hears everyone around him discussing what had happened the night Mrs. Joe was attacked in her home.
Joe was at the Three Jolly Bargemen smoking his pipe from 8 to 10 o’clock. While he was away, Mrs. Joe stood at her door and said good night to a passing farmer, who didn’t know the exact time, but it was around 9 o’clock. When Joe returned home 5 minutes before 10, he found his wife injured and immediately called for help. The fire wasn’t burning lowly for very long, nor did the candle snuff. The candle, on the other hand, was blown out. Nothing was stolen from parts of the house. There was nothing suspicious in the kitchen where she was struck. The only evidence provided at the scene was that Mrs. Joe was struck with a blunt, heavy object on the head and spine, and after the attack, something heavy was thrown at her as she lay face-down on the floor. When Joe picked her up, he found a filed leg iron beside her.
After examining it, Joe declared the leg iron was filed some time ago, and this discovery reached the Hulks. The authorities from the Hulks also examined it and confirmed Joe’s opinion. They couldn’t say when the leg iron left the Hulks, but they claim it didn’t belong to any of the two convicts who escaped last night. They have since been recaptured while still wearing their leg irons.
Pip believes the leg iron could have belonged to his convict, whom he had heard filing in the marshes. Pip doesn’t accuse him of having just used it, and he suspects two other people who had the leg iron and attacked Mrs. Joe. It could have been Orlick or the strange man who had shown him the file. Orlick went to town and had been spotted there all evening, just like he said he would be when he was picked up at the turnpike. He had visited several of the town’s taverns before he joined Pip and Mr. Wopsle on their walk home. Pip thinks the strange man he met at the Three Jolly Bargemen who gave him the two banknotes may have returned for them, but Mrs. Joe was prepared to protect them. But there was no quarrel, as Mrs. Joe’s attacker knocked her out before she could see who it was.
Pip is guilty of providing the weapon from the crime scene and thinks he should confess his childhood incident to Joe. For many months, he prepares for his confession but always backs down. But since it happened years ago, he cannot tear himself away from it now and confessing will likely ruin his close bond with Joe if he believed in him. Pip keeps his story quiet and vows to say anything to help catch the culprit.
The police have been at the house for about a week, interrogating people and trying to solve the case, evening suspecting Joe. They also guard the front door of the Three Jolly Bargemen and never drink inside the bar. The unsolved case eventually closes; Mrs. Joe lay ill long after this. Her eyesight is affected, as she can only see multiple objects and grab anything visionary. Her hearing, speech and memory are also affected, and she never fully recovered from her injuries. After she is helped down the stairs, Pip keeps a slate near her as her communication. But since she isn’t a good speller and Joe cannot read, Pip has to help figure out what she has written. She becomes calm and no longer gets angry. Her limbs will tremble, and she will sit still while feeling depressed for a week. Pip and Joe struggle to find her a personal caretaker until Biddy offers to help look after her and moves in a month after Mrs. Joe’s attack and Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt’s death.
Biddy becomes a blessing to the household, especially to Joe, who is devastated by thinking about his disabled wife. Whenever he attends to his wife, Joe remarks to Pip about the fine woman Mrs. Joe used to be. Biddy spends her full time looking after Mrs. Joe, allowing Joe some quiet time, such as going to the Three Jolly Bargemen.
Biddy helps Pip decipher what Mrs. Joe writes on her slate. She repeatedly writes the letter “T,” and Biddy and Pip figure out what the “T” means. Pip guesses different words that start with “T” but then suggests it is shaped like a hammer. He brings in all the hammers, but none match the description. He then suggests it could also be a crutch as the letter is shaped like one, so he borrows one from the village and shows it to Mrs. Joe, who shakes her head to the point when Pip, Joe and Biddy are afraid she would dislocate her neck.
Biddy is able to understand Mrs. Joe quickly, and she redraws the symbol on her slate. After examining it and looking thoughtfully at Pip, Mrs. Joe, and Joe, she runs into the forge with the men following her. She declares the culprit is Orlick, and he is immediately summoned into the kitchen. He lays down his hammer, wipes himself and slouches out. Pip expects Mrs. Joe to accuse him of attacking her, but to his shock and disappointment, Mrs. Joe wants to be friends with him and motions to get him something to drink. Everyone is confused, but from that moment on, Mrs. Joe doesn’t draw the hammer shape again on her slate, and Orlick doesn’t slouch all the time now.
Pip’s apprenticeship becomes a daily routine, and he returns to Satis House on his birthday.[17] Sarah Pocket lets him in, and Miss Havisham still speaks about Estella for a few minutes. Before he leaves, she gives him a guinea coin and asks him to return on his next birthday, which soon becomes a yearly custom. He initially refuses to take the guinea with him but accepts it when she gets angry at him for what he wants.
He becomes bewildered in Miss Havisham's room, where there is no daylight, the clocks are stopped simultaneously, and he continues to hate his trade and to be at home. He notices a change in Biddy, as she looks grown up with neat hair and clean hands. She is also common but not beautiful like Estella; instead, Biddy is more sweet-tempered and pleasant. She has been living with the Gargerys for a year when Pip observes her one evening and sees her pretty, thoughtful eyes while writing some passages from a book. She is sewing when she observes what he is doing. Pip asks her why she continuously learns everything and teaches him what she has learned as he spends his birthday money on his books and places his pocket money aside for investment. She asks him how he manages it, and he only does it when he finishes his day in the forge, but he tells her she doesn't do the same. Biddy replies that she usually catches it and returns to her sewing.
Pip leans back in his chair and observes Biddy sewing. He finds her a remarkable young woman from assisting him and Joe in their trade, even thinking she can be a better blacksmith than them. He tells her she has had the chance to improve herself, and she looks at him briefly while sewing and asks if she was his first teacher. Pip notices she's crying, and Biddy laughs that she isn't. He wonders what she may be going through after her grandmother's death and how miserable she was at the night school and general shop. He believes she is the right person he could turn to for help and confide in to express his emotions, hopes and dreams. She sits quietly, sewing again and not crying, and while Pip is watching her, he realizes he hasn't been grateful to her and has been too reserved with his confidence. He tells her she has been his first teacher, especially at a time when they are together in the kitchen. She admits it's true, and Pip asks if he can consult with her more and wants to talk with her while walking in the marshes next Sunday.
Joe looks after his wife on Sunday afternoon, and Pip and Biddy go out. It is summer with beautiful weather as they walk past the village, the churchyard and into the marshes. They spot the sails of the ships sailing on the waters, and Pip thinks again about Miss Havisham and Estella. He and Biddy sit on the riverbank, and he decides this is the right time to discuss his dream with her. He tells her he wants to be a gentleman, and she replies that it isn't the correct answer. He says he has different reasons to become a gentleman, and she asks him if he's happy the way he is. He replies impatiently that he's unhappy with his trade and life. She doesn't mean to say that and wants him to be comfortable where he is now. He declares he will never be satisfied unless he can live a new life than his old life.
Pip cries in distress at the idea that his dream will soon be regretted, but he can’t help it now. While plucking the grass, he says it would have been better for him if he had worked in the forge earlier in his life. He, Joe, and Biddy wouldn’t have wanted anything then, and Joe would have other working partners when he isn’t working, and he would have grown up to keep her company, sitting on the riverbank on a Sunday afternoon. He asks her if he should have done better for her, and she replies that he should. He chews on some grass and tells her he has been bothered when someone tells him he is a coarse commoner. She turns to him attentively and says it’s a true but rude remark. She asks who said that to him.
He is unsettled as he confesses it’s Estella from Satis House, who is more beautiful than ever. He admires her so much that he wants to be a gentleman on her account and tosses his grass into the river. Biddy quietly asks him if he wants to be a gentleman to offend or have Estella after a pause. Pip replies that he doesn’t know. She explains it’s best if he ignores her and that she’s not worth falling in love with. He finds it hard to follow this advice, and while he admits this is true, he still admires Estella. He then cries on his sleeve while she softly pats his shoulder, telling him she’s glad he is giving her his confidence, and he depends on it. She says if she is still his teacher, she knows what lesson can be taught, but it is hard to learn. She asks him if they can walk further or go home.
Pip gets up and embraces and kisses her, saying he will always tell her everything. Biddy replies that he will until he’s a gentleman, but he says he changes his mind. She gazes at the sailing ships and then asks again if they should keep going or return home. He replies that they will keep going, and it becomes a beautiful summer evening before long. He considers if he’s not meant to be a gentleman and thinks he could get Estella out of his mind and focus on his work, but he wonders if he will be miserable if she is walking beside him instead of Biddy and calls himself a fool.
Pip and Biddy talk while they continue their stroll, and he admits he wishes to fall in love with her. He asks her if she doesn't mind, and she replies that she won't mind. When they reach the churchyard, they cross the embarkment and over a stile near a sluice gate. Orlick appears from the gate and growls where they are going. They say they are heading home, and he replies he'll be "jiggered" if he doesn't see them home. Orlick has used that word to humiliate people, and Pip believes if Orlick remarks that insult to him, he does it menacingly.
Biddy whispers to Pip not to let Orlick come with them as she doesn't like him. Pip also doesn't like him, so he tells him they don't want him to see them home. Orlick laughs out loud and then slouches behind them from a distance.
Pip is curious if Biddy suspects Orlick of attacking Mrs. Joe, and he asks her why she despises him. She replies that he likes her and that he would flirt with her. Pip is outraged that Orlick is attempting to flirt with her, and she tells him it makes no difference to him. He disapproves of it and has no opinion of her if Orlick tries to seduce her without her consent.
That night, Pip keeps an eye on Orlick, now Joe's working partner, flirting with Biddy and Mrs. Joe's unusual liking of him. He even attempts to dismiss him from his services to protect her from his advances.
He later realizes that Biddy may be better than Estella and is getting used to his life in the forge. He dreams of working with Joe and keeping her company. But any thoughts of Miss Havisham will shatter his new happiness, and he thinks she could perhaps make him his fortune at the end of his apprenticeship. However, it hasn't ended yet, but it will be before long.
Pip Receives his “Great Expectations”[]
Pip has been apprenticing for four years. One Saturday night, Pip and Joe are in a group at the Three Jolly Bargemen, listening to Mr. Wopsle read a newspaper story aloud.[18] It is about a murder, and Mr. Wopsle impersonates the characters' voices from the story.
Pip notices a strange gentleman leaning on a settle opposite him, looking on with a disdainful expression and biting his forefinger. After Mr. Wopsle finishes, the gentleman asks if he's satisfied with himself. Everyone looks up at him, and he looks back at them coldly. He urges Mr. Wopsle to say guilty, and everyone murmurs in confirmation. The gentleman asks if he knows that every man in England is proven innocent until he is found guilty. Mr. Wopsle is about to speak about being an Englishman, but the gentleman interrupts him if he knows the question or not. Mr. Wopsle answers that he does know the answer.
The stranger next asks him if he’s aware that none of the witnesses are cross-examined. Mr. Wopsle hesitates, and the man says he’ll help him and asks about the printed paper he’s holding and if he just read aloud from it. Mr. Wopsle replies yes, and the man asks him to turn in his paper and tell him if the prisoner’s legal advisers made him reserve his defence. He replies that he just read it aloud, and the stranger orders him to turn his paper to the bottom. After Mr. Wopsle finds it, the man asks him to read the passage and tell him about the prisoner’s legal defence. Mr. Wopsle replies that they aren’t the correct words, and the man questions why the man in the passage had unfairly convicted the prisoner. Pip and everyone suspect something isn’t right with Mr. Wopsle.
The stranger points his finger at him and says this man could serve with the jury and return to his family after he swore to try the issues between the king and the prisoner and to deliver the verdict. Everyone thinks Mr. Wopsle is going too far, and he must stop. The stranger returns to the settle near the fire and bites his finger again. He then looks at the group and asks if the blacksmith Joe Gargery is with them. Joe responds to him, and the stranger beckons him. He asks if his apprentice Pip is with him, and Pip responds to him, too.
Pip remembers him as the gentleman he met on the staircase during his second visit at Satis House. He recognizes all his features, such as his bushy black eyebrows, large head, facial hair, and dark complexion. He also smells the scent of soap on his hands. The man says he wants to talk to them privately at their home instead of at the pub.
Pip, Joe, and the gentleman leave the pub, and when they get home, Joe lets them in the front door and sit in the parlour dimly lit by one candle. The gentleman sits at the table, draws the candle to him, and looks through some pages in his pocketbook. Afterwards, he puts the pocketbook and candle aside, peering at the men in the darkness.
The gentleman introduces himself as Mr. Jaggers, a well-known lawyer from London. He is here to do business with them but didn’t plan to come here himself. If his advice had been asked, he wouldn’t have approved to have this, but since his advice wasn’t here, he came here on business regardless. He can’t see the men well enough from where he sits; he gets up and leans against a chair with his foot on it. He informs Joe he will be relieving his apprentice Pip from his services and if he is fine with cancelling his indentures. He replies that he should want anything for not standing in Pip’s way, but Mr. Jaggers asks him if he will compensate for anything. Joe replies no, and Pip is too bewildered if he thinks Mr. Jaggers finds Joe foolish for his disinterest.
Mr. Jaggers then turns to Pip and informs him he has “great expectations,” surprising Pip and Joe. He tells Pip he will receive a large fortune, be removed from his life as a commoner, and be trained to be a gentleman. Pip realizes his dream has come true and assumes Miss Havisham is offering him his fortune. Mr. Jaggers reminds Pip that he must not change his name and that there will be no objections. If he wants to make one now, this is the right time.
Pip is so excited that he can barely say he has no objections. Mr. Jaggers next informs him that the identity of his benefactor who offered him his fortune will be anonymous until the person reveals their identity to him and nobody else. Mr. Jaggers doesn’t know when or where his benefactor will reveal themselves, which may take years. He must not make any inquiries into this matter and will only make his dealings with Mr. Jaggers. If Pip has suspicions about his benefactor’s identity, he should keep them to himself.
Mr. Jaggers finishes making the stipulations and then talks about the arrangements. He reminds Pip he won’t just be provided with his “great expectations” as he has some allowance money to pay for his education. Mr. Jaggers will be his guardian, and just when Pip is about to thank him, Mr. Jaggers informs him that he needs a proper education to be a successful gentleman. Pip says he has always longed for it, and Mr. Jaggers retorts to get over his longing for a proper education. He asks if he is ready for a tutor and stammers yes.
Mr. Jaggers tells Pip his inclinations will be consulted and asks whom he would prefer as his tutor. Pip knows only two tutors, Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt and Biddy. Mr. Jaggers says he knows someone with enough knowledge to be his tutor, and his name is Mr. Matthew Pocket. Pip recognizes Matthew Pocket as Miss Havisham's relative, whom Raymond and Camilla Pocket talked about, and who will stand by the table with Miss Havisham's corpse. Mr. Jaggers asks him if he knows that man, and he answers that he has heard of it. He asks him what he thinks about Mr. Pocket, and Pip says he is obliged to him for this recommendation. Mr. Jaggers interrupts him and tells him to recollect himself. Pip repeats his statement.
Mr. Jaggers repeatedly interrupts and tells him not to use recommendations or say something else. Pip says he is obliged to him for mentioning Matthew Pocket, and Mr. Jaggers praises him. Pip adds that he will be glad to try to be a gentleman. Mr. Jaggers tells him he will try him at home, but he will meet his son first in London. He asks Pip if he will come to London. While glancing at Joe, Pip replies that he supposes he can go immediately. Mr. Jaggers reminds him he will need some new clothes first this week and will give him twenty guineas to pay for them. He takes some money out of his purse, counts them on the table and passes them to Pip.
Joe says that he is dumbfounded, and Mr. Jaggers asks if he still wants nothing for himself. Joe replies that it is still understood. Mr. Jaggers asks if he would give him a present as compensation for ending Pip's services. Joe places his hand on Pip's shoulder and says he will let him be free from his services but refuses to accept the money as compensation. Pip comforts him and assures him they will still be friends. Joe doesn't say anything, and Mr. Jaggers reminds him that this will be his last chance to ask for a present as compensation. Joe gets angry and nearly gets physical with him, but Pip pulls him back, and he calms down.
Mr. Jaggers prepares to leave, but before he goes, he reminds Pip that the sooner he leaves, the better it will be for him to become a gentleman. He will receive his address and can take a hackney-coach at the stage-coach office to London and then go straight to his office. He also makes them understand that he is being paid for undertaking this. Pip suddenly desires to go after him, who is heading to the Three Jolly Bargemen, where his coach is awaiting him. He asks him if there will be anyone he knows who won't want him to leave home, and he replies no. He thanks him and hurries home, where he finds Joe in the kitchen, gazing at the burning coals. The front door has been locked, and the parlour is closed. Pip sits by the fire and stares into the coals without saying anything.
Mrs. Joe is on her cushioned seat in the corner, and Biddy is sewing by the fire. Joe is sitting next to Biddy, and Pip sits next to Joe in the corner opposite Mrs. Joe. The more he looks at the flames, the more he can't look at Joe and not speak. Afterwards, he asks Joe if he has told Biddy yet, and he replies no while still looking at the fire. He tells Pip he should break the news to Biddy and responds to Joe that he should have told her. Joe blesses him for becoming a gentleman. Biddy pauses her sewing, and both she and Joe look at Pip. He looks at them back, and after a pause, they congratulate him in a saddening tone that he resents. He tells them that they should not know or say anything about his benefactor, and their identity will be revealed eventually, but until then, nothing must be said about that person. He also resents it when they wonder about him being a gentleman. They attempt to break the news to Mrs. Joe, but she laughs and nods, even repeating the words "Pip" and "Property."
While Joe and Biddy are cheerful about the news, Pip feels miserable again over the possibility that he will be dissatisfied with his fortune. He gazes into the fire as Joe and Biddy talk about his departure and what they'll do without him. He feels offended when he catches them looking at him as if they mistrust him. He will get up and gaze at the starry sky several times, as the kitchen door is usually open at night and during summer evenings to air the kitchen.
When they sit for their dinner of bread and cheese with beer, Pip says tonight is Saturday, and he will leave in five days. Joe and Biddy say the days will pass by soon. Pip tells Joe that when he goes to town on Monday to buy his new clothes, he will ask the tailor to put on his clothes at home or have them sent to Uncle Pumblechook's shop, and he doesn't appreciate being seen by other people at the tailor shop. While cutting his bread and cheese and glancing at Pip's unfinished meal, Joe tells him the Hubbles and Mr. Wopsle would like to see him in his new outfit and the locals at the Three Jolly Bargemen. Pip replies that he doesn't want to as he won't appreciate them complimenting him as commoners. Joe says about him not wanting to endure it when Biddy cuts him off and asks Pip when he will show himself to her, Joe and Mrs. Joe. Pip replies she is being too quick and tells her he is about to say he plans to bring his clothes here in a bundle, most likely on the night before he leaves for London.
Biddy doesn't say anything, and Pip forgives her. He then bids goodnight to her and goes to bed. When he goes into his small bedroom, he sits and looks around for a long time at the furnishings and falls into a confused division between his bedroom and the more lavished rooms he is about to have, as he spent a lot of his time between the forge with Biddy and Miss Havisham's with Estella. The bedroom is warm after the sun has lit on the roof all day, and when he looks out his opened window, he sees Joe going outside below him. Biddy comes out with his pipe and lights it for him. Pip has never seen Joe smoke out late and needs some comfort. He stands underneath the door smoking, and Biddy quietly talks to him. Pip knows they are talking about him, as he hears them mention his name a few times. He cannot listen to them talk anymore, draws away from the window, and sits near his bedside. He feels lonelier than ever on the day he finally receives his fortune. While looking out the window, he sees some light smoke from Joe's pipe, and he fancies it must be a blessing from him. He then puts out the light and crawls into bed, but he doesn't have a comfortable night in his old bed.
Pip wakes up in the morning already feeling better. He has six days left before he leaves, and his mind is filled with it. He cannot divest of what may happen when he arrives in London.[19]
Joe and Biddy are more sympathetic when Pip speaks about their upcoming separation. After breakfast, Joe removes Pip's indentures and burns them in the parlour's fire. Pip feels satisfied and goes to church with Joe. After his early dinner, he goes out for a walk on the marshes. As he passes the church, he feels compassion for the poor people who attend Sunday services before being buried in the churchyard. He promises he will do something for them one day, which includes serving them a dinner of roast beef, plum pudding, and a pint of ale. He thinks about the convict he met in the churchyard but assures himself it was a long time ago, and the convict is either dead or transported somewhere far away.
Pip bids farewell to the marshes as he looks forward to going to London. He heads to the Old Battery and falls asleep there, wondering if Miss Havisham intended him to marry Estella. He wakes to see Joe sitting beside him, smoking his pipe. He greets him warmly, and Pip gladly shakes hands with him, assuring him he won’t forget him. Joe isn’t sentimental about his departure, and Pip resents this, wishing he would at least show emotion. He does not remark on Joe and instead says how his dreams of being a gentleman came so soon, and he contemplated what he would do if he became one.
Joe finds it astonishing, and Pip says he didn’t learn much when they came here for their lessons. Joe admits he has been dull and focused more on his trade, but it won’t be as pitiful as it was a year ago. Pip thinks that Joe should be more educated so he can be in the upper social class and he can have Biddy tutor him. After returning home and having tea, Pip takes Biddy to their garden. After assuring her he won’t forget her, he asks her to do him a favour by teaching Joe more manners. She is outraged as Pip begs that he wants Joe to receive a proper education if he wants him to live a wealthy life. She questions him if he hasn’t considered that Joe is proud and that there are different kinds of pride. She states that Joe may be too proud to leave the senior position he enjoys living in and thinks it’s true.
Pip is sorry to see her like this and calls her envious and dissatisfied about his fortune. Biddy tells him to repeat it if he has the heart. He says he finds this a bad side of human nature and wants her to improve Joe when he is away. She reminds him that she will still care for him no matter his opinion of her. He repeats his statement and walks down the path away from her as she enters the house. He exits the garden gate and goes for a walk until dinner. He finds his second night more miserable.
In the morning, Pip reconciles with Biddy, and they forget the subject. He wears his best clothes and goes into town early to meet the tailor, Mr. Trabb. He finds Mr. Trabb having breakfast in the parlour behind his shop and invites him inside. Pip informs him that he has inherited a fortune, which surprises Mr. Trabb. Pip says he’s going to London to meet his guardian there and wants to wear fashionable clothing he wishes to pay for. Mr. Trabb wants to congratulate him and asks him to come into his shop. His servant, a boy who is called Trabb’s Boy, is sweeping the shop. Mr. Trabb knocks the broomstick and yells sternly at him. He takes a cloth roll, spreads it over the counter, and recommends this fabric, but he will show him some more. He orders Trabb’s Boy to fetch him more materials and threatens him if he doesn't do what he's told.
Pip selects some material for his suit with Mr. Trabb's judgment. Mr. Trabb takes them into his parlour to measure them, but after he tells Pip they won't work, he measures and calculates him. After he finishes and arranges to have the articles sent to Uncle Pumblechook's on Thursday evening, Mr. Trabb begs Pip to refer other gentlemen for his business and orders Trabb's Boy to let him out. Afterwards, Pip visits the hat shop, the bootmaker, the hosier, and the coach office to book a coach for seven o'clock on Saturday morning. All the shopkeepers' behaviours abruptly change when he tells them about his fortune. After he has ordered everything he wants, he heads to Uncle Pumblechook's.
Uncle Pumblechook was waiting impatiently for Pip. He was out in his chaise cart earlier and visited the forge to hear the news. He prepared for Pip's arrival and ordered his shop clerk to leave. Pip arrives, and Uncle Pumblechook congratulates him for his fortune. He expresses that he has been looking forward to the news, and Pip begs him that nothing about his fortune must be said or hinted at. Uncle Pumblechook calls for his shopkeeper, Joseph, but when he doesn't show up, he invites Pip to have lunch he ordered from the Blue Boar. Throughout the entire meal, Uncle Pumblechook constantly wants to shake Pip’s hand.
Pip and Uncle Pumblechook make a toast to Mrs. Joe, and Pip notices his uncle is drunk. He tells Uncle Pumblechook that he wishes to have his new clothes sent to his house, as he doesn't want anybody in the village to find out. Uncle Pumblechook is pleased and asks him about their fun times together and if he was his good friend. Pip is convinced this isn't true and has been mistaken. He asks Pip's advice on his business matter, and inheriting a fortune is what he calls "more capital." Pip knows he has confidence in him but replies by wanting him to wait a bit. This answer strikes Uncle Pumblechook, so he doesn't ask to shake his hand again. They drink all the wine, and Uncle Pumblechook pledges himself repeatedly to keep Joseph to the mark and offer his services to Pip. He has even revealed that he always said he isn't a common boy, but his fortune won't be common either.
After Pip leaves, he stumbles to the turnpike. Uncle Pumblechook calls to him as he approaches the path and shakes hands with him again. After blessing him, Uncle Pumblechook waves at Pip until he passes the crook on the road. He turns into a field and naps in a hedge before heading home. He packs his luggage that afternoon and what he’ll want on the morning of his journey.
On Friday morning, Pip goes to Uncle Pumblechook’s to wear his new clothes and visit Miss Havisham. Uncle Pumblechook lets Pip change his clothes in his bedroom. Pip finds his outfit disappointing, but it seems to fit him better after posing in the mirror. It is market morning in a nearby town about ten miles away, and Uncle Pumblechook isn’t home. Pip also won’t tell him exactly when he’ll leave and hopes not to shake hands with him again. As he prepares to leave, he fears the shopkeeper seeing him and is ashamed of wearing an outfit like Joe’s Sunday clothes.
Pip takes a shortcut to Satis House, where he rings the bell. Sarah Pocket comes to the gate and is surprised by his appearance. She asks what he wants, and he says he’s come to say goodbye to Miss Havisham before going to London. As Pip isn’t expected to visit, he is locked in the courtyard while Sarah asks Miss Havisham if he is admitted. A short time later, Sarah appears and takes him inside. Miss Havisham walks around her long-spread table with her cane and stops when Pip enters. She orders Sarah not to leave and asks Pip what he has come for. He says he will be leaving for London tomorrow and is grateful for the fortune he has received.
Miss Havisham says she knows Mr. Jaggers and has heard the news. She asks him if he leaves tomorrow and Mr. Jaggers is his guardian, and Pip replies yes. She asks him about his benefactor and their name, and he says he doesn’t know. At the same time, she enjoys making Sarah look jealous. She wishes him luck in his new life, reminds him to listen to Mr. Jaggers, and then says goodbye. Pip kisses her hand, and Sarah leads him out. He tries to say goodbye to her, but she ignores him. He heads to Uncle Pumblechook’s, changes into his old clothes, and returns home with his best clothes in a bundle.
As the days pass by, Pip starts appreciating Joe and Biddy more. On his last night, he wears his best clothes to impress Joe and Biddy, and they have a dinner of roast fowl. Pip is scheduled to leave at five o’clock in the morning, and he tells Joe he wants to leave alone, as he is worried about Joe coming with him to the coach. But when he goes to his room that night, he is about to change his mind and ask Joe to accompany him tomorrow. He doesn’t.
Pip dreams about the noisy coaches in London, but he wakes up the next morning to birds singing. He gets up, partly dresses, and sits at his window to look out for the last time before falling asleep. Biddy is up early to prepare his breakfast, and the smell of the kitchen smoke wakes him up. He fears he has overslept, and it is late afternoon, and he wants to go downstairs when he hears the table being set. He spends most of his time opening and locking his suitcase until Biddy calls him down.
After having a quick breakfast, Pip decides he should leave. He kisses Mrs. Joe and Biddy and embraces Joe. Then he takes his suitcase and walks out, and when he looks back at the house, he waves goodbye to Joe and Biddy. He walks away quickly, whistling as he walks on and sees the village. The light mist rises as Pip reaches the signpost, breaks down sobbing, places his hand on it, and says goodbye. He also wishes Joe is with him now.
Pip cries as he gets into his coach, but when it drives away, he wonders if he should return home immediately and then say goodbye properly the next day. But he realizes it’s too late to turn back, and the coach drives away.
Life as a Gentleman in London/Joe Visits Pip[]
The journey from the village to London was five hours long. It is past midday when the coach gets stuck in traffic at the Cross-Keys, Wood Street in Cheapside, London.[20] While he is scared of being in such a large city, he sees that London is dirty, narrow and crowded.
Mr. Jaggers had sent Pip his office address outside Smithfield and close to the coach station. When the vehicle stops and the coachman gets down, Pip barely has time to enjoy the coach ride. They are in a gloomy street outside the office of Mr. Jaggers. Pip asks how much the ride costs, and he replies that it is a shilling. Pip says he doesn’t wish to pay him more, and the coachman fearfully says he knows Mr. Jaggers. After paying the driver, Pip enters the front office with his luggage and asks the clerk if Mr. Jaggers is home. He replies that he is in Court and asks if he's addressing him as Mr. Pip. He replies that he is. The clerk explains that Mr. Jaggers has instructed him to wait in his room, but since he is dealing with a case in court, he isn't sure how long he'll be. He opens a door and ushers Pip into a backroom, where a man with one eye, wearing a velveteen suit and breeches, is waiting. The clerk ushers the man out, and Pip is left alone.
Mr. Jaggers' room is gloomy, with the only light provided by the skylight, which is in a slanted position. Some unusual objects are in the room, such as an old rusty pistol, a sword in a scabbard, and plastered, swollen faces on the shelf. Mr. Jaggers' chair is made of black horsehair and brass nails. He imagines Mr. Jaggers leaning back in his chair, biting his forefinger while his clients are backing against the wall. Pip sits in the chair opposite Mr. Jaggers, fascinated by the office's dark atmosphere. He wonders how many clerks are upstairs and if they treat their clients the same way as Mr. Jaggers. He is curious about the odd objects in the room and if the plastered faces are his family relatives; he also wonders why he keeps them in his office than anywhere else.
Pip tells the clerk he's going outside to wait, and the clerk instructs him to go around the corner and into Smithfield. Pip picks up speed and turns into a street where he can see the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral behind Newgate Prison. Around the prison, the street is crowded with coaches, and the air is filled with the smells of beer and alcohol. Pip assumes the trials are happening. As he looks around, a drunk judge asks him if he wants to watch a trial and could offer him a front seat for half a crown. Pip declines the offer, so the judge takes him into the yard where the hanging gallows are kept, where prisoners are publicly whipped, and the Debtors' Door, where prisoners exit to be executed; he is reminded that in two days from now, four prisoners will leave that door to be hanged at 8 o'clock in the morning. Pip is shocked at what London is like and quickly takes his leave with a shilling.
He returns to the office, asks about Mr. Jaggers, and goes out again when he learns he isn't back yet. This time, he walks to Bartholomew’s Close, where he notices some people waiting for Mr. Jaggers. Two men are lounging about with their feet in the pavement cracks and talking while one hints at Mr. Jaggers as they pass by Pip. A group of men and women are standing in a corner; one of the women is crying in her shawl, and the other comforts her. Two Jewish men appear, and one anxiously dances and calls for Mr. Jaggers. As Pip looks at the iron gate of Bartholomew’s Close, he spots Mr. Jaggers coming down the road toward him. Everyone waiting for him rushes to him, and he puts his hand on Pip's shoulder and walks him to the sidewalk without saying anything. Next, he addresses his clients and asks the Jewish men if they have paid Wemmick yet. One says they paid him this morning, but Mr. Jaggers doesn't seem interested in when and how they paid him. Mr. Jaggers then dismisses them and wants to avoid hearing anything from them. Next, he addresses the two women of why they have come here. One of them laments about her husband, but again Mr. Jaggers isn't interested in hearing about her problems and asks if she has paid Wemmick. She replies yes, and he dismisses her, warning her Wemmick will return her payment if she talks about Bill again.
The women leave immediately, and the Jewish man is the only one left who grabs onto Mr. Jaggers' coat. The Jewish man asks him about his brother, but Mr. Jaggers doesn't know him or his brother and tells him he can't help him. The man begs him for help but is left alone as Mr. Jaggers leaves with Pip. They arrive at the office where the clerk is about to discuss a witness, but Mr. Jaggers is furious. His clerk tries to calm him down, but Mr. Jaggers demands to know who the witness is. After struggling to find an answer, The clerk replies that the witness is a pie man or pastry cook left alone at the corner. Mr. Jaggers orders him to bring him past the window so he'll see him.
Mr. Jaggers, Pip, and the clerk gather at the window, where a sinister-looking man wearing a black eye and white linen suit is brought in. Mr. Jaggers orders his clerk to send the witness away. Then he takes Pip into his room, where he eats his sandwich for lunch. While eating, he informs Pip about the arrangements he has made for him. He is to go to Barnard's Inn to a room rented by Mr. Pocket, where a bed has been sent for him. He will stay with Mr. Pocket until Monday when they visit Mr. Pocket's father's house to see how he likes it. He reveals his allowance and gives him business cards of tradesmen who will provide him with what he needs. He tells him he will monitor his spending but knows he will manage to spend it all somehow.
After pondering his arrangement, Pip asks Mr. Jaggers if he can send for a coach. Mr. Jaggers replies that it isn't worth it as Barnard's Inn is nearby, and Wemmick will walk him there. Pip learns that the clerk in the next room is Wemmick, and another clerk takes his place while he escorts Pip to Barnard's Inn. Pip shakes hands with Mr. Jaggers and follows Wemmick outside, where more people are waiting. Wemmick tells the crowd that Mr. Jaggers won't have time to hear their problems, and he and Pip walk away.
Pip and Wemmick make their way to Barnard's Inn, and Pip notices Wemmick is a short man with a square face, glittering black eyes and thin lips. He is also gruff-looking and wears four mourning rings with a brooch and a woman's portrait. Pip assumes the mourning rings are friends or deceased loved ones.[21]
Wemmick asks Pip if he has been to London before and replies no. Wemmick says he used to be new in London but is now more acquainted with it. Pip asks if London is dangerous, and Wemmick thinks he may be robbed, cheated or murdered here. Pip asks Wemmick if there is bad blood between him and the other London residents, and he answers that there is no such thing. Pip thinks that only makes it worse, and Wemmick admits the same.
They reach the top of Holborn Hill. Pip asks where Mr. Matthew Pocket lives, and Wemmick says he lives five miles away west of Hammersmith. Pip asks if he knows him, and Wemmick replies that he does. They enter through a wicket gate into the Inn’s miserable courtyard. and they ascend a flight of stairs covered in sawdust to the top floor. They reach a door with “MR. POCKET JUN” painted on the door and a note that says, “Return shortly.” Wemmick says Mr. Pocket if he isn’t expecting him already and if he should leave him. Pip says no, and Wemmick replies that they will meet often.
After shaking hands and saying goodbye, Wemmick leaves, and Pip opens the dirty staircase window. He looks out at the foggy view and thinks London is overrated. He writes his name on the dirty window pane for half an hour when he hears footsteps approaching, and a young gentleman, Mr. Pocket, arrives. He carries paper bags under his arm and a pot of strawberries in one hand and is out of breath. He apologizes for his delay, as he went shopping at Covent Garden to buy some fruit for dinner. Pip wonders if this is all a dream.
Mr. Pocket struggles with the door to their room, so Pip offers to hold the bags of fruit. Once he finally gets the door open, Mr. Pocket staggers back, and Pip staggers to the opposite door, and they both laugh. Afterwards, Mr. Pocket invites Pip inside and hopes he will be comfortable until Monday. He tells Pip that his father wants him to get settled in by showing him around London. He admits their room doesn’t look great, as he will need to find work, and his father won’t give him anything. He shows him the sitting room with only chairs, a table and a carpet, and he says they would receive more house decor, such as a tablecloth and spoons, from his coffee house. Then he shows him their separate bedrooms, with Mr. Pocket’s room staler than Pip’s. He reminds Pip that if he needs anything else, he will go out and bring it back for him. He offers to take Pip’s bags, but when Pip looks at him, he recognizes him as the pale young gentleman he fought years ago at Satis House. Mr. Pocket recognizes him, too.
Pip and Mr. Pocket stand lost in thought until they burst out laughing. Mr. Pocket assures him it’s over now and hopes he’ll forgive him for knocking him down.[22] Pip learns Mr. Pocket’s first name is Herbert, forgives him, and they shake hands warmly. Herbert tells Pip he has heard about him receiving his fortune recently. Back then, he wanted a fortune, and Miss Havisham had sent for him to see if she would appreciate him, but she didn’t. He explains that she had him brought to Satis House for a trial period, and if it goes well, she may make him worthy of a fortune or for Estella. While Herbert talks, he arranges the fruit on the table.
Pip asks Herbert how he handled his disappointment, and he replies he didn’t care and says Estella is a cold, arrogant girl whom Miss Havisham had raised to be cold-hearted toward men. Pip asks if Estella is related, and Herbert says she is adopted. Pip is also curious why Estella is raised to break men’s hearts. Herbert explains it’s a long story, but he will tell him everything during dinner. Pip explains to Herbert how he came here, and Mr. Jaggers is his guardian. Herbert says Mr. Jaggers is also Miss Havisham’s businessman and solicitor, and Pip says he first saw him at Satis House on the day of their fight but had no idea at the time he had business relations with Miss Havisham.
Herbert says Mr. Jaggers is obliged to make his father Mr. Pocket Pip’s tutor and assign him to the role. Mr. Jaggers knows Mr. Pocket from his connection with Miss Havisham, as Mr. Pocket is her cousin, but their relationship is estranged. Herbert even tells Pip he won’t be rich or successful but will teach him how to be a gentleman. Pip doesn’t know what this means as they sit for dinner.
Pip finds Herbert to be a communicative, cheerful young man. He still looks pale, not handsome, and has a light figure that weakens him during the fistfight. He tells Herbert about his backstory but cannot tell him who his benefactor is. He also mentions that a blacksmith raised him and asks Herbert to refer to him by his full name, Philip. Herbert thinks calling Pip by his first name is lazy. Since he was a blacksmith, he suggests nicknaming him Handel, after the famous composer George Frederic Handel, who wrote a musical work named The Harmonious Blacksmith. Pip likes his new nickname, and Herbert invites him to dinner.
Their dinner is a lavish meal that is fit for a gentleman, and Pip is thrilled. He reminds Herbert to tell him the story of Miss Havisham. He first mentions London is a place he must be careful in but assures him he will fit in fine before he talks about Miss Havisham’s backstory.
Herbert explains that Miss Havisham grew up a spoilt child; her mother died as an infant. Her father gave her nothing and made his fortune running a brewery, and he comments that people cannot always be polite when either baking or brewing. Pip asks if a gentleman can keep a public house, and he replies not necessarily, and he says both Mr. Havisham and his daughter were proud of themselves. Pip wonders if Miss Havisham is an only child, and Herbert reveals she had a half-brother after her father secretly remarried the cook and had a son together. After his second wife’s death, Mr. Havisham’s son officially became part of the family, but as an adult, he was rebellious and spent much of his money. His father initially disowned him, but after his death, he offers him a small fortune, but not as much as his daughter. Herbert pauses his story and offers Pip more wine. After Pip thanks him for filling his glass, Herbert continues where he left off.
Miss Havisham was now an heiress, and her half-brother wasted his money again. Both siblings didn’t get along; Mr. Havisham’s son also despised his half-sister. Herbert stops to remind Pip that he can’t put his napkin in his glass. Pip thanks him and apologizes, and Herbert keeps going.
Sometime during her life, Miss Havisham fell in love with a man 25 years before Herbert and Pip were born. Herbert says he remembered his father mentioning that Miss Havisham’s suitor was a wealthy gentleman devoted to her, and she fell deeply in love with him. However, he made much money from her and persuaded her to buy her brother out of his share of the brewery, and once they were married, he would have control of the brewery. Herbert’s father tried to warn her that her fiancé was up to no good, but Miss Havisham refused to listen to him and cast him out of her life.
Pip remembers when Miss Havisham mentioned Matthew Pocket viewing her when she is laid dead on the table and asks Herbert what went wrong between his father and Miss Havisham. Herbert explains that Miss Havisham accused his father of resenting her fiancé because it interfered with him fawning over her. On their wedding day, the groom never showed up, and Miss Havisham received his letter revealing he had broken off their marriage. Pip asks if she was dressing in her wedding gown at twenty minutes to nine, and Herbert replies yes but doesn’t know any details from the letters. He knows that Miss Havisham immediately stopped all the clocks at twenty minutes to nine and fell badly ill. She let her house decay when she recovered and never saw the sunlight again.
Pip asks if that is the whole story. Herbert says he only knows what he pieced together, and his father refuses to discuss it. However, Herbert suspects that Miss Havisham’s ex-fiancé is conspiring with her half-brother, and they share the profits. Pip wonders why he didn’t marry her to receive the property. Herbert assumes the ex-fiancé was already married or it was part of the half-brother’s scheme to humiliate her financially. Herbert assumes they fell into deeper ruin and shame but doesn’t know if they’re still alive.
He asks Herbert when Miss Havisham adopted Estella, but he replies he doesn’t know anything else about her and concludes that is everything he knew about Miss Havisham. He also assumes that Miss Havisham could be Pip’s benefactor, and Pip feels like the topic should be closed, even if it means Matthew Pocket will be tutoring him for years.
Pip changes the subject by asking Herbert what he does for a living. Herbert replies that he’s an insurer of ships in the city. Pip imagines the wealth of the ship insurers but knows his friend might never be rich or successful. Herbert talks about working hard and wishes to be a merchant and travel to the East and West Indies. He hopes to make a fortune and have a massive fleet, and Pip thinks his great expectations are better than his. Hebert says he hasn’t gotten that job yet and works in a counting house but is barely paid. Pip wonders how he will thrive with a low-paying income. Herbert hopes that one day, he will get his big break.
The conversation reminds Pip of when he first fought Herbert at Satis House. Back then, Herbert was an impoverished, simple boy; now, Pip quickly builds a friendship with him. That evening, they go to the Theatre and attend a service at Westminster Abbey the next day, followed by strolls in the local parks.
It has been months since Pip left Joe and Biddy, and he wishes he could attend the village church service in his Sunday clothes; he even considers London miserable despite its brilliance. On Monday morning, at quarter to nine, Herbert goes to his counting house to tend to business, and Pip goes with him. They will travel to the Pocket home in Hammersmith in the next hour. They have lunch at noon, return to Barnard’s Inn to get Pip’s portmanteau, and then take the coach to Hammersmith. They arrive at the Pocket house at 2 o’clock and walk through a small garden overlooking the river. The Pocket children are playing in the garden, but Pip sees they are tumbling about.
Mrs. Pocket sits on a garden chair under a tree, reading, with two nursemaids supervising the children. Herbert introduces Pip to his mother, and one of the nursemaids calls out to Alick and Jane Pocket not to play around the bushes, or they will drown in the river. The same nursemaid gives Mrs. Pocket her dropped handkerchief, and she continues reading. She even looks up at Pip and asks if his mother is well. He struggles to find an answer when the nurse scolds her for dropping her handkerchief.
Pip sees that Herbert has six younger siblings, and they’re playing in the garden. The seventh child, a baby, cries, and the nursemaid tells the other to tend to it. The second nursemaid returns to the house, and the baby calms down. Mrs. Pocket is so focused on her book that Pip wonders what it’s about. While waiting for Mr. Pocket to arrive, Pip observes the Pocket children at play near their mother, and the second nursemaid comes out with the baby and hands it to Mrs. Pocket. She notices her children are tumbling about and hands her book to the nursemaid while holding the baby on her lap. She then orders her children to go into the house for a nap. Matthew Pocket arrives to meet Pip as soon as all the children are ushered into the house by the nursemaids. He is a dishevelled man with grey hair and a perplexed expression.
Matthew Pocket greets Pip warmly and assures him he isn’t a scary man.[23] He asks his wife if she has greeted Pip, and she replies to his question and asks Pip if he likes orange-flower water. He thinks she is being snobbish.
Pip later learns that Mrs. Pocket is the daughter of a late Knight, who always assumed he should inherit the title of Baronet, and he raised his daughter not to learn about domestic skills and must marry a man with a title. As a result, Mrs. Pocket grew up to be ornamental with a lack of domestic skills, and she eloped with Mr. Pocket, who didn't have a title. Mrs. Pocket's father accepted the marriage despite not offering them a dowry, but Mrs. Pocket is pitied because she didn't marry a man without a title, and Mr. Pocket is blamed for not inheriting a title.
Mr. Pocket takes Pip into the house and shows him his room. Pip finds his room to be pleasant and furnished. Mr. Pocket knocks on the other doors and introduces Pip to his two other students, Bentley Drummle and Startop.
Pip learns that the servants run the household, not Mr. and Mrs. Pocket. He thinks it is a smooth way to run the house but also expensive, as the servants would fulfill their duties to be polite during meals, but they need more supervision. The Pockets once received a letter from their neighbour complaining that she witnessed the servants slapping the baby. Mrs. Pocket hates it when the neighbours probe into their family life. Pip also learns that Mr. Pocket was educated at Harrow and Cambridge, but after marrying Mrs. Pocket, he fell into hard times and worked as a grinder. He eventually moved to London, where he made a living as a tutor.
The Pockets have a toady neighbour, a sympathetic widow named Mrs. Colier. During his first visit, Pip brings her to dinner at the Pockets' house. She tells him Mrs. Pocket is humiliated when her husband is a tutor, and she desires more luxury and elegance and can be a noblewoman. Pip thinks how difficult Mrs. Pocket is receiving less time and attention but doesn't say anything.
At dinner, Pip hears a conversation between Mrs. Pocket and Drummle. Pip learns that Drummle is an heir to a baronetcy and that the book Mrs. Pocket is always reading is about nobility titles. Bentley recognizes Mrs. Pocket as a woman and sister, but Mrs. Colier shows no interest in the conversation, and Pip thinks this is painful for Herbert to hear. Mrs. Colier flatters Pip too much, irritating him after a while. She even tries to figure out his history.
After dinner, the servants Flopson and Millers bring the Pocket children inside, and there are four girls and two boys. Mrs. Pocket pays little attention to her children, and Flopson gives her the baby. Mrs. Pocket lets it slip from her arms and hit its head on the table. Flopson orders her to give back the baby and orders one of the daughters, Jane, to make the baby stop crying. After she comforts it and makes it laugh, everyone laughs, too. Flopson places the baby back on Mrs. Pocket's lap and gives it a nutcracker to play with, risking its safety. Flopson orders Mrs. Pocket and Jane to supervise the baby before she and Millers leave. Jane Pocket tries to take away the nutcracker from the infant, and Mrs. Pocket yells at her to sit down. Mr. Pocket tells his wife that Jane is trying to keep the baby safe. Mrs. Pocket is surprised that her husband is allowing her to be exposed to her children, and he’s shocked that his baby is playing with a nutcracker. She also says she won’t interfere with her daughter, and he yells at her.
Everyone is in awkward silence while this happens, except when the baby coos for Jane. Mrs. Pocket orders Drummle to summon Flopson and orders Jane to go away. The baby screams in protest until Jane takes it with her. The five younger Pocket children are left behind at the dinner table, and Mr. Pocket lectures them before giving them a shilling and ordering them to go outside.
Despite the crazy chaos in the Pocket household, Pip has fun rowing in the Thames River with Drummle and Startop every night. Pip is surprisingly good at rowing. After rowing, the boys return to the house for dinner. One night, Pip witnesses a servant who wants to talk to Mr. Pocket, and Mrs. Pocket demands that the servant inform Flopson. After Mr. Pocket returns, he says their cook is drunk and passed out in the kitchen. Fresh butter is also in the cupboard, ready to be made into grease. Mrs. Pocket gets angry and defends the cook for being a respectful woman, and she once told her she was fit to be a duchess. Mr. Pocket collapses on the couch and signals Pip to go to bed and leave her alone.
After a few days, when Pip goes to London several times and orders what he wants from the tradesmen, he and Mr. Pocket have a long conversation.[24] Mr. Jaggers had told Mr. Pocket that Pip won’t be trained for professional work yet and must be educated first. Mr. Pocket advises Pip of the places he’ll attend in London for his studies, and Pip agrees to this plan. He finds his tutor confident and honest and resolves to be a good student.
Pip thinks about living at the Barnard’s Inn with Herbert, and Mr. Pocket urges him to submit this request to Mr. Jaggers before he can move there. Pip visits Mr. Jaggers at his office to submit his request, and he asks him if he wishes to buy some furniture to furnish his room at Barnard’s Inn. He doesn’t know how much money he needs, and Mr. Jaggers suggests giving him five or fifty pounds. But Pip wants more money and cannot think of a sum. After Mr. Jaggers makes different multiplications, Pip agrees to have twenty pounds. Mr. Jaggers orders Wemmick to take Pip’s written order and offer him the twenty pounds. Pip notices his guardian never laughs and wears boots that make loud, creaking sounds.
After Mr. Jaggers leaves, Pip tells Wemmick he doesn’t know what to make of Mr. Jaggers’ behaviour. Wemmick assures him that Mr. Jaggers will take it as a compliment and that it is just being professional. Wemmick is sitting at his desk eating a biscuit and believes his employer has a habit of setting mantraps. He offers to give him a tour of Mr. Jaggers’ office, and Pip accepts the offer. After Wemmick pays him the twenty pounds from a cash box kept in a safe, they go upstairs. The top floor is dark and neglected, and Pip meets two other clerks working. After heading downstairs, they visit Mr. Jaggers' office.
Pip spots the wax heads in the office and asks about them. Wemmick polishes the wax heads and explains that they were Mr. Jaggers' clients sentenced to death. The first was a murderer, and the other had forged wills. After they were executed at Newgate, their faces were plastered, and Mr. Jaggers then kept them as souvenirs in his office. Wemmick even shows Pip the jewels the convicted criminals gave to him the eve before their executions, and he considers them to be valuable property. He then invites Pip to have dinner with him at his home any time, and Pip accepts his invitation. Wemmick asks if he has dined with Mr. Jaggers yet, and he says no. Instead, Wemmick says he serves great wine and reminds him to see his strange female housekeeper.
As Pip prepares to leave, Wemmick asks if they would like to watch Mr. Jaggers in court. After Pip replies yes, they arrive at a courthouse in London to witness Mr. Jaggers in action. Everyone in the courtroom, including the thieves, fears Mr. Jaggers, and Pip is impressed.
Bentley Drummle is a sulky, thickheaded young man whom Pip dislikes. He had come from a wealthy family in Somersetshire and thought of himself above the others due to his wealth. Startop had been spoiled by his mother and had a delicate nature. Unlike Drummle, Pip gets along with Startop, and they spend most of their evenings rowing in a boat while Drummle constantly stalks them. Herbert is Pip's closest friend and companion, and they would spend quality time at home or in their boat.[25]
About a month after meeting Mr. Pocket, Camilla and Georgiana pay a visit. Camilla is Mr. Pocket's sister, and Georgiana is his cousin. Pip had previously met them at Satis house. They still hate Pip, but they now fawn over him, and they don't seem to show any regard to Mr. and Mrs. Pocket.
Pip settles down with his new life. He becomes an avid student and develops an expensive taste for spending large amounts of his wealth. He hasn't seen Wemmick for a few weeks and writes a note reminding him about having dinner at home. Wemmick responds to meet him at the office at six o'clock, and Pip meets him at the appointed time as he locks his safe. Wemmick wants to walk to Walworth as he has spent all day at his desk and wants to stretch his legs by walking. He tells Pip that he will serve stewed steak and cold fowl for supper, even recalling how he bought the fowl from a juryman. He also tells Pip he has an "aged parent" at his home.
Pip and Wemmick walk to Walworth. Along the way, Wemmick tells Pip that Mr. Jaggers may invite him for supper tomorrow, along with Drummle and Startop. He reminds Pip not to expect any variety, but the meal would still be good. He says that Mr. Jaggers never locks his doors and windows, and Pip wonders if he has never been robbed. Wemmick says he remembered hearing Mr. Jaggers declare that he would see the robber himself, and he has even told the thieves about this. As such, no criminals had even tried to rob Mr. Jaggers, as Wemmick admits that Mr. Jaggers has nothing valuable to steal, but he will have the criminals' lives. Wemmick even points out that Mr. Jaggers's only valuable possession is his watch, and nobody has been tempted to rob him.
The two men arrive in Walworth, mostly filled with back lanes, ditches and small gardens. Wemmick's house is a little cottage surrounded by gardens. The cottage has Gothic-style windows and a door, a drawbridge over a moat, and a battery of guns on top of the house. Wemmick is proud of his house and recalls raising the flag at the flagstaff every Sunday and firing the guns each night at nine o'clock. Wemmick tells Pip that he keeps livestock and a vegetable garden at the back of the cottage. Wemmick leads Pip to a pavilion, and they are served some punch. Wemmick explains that he had designed his house and the décor himself, calling it the Castle. Wemmick asks Pip if he won't mind meeting the Aged. P and Pip replies that he would like to. They go inside the cottage and see an energetic, deaf old man wearing a flannel coat and sitting by the fire. Wemmick greets his father and introduces him to Pip. The Aged P appreciates his son's home, and he loves being nodded at, so Pip spends so much time nodding at him. While the Aged P goes to feed the fowls, Pip and Wemmick relax with their drinks in the arbour. Wemmick smokes his pipe and tells Pip it took him years to build his property, and Mr. Jaggers has never seen it, or the Aged P. Wemmick likes to keep his work and home life private and asks Pip not to bring up his home at the office.
Pip and Wemmick have their drinks until nine o’clock when they return inside the Castle where the Aged Parent is heating the poker. Wemmick takes the poker and heads to the battery, where he fires a gun so loudly that it shakes the house a bit. Wemmick then shows Pip some of his collectibles, such as a pen used for a “famous forgery,” razors, hair locks, and several manuscript confessions that Wemmick insists are fake.
A young servant girl tends to the Aged Parent throughout the day. When supper is about to be served, the drawbridge is lowered, and the servant leaves for the night. Pip enjoys dinner and spends the night in a tiny turret bedroom. Early the next morning, Pip hears Wemmick clean his boots and then does some gardening. Pip watches Wemmick pretending to let his father work from his bedroom window. After breakfast, Pip and Wemmick leave the Castle. As they walk to Mr. Jaggers’ office, Pip notices Wemmick becoming more serious, and by the time they arrive at work, Pip feels like the Castle is from another world.
Pip meets Mr. Jaggers in his room, washing his hands with the scented soap.[26] Mr. Jaggers invites Pip to dinner tomorrow night, and he shouldn’t dress formally. Pip asks where they should go, as he doesn’t know where he lives. Mr. Jaggers tells him to come to his office, and he’ll take him to his home. Pip notices the closet in his room with the scented soap smell, where he washes his hands and dries them with a large towel. He always washes his hands after attending court or dealing with a client in his room. When Pip and his friends, Herbert, Startop and Drummle, return to the office at six o’clock the next evening, they see Mr. Jaggers washing his hands as usual, but he is also washing his face and gargling his throat. Afterwards, he scrapes his nails with a pen knife before putting on his coat. Almost everybody cowers fearfully when they walk into the street as they recognize Mr. Jaggers, but he doesn’t notice them.
Mr. Jaggers leads the boys to Gerrard Street in Soho, to his house on the south side of the street. His home is grand but in disrepair, with old paint and dirty windows. Mr. Jaggers unlocks the door, and they enter a gloomy stone hall. They ascend a dark brown staircase that leads to three dark brown rooms on the first floor. Dinner has been set in the first room, the second is his dressing room, and the third is his bedroom. The dinner table is neatly laid out, with no silverware, and at the side of Mr. Jaggers’ chair is a dumbwaiter that contains some bottles and decanters and some fruit dishes for dessert. Pip notices a bookcase in the room containing law and criminology books. All the furniture is solid and in good condition, although none of the other objects appear too decorative.
Mr. Jaggers rings a bell, then places a hand on Pip’s shoulder and leads him to a window, asking him who the two other guests are besides Herbert. Pip says they are Drummle and Startop, and Mr. Jaggers seems interested in Drummle. Pip watches Mr. Jaggers and Drummle converse until the housekeeper arrives with their meals. Mr. Jaggers' housekeeper is a tall, pale, middle-aged woman with streaming hair. She is also quiet, and Pip wonders why. After touching Mr. Jaggers, she leaves to let him know their meal is ready. Everyone sits down with Mr. Jaggers sitting next to Drummle.
The dinner consists of fish, mutton, bird, and wine. When they finish their meal, Mr. Jaggers has his guests clean their plates and dispose of the remaining food residues in two baskets by his chair. No other servants appeared other than Mr. Jaggers' housekeeper. Pip notices that whenever she is in the room, she looks at Mr. Jaggers steadfastly as if she's worried he will find something to criticize. But other than that, everyone enjoys their meal. Drummle tells Mr. Jaggers that he is stronger than Pip, Herbert, and Startop, even flexing the muscles on his arm, and the guests mimic him. But when the housekeeper clears off the table, Mr. Jaggers grabs her arm, and everybody stops mimicking. He orders her to show off her wrist, and the housekeeper, Molly, protests but relents and shows it off. She holds out both wrists, the other horribly disfigured and scarred. Mr. Jaggers marvels at the strength in her wrists and states they are stronger than anyone else's. Afterwards, he dismisses her and serves the guests the wine. He says the dinner party will end at 9 o'clock and toasts to Drummle.
Everyone has too much to drink, and Pip and Drummle argue about money. Drummle curses Pip and Startop and is about to throw some glass at Pip when Mr. Jaggers announces it is late, and everyone gets up to leave. On their way out, Startop insults Drummle, and Drummle doesn't walk home with him in Hammersmith. After Pip and Herbert watch them walk home in separate directions, Pip rushes back into the house to say something to Mr. Jaggers. He finds him in his dressing room, washing his hands and apologizes about the argument. Mr. Jaggers says he likes Drummle and tells Pip to stay away from him if he doesn't like him. A month later, Drummle moves out of the Pocket family's home, much to everyone's relief.
Pip receives a letter from Biddy on Monday morning, informing him that Joe will be coming to London with Mr. Wosple, and he would like to visit Pip.[27] He will arrive at Barnard's Hotel on Tuesday at 9 o'clock in the morning. Biddy writes that Mrs. Joe is still the same as when Pip left, and Biddy and the others always talk and think about him. She closes the letter by reminding Pip about Joe's kindness and hopes he won't mind Joe visiting him.
Pip is disappointed about Joe's visit but assures himself he won't be visiting him at the Pocket family's home. Pip has refurnished his London apartment with expensive furniture and decor and even hired a young boy as his servant. He even provides his servant with a proper uniform but realizes that he doesn't have anything for him to do. He even calls his servant the Avenging Phantom as he stands around like a ghost.
He has his servant arrive for duty at 8 o'clock on Tuesday morning, and Herbert suggests what Joe would like for breakfast. While Pip is grateful for Herbert being helpful, he feels unnerved about Joe meeting Herbert. He prepares for Joe's arrival on Monday night, wakes up early the next morning, and prepares the parlour and breakfast table. He feels like running away until he hears Joe ascending the staircase, reads the names engraved outside Pip's apartment, and knocks on the door. Pip greets him and offers to take his hat. Joe refuses and tells Pip that since he has become wealthy, he will be an honour to the king and his country. Joe gazes around Pip’s room and his flowered dressing gown and tells him everyone back at home is the same as usual, except Mr. Wopsle has left the church and has moved to London to pursue an acting career, which is why Joe is here.
Joe gives Pip a crumpled flyer of a small metropolitan theatre announcing an upcoming performance of Hamletfeaturing Mr. Wopsle. Joe says he has been to his show and talks about it until Herbert appears. Pip introduces Joe to Herbert, but Joe doesn’t shake Herbert’s hand. Joe calls Pip “Sir” and says he feels uncomfortable in their home as the Avenging Phantom sets the table.
Joe places his hat on a mantelpiece, but it repeatedly falls to the floor. Herbert asks if he wants coffee or tea, and Joe wants tea. After Joe returns his hat, Herbert asks when he arrived in London. Joe says he arrived yesterday afternoon. Pip notices Joe is more focused on catching his falling hat and feels panicky while answering Herbert’s questions. He also eats sloppily during breakfast, coughs a lot, and sits at the far end of the table.
Pip thinks this is all his fault and scorns him for his habits and ridiculous clothes, even wishing things would have been different if he was nicer to him. After Herbert leaves, Pip snaps at Joe for calling him “Sir,” and Joe gives him a look that gives him dignity. He says he can’t stay long and has come to deliver him a message. He explains how he ran into Uncle Pumblechook at the Three Jolly Bargemen, and he tells him Miss Havisham wanted to speak with him. When he met her, she asked him to pass on her message that Estella had returned and would like to see Pip. Biddy even encouraged him to inform Pip about the news.
Pip asks if he will stay for dinner, but Joe says he must leave immediately. Joe apologizes for his manners and wants him to visit him at the forge instead of in London. As soon as Joe leaves, Pip rushes into the streets to find him, but he is already gone.
Struggles with Debt/Pip and Estella/Mrs. Joe’s Death[]
Pip immediately makes arrangements to return home.[28] He initially plans to stay at Joe’s house, but after booking his coach and visiting the Pockets, he decides to stay at the Blue Boar Inn since he considers himself too arrogant to stay at Joe’s. He also knows Joe won’t be expecting him and Satis House would be too far. He even thinks he is deceiving himself.
Pip also debates taking his servant with him, but since he might be mistreated and not well-received, he leaves him behind. He will board the afternoon coach from Cross Keys, and since it is now winter, he will arrive at his destination a few hours after it gets dark. He also hears it is common for convicts to be taken to the dockyards by a coach during this time. While he waits for the coach, Herbert informs him that two convicts will be travelling with him. Pip insists he doesn’t mind riding with them in the same coach.
While waiting for the coach, there are two convicts with their guard. They are both shackled with iron legs and prison garbs. The guard is armed with pistols and a bludgeon. One convict is taller and stouter than the other, and it doesn’t take long for Pip to recognize him as the convict who gave him the two-pound banknote at the Three Jolly Bargemen years ago. The convict looks at Pip before spitting, laughing, and talking with the other convict. A family who is moving from London will be travelling in the back of the coach, but there is no room for the two convicts in the back. A gentleman behind them complains that he has to travel with some criminals. The convicts refuse to go, and the guard assures them he will sit with them.
When the coach arrives, the family goes into the back, followed by the convicts, the guard and Pip. Herbert says goodbye as the coach takes off. During the journey, Pip becomes unnerved by the convict’s breathing. Everyone becomes lethargic from the cold air, and they doze off halfway. Pip considers returning the money to the convict when he awakens and overhears the two convicts mention a two-one pound banknote. The first convict says he thinks someone has the banknote stowed away, and this person had asked him to give the money to a boy who had fed him and kept his secret. The convict admits he did it, and his companion calls him a fool. The convict replies that this person was later charged with escaping prison and given a life sentence.
Pip is filled with dread when he hears their conversation, and when the coach stops in town, he immediately gets out before they recognize him. He imagines the convicts will be taken to the river harbour, where they will be sailed to the prison ship waiting for them. He walks to the Blue Boar Inn, where he rests in the coffee room and orders some food. After the waiter recognizes him, he gives him an old copy of the local newspaper. He reads a paragraph and learns that Uncle Pumblechook has been credited for founding his fortunes.
The next morning, Pip gets up and notices it’s too early to visit Miss Havisham, so he decides to walk in her neighbourhood.[29] During his walk, he imagines restoring Miss Havisham’s home and marrying Estella. He views Satis House and thinks Estella has influenced him into loving her. After his walk, he arrives at the gate and rings the bell. While waiting, he musters his courage until he hears the side door open and someone approaching the gates. Pip pretends not to hear or notice, but when the gates are opened, he is shocked to see Orlick there, who invites him inside.
Pip walks in, and Orlicks shuts the gate and locks it. Orlick reveals he has been hired to protect the house and insists he means no harm. He also left Joe’s forge a while ago. Pip finds Orlick’s room at the side door, along with a wall of keys, and has never heard of a porter living here before. Orlick says the area has become more dangerous with convicts lurking around, and he has agreed to take the new job as a porter. He finds it better than working as a blacksmith.
Pip asks if he can see Miss Havisham, and Orlick orders him to go down the passage. Orlick rings a bell to summon somebody. Pip walks down the passage, and Sarah Pocket appears. Pip greets her by saying Matthew Pocket and his family are doing well. Sarah retorts that he should be wiser. Pip finds his way up the dark staircase and knocks on Miss Havisham’s door. He hears her ordering him to come in.
Miss Havisham is sitting in her chair by her vanity, and next to her is an elegant lady Pip doesn’t recognize. He tells Miss Havisham he has come to see her as she requested, and when he looks at the elegant woman, he sees it is Estella, who has become more beautiful and ladylike. Pip feels awkward again when he holds her hand, and Miss Havisham asks if she has changed. Pip says he doesn’t recognize her initially, but Miss Havisham interrupts him if he still remembers the old Estella. He replies that it was a long time ago, and Estella smugly agrees, saying that Pip hasn't changed from being a commoner and laughs at him.
Pip learns that Estella has just returned from France and is heading for London. Her elegance and beauty make Pip ashamed of his family and apprenticeship in the forge. He plans to stay at Satis House throughout the day before returning to London tomorrow. After they talk for a while, Miss Havisham sends Pip and Estella out to walk in the ruined garden, and she also reminds him to push her around in her wheelchair when he gets the chance.
While walking in the garden, Pip worships the hem of her dress, and she doesn't seem to care. As they reach the area where Pip first fought Herbert, Estella recalls she secretly enjoyed watching the fight and won't appreciate Herbert being invited to Satis House and pestering her. Pip says he and Herbert are friends now, and Herbert's father is his tutor. She asks him if he has changed companions with his fortunes, and when Pip replies yes, she says his former associates will be unfit for him now. Pip decides he won't visit Joe at all. Estella asks him if he knew his fortunes would have changed by now, and Pip says no. The garden is too overgrown to walk through, so they repeat their rounds until they arrive at the abandoned brewery. Pip asks if she remembers the first time they met at the brewery, and Estella claims she doesn't remember their childhood together. This makes Pip want to cry. She says she has no heart and lacks sympathy and sentiment.
Pip notices that Estella shares the same mannerisms as Miss Havisham, and she makes him believe she doesn't have tenderness for him if they are brought together. While inside the brewery, she insists he acts like her escort as they make a final round in the garden before returning inside. They walk around the garden multiple times until they return to Miss Havisham. Pip is surprised when he learns Mr. Jaggers had previously visited Miss Havisham for business and would later return for dinner. Pip pushes Miss Havisham around in her wheelchair until it's almost dinner, and Estella leaves to prepare herself.
As soon as they are alone, Miss Havisham asks Pip if Estella is beautiful and if he admires her. Pip confirms that everyone will say the same thing when they meet her. Miss Havisham pulls him closer and encourages him repeatedly to love Estella. She says she had adopted and bred Estella to be loved, but when she mentions love, it sounds like a curse. She tells him that love is actually a blind devotion that will reduce him to submission and humiliation, which would later lead to destruction. When she tries to get up, he grabs her by the waist and places her back into her chair to prevent her from falling.
Mr. Jaggers then shows up for dinner, always bringing his silk handkerchief, symbolizing his power. Miss Havisham is terrified of him and mutters that he is always punctual. Pip tells Mr. Jaggers that Miss Havisham has summoned him to meet Estella. Mr. Jaggers remarks that Estella is a fine, proper lady and asks Pip how often he has met Estella. Miss Havisham asks him to leave Pip alone and dine with him. Pip and Mr. Jaggers descend the dark stairs together, and Mr. Jaggers asks him if he has ever seen Miss Havisham eat or drink. Pip replies no, and Mr. Jaggers retorts that he will never see her dine, and she wanders alone at night to eat. Pip asks if Estella’s surname is Havisham, and Mr. Jaggers replies yes.
Pip has dinner with Estella, Mr. Jaggers and Sarah Pocket. Throughout the meal, Mr. Jaggers never looks at Estella but answers her questions. She gazes at him with distrust and curiosity. Mr. Jaggers seems interested in encouraging Sarah’s envy of Pip’s fortune. While Mr. Jaggers cross-examines his wine glass, Pip wants to have a conversation, but Mr. Jaggers discourages it. Afterwards, they return to Miss Havisham’s room to play whist, where Miss Havisham places beautiful jewels in Estella’s hair, chest and arms, and then she watches the others play cards until 9 o’clock. Before leaving, Miss Havisham arranges for Pip to be Estella’s escort when she goes to London.
At the Blue Boar, Mr. Jaggers stays in a room next to Pip’s. Throughout the night, Pip is tormented by Miss Havisham’s encouragement to love Estella, which makes him profess his love for Estella and wonder if she will be interested in him. He knows he cannot return to Joe now and believes he and Estella are meant to be together.
The next morning, Pip informs Mr. Jaggers that Orlick is not fit to be Miss Havisham’s porter.[30] Mr. Jaggers agrees with Pip about Orlick’s behaviour and will dismiss him from his job. Pip says Orlick is difficult to handle, and Mr. Jaggers assures him he won’t give him a hard time. Pip and Mr. Jaggers’ coach to London will leave from the Blue Boar at midday. After breakfast at Uncle Pumblechook’s, Pip walks into the town, where some people recognize him but don’t approach him. Trabb’s Boy sees and approaches him while holding a blue bag. He trips onto the ground but follows Pip down the street and mocks and aggravates him. Pip then writes a letter to Mr. Trabb, saying he won’t patronize anyone whose young employees are wild and naughty.
The coach arrives at the appointed time, and Pip and Mr. Jaggers ride back to London. Immediately after his arrival, Pip sends some codfish and a barrel of oysters to Joe as an apology for not visiting and returns to Barnard’s Inn. Herbert welcomes him back, and The Avenger is at the coffee house for dinner. That night, Pip sends his servant to a play, and after finishing dinner, Pip tells Herbert he loves and adores Estella. Herbert says he already knows this since they first met, and Pip admits he has never stopped thinking about her since. Now that she has returned as an elegant, beautiful lady, Pip loves her even more. Herbert tells him he’s lucky to have feelings for her and asks if she has ever returned her feelings to him. Pip replies that she is far away from him and is ashamed of what to say to her. Herbert assures him to have patience, but Pip says he is uncertain about this. Herbert reminds him to stay focused on Mr. Jaggers and his inheritance. Before long, Pip will be 21 years old, and maybe there will be further enlightenment.
Pip thanks Herbert for his positivity, but Herbert thinks there is a possibility that Miss Havisham might not arrange a marriage between Pip and Estella, as marrying Estella was never listed as a condition to his fortune. He asks Pip if he can detach himself from her, but Pip remains silent. Herbert warns him about how Miss Havisham raised Estella, and there may be some heartbreak if Pip keeps thinking about her. Pip says he can’t separate himself from Estella.
Herbert then changes the subject and discusses how his father would arrange marriages for all his children except the baby. He reveals he’s engaged to a woman named Clara Barley, who lives in London with her invalid father, who used to work with ships. He hasn’t met him yet but hears him yelling and stomping above the ceiling in their apartment. While the friends sit quietly by the fire, Pip discovers the advertisement of the play that Joe has given him and realizes the play starts tonight. Both Pip and Herbert decide to attend the show and watch Mr. Wopsle perform in Hamlet.
When Pip and Herbert arrive at the theatre, the play is already in full swing. But the actor who played the Ghost of Hamlet’s father suffers a bad cough and keeps forgetting his lines, even taking his script wherever he goes.[31] The actress playing Queen Gertrude is wearing too much brass, and her chin is attached to a tiara on her head by a chain, and the actress playing Ophelia comes off as very annoying. When Mr. Wopsle came on stage playing Hamlet, he would ask the audience some questions, and many expressed their opinions. Mr. Wopsle dusted his fingers from touching the skull during the graveyard scene.
Overall, the play is so bad that Pip and Herbert can't help but laugh at Mr. Wopsle's awful performance. When the play ends, Pip and Herbert leave before Mr. Wopsle spots them. Before they can leave, a Jewish man stops them and says Mr. Waldengraver would like to see them. Pip assumes Mr. Waldengraver is Mr. Wopsle, and the Jewish man invites them to see him. While they walk down a side alley, the Jewish man says he had dressed Mr. Wopsle into his costume. They enter Mr. Wopsle's dressing room, where they see Mr. Wopsle undressing from his costume and the Jewish man pulling off his stockings. Mr. Wopsle greets Pip and Herbert and asks if they enjoyed the show. Both Herbert and Pip lie and say they loved it. Mr. Wopsle recalls that he saw someone mocking his performance during the show, and the boys replied that they didn't notice him, with Pip assuming he was drunk. But Mr. Wopsle says the man's employer would assure him he's not drinking.
Pip feels sorry for Mr. Wopsle's bad performance, so he asks Herbert if they should invite him to dinner. Herbert agrees, and they accompany Mr. Wopsle to Barnard's Inn, where he stays until 2 o'clock in the morning after discussing his goals for succession. Pip goes to bed miserable and dreams about Estella and losing his great expectations. He also dreams of proposing to Herbert's fiancée Clara and performing Hamlet in front of 20,000 people without memorizing his lines, with Miss Havisham playing Hamlet's mother.
One day, while attending class with Mr. Pocket, Pip receives a letter from Estella that isn't addressed by his name.[32]She writes that she will be arriving in London the day after tomorrow at noon, and she wants Pip to meet her. She also says that Miss Havisham has sent her regards. Since the letter has arrived on short notice, Pip doesn't have time to order new clothes, and he cannot eat or sleep until the day of Estella's arrival. He feels worse than ever as he arrives at the coach station five hours early and is afraid of leaving in case Estella's coach arrives early. He meets Wemmick and asks about the Castle and the Aged Parent. Wemmick replies that they are well and plans to shoot his cannon 82 times when the Aged Parent celebrates his 82nd birthday. Then he says he is going to Newgate to talk to a client accused of robbery and invites Pip to come with him.
Pip complies, and after inquiring the coach office when Estella will arrive, he follows Wemmick to Newgate, and they arrive in a few minutes. Pip notices the prison wardens and inmates all love and adore Wemmick, as he can easily release them by helping them with their cases before the judge or by sharing information. Wemmick kindly tends to them and even introduces Pip to a man he calls “Colonel.” The man tells Wemmick he will be executed on Monday, and he and Wemmick shake hands for the last time. On their way out, a turnkey asks Wemmick questions about a murder Mr. Jaggers is dealing with, with Wemmick replying humorously. They leave the prison, and Wemmick remarks on how Mr. Jaggers is fearful of everyone in Newgate.
The men go their separate ways, and Pip returns to the coach, but he’s still three hours early. While he waits for Estella, he reflects on how he met a criminal at a young age, and Estella is a stark contrast to the fearsome convicts and prisons. He wishes he didn’t went to Newgate with Wemmick, and then he sees Estella waving at him from a coach window.
Estella emerges from the coach, wearing fur-lined travelling clothes and more beautiful than ever.[33]She shows Pip her luggage and says she is going to Richmond in Surrey and another in Yorkshire. Since the journey is ten miles, she will have a coach and assigns Pip to be her escort and has to pay for her. Pip says he will have to have a coach sent for her and asks if she will rest a little. She replies she is supposed to and wants some tea while he looks after her. Pip asks a waiter for a private sitting room, and when they are settled, Pip asks for some tea for Estella. She explains that she’s travelling to Richmond to live with a lady who will show her around and introduce her to others. Pip notices she only speaks for herself and says she has to talk in her own way. She asks how he thrives living with Herbert, and he replies he and Herbert live pleasantly together, and at least he can be happy anywhere away from her.
Estella calls him a silly boy and says she despises Matthew Pocket, as he and his family write resentful letters about Pip to Miss Havisham, saying how much they hate him. Pip assumes they won’t do him any harm, and Estella bursts out laughing, saying she enjoys seeing them fail and being tormented by it. She then rants about how she grew up in a loveless home with spiteful, jealous relatives and how her guardian was only peaceful at night. She even assures him that the Pockets have not affected Miss Havisham and offers him her hand.
Pip kisses Estella’s hand, and she calls him ridiculous and allows him to kiss her cheek. When he kisses her again, she remains calm and still before she asks him to order her some tea and then escort her to Richmond. He rings for the waiter, who brings them a tray of tea, saucers, cups and a muffin. After paying the bill, Pip and Estella get into their coach, which takes them from Cheapside to Newgate Street. Estella asks what street they are on, and Pip replies that Mr. Jaggers knows more about Newgate than anyone else in London. He asks Estella if she has seen Mr. Jaggers often, and she replies that she has seen him several times. Pip says he knows him well and has dined with him once.
Throughout the journey, Pip discusses London and its sites with Estella, as she has never been in London before. He knows she is trying to attract him but doesn’t feel anything for him. When they arrive in Hammersmith, he shows her Matthew Pocket’s house, and she expects him to visit her when he is proper. He asks how large the family is she’s going to stay with. She replies that the family comprises only a wealthy lady and her daughter. Pip wonders if she will leave Miss Havisham again anytime soon, and Estella, already getting tired of the conversation, says that she has to write to Miss Havisham and see her often constantly.
Before long, they arrive at Richmond, an old estate with a rich exterior. Two maids arrive to retrieve Estella and collect her luggage, and after Pip and Estella say goodbye, he is heartbroken to leave her but thinks he would still be miserable if he stayed at Richmond with her. He returns to Hammersmith but is more heartbroken. Jane Pocket arrives home from a party with her lover, and Matthew is out lecturing. Only Mrs. Pocket is home and gives the baby a needle case to play with, and some of the needles are missing before she puts it to bed. Pip desperately wants a friend or confidante but doesn’t have much luck.
Pip’s “great expectations” start to have a bad effect on him, and he is remorseful for the way he has mistreated Joe and Biddy.[34] When he wakes up at night, he wishes he never met Miss Havisham, and when he looks into the fire, he wishes he still worked with Joe in the forge. He also can’t stop thinking about Estella and would be more miserable if he didn’t have expectations or know her. His lavish, reckless spending is causing him to go into debt. This rising debt even has a negative effect on Herbert, who has also started to spend extravagantly. Despite their money spending, they still employ The Avenger, and with Startop’s suggestion, they spend time at a club called Finches of the Grove, where young men spend their money on expensive dining and other lavish things. Pip sees that Drummle is also a member.
Pip wants to cover Herbert’s expenses himself, but Herbert is too proud to accept his offer. The more they spend their money, the less money people give them, and while they appear joyful on the outside, deep down, they are distressed by debt. Additionally, Herbert would roam around the city searching for more job opportunities but comes home disappointed every time. As their debt worsens, their breakfast meals become meagre, and one time, they receive a letter during breakfast that threatens legal proceedings. Pip then tells Herbert that their spending is getting worse and they should keep track of their expenses. Once he has finished calculating, Pip folds his papers and ties them in a symmetrical bundle with Herbert’s papers. The boys then start calculating their money affairs in a ritual they call “leave a margin.” They keep their door shut so they won’t be interrupted, but one evening, a letter is pushed through the slit and onto the floor. Herbert finds it and tells Pip it’s for him. The letter is covered in a black seal from Trabb and Company. Pip reads the letter and says that Mrs. Joe has died, and his attendance is requested immediately.
It is the first time in Pip’s life that he encounters death.[35] He is troubled with thoughts of his sister sitting in her chair by the kitchen fire and imagines seeing her walking towards him in the streets or inside his lodgings. While he doesn’t show any tenderness for her, he is furious that the assailant who attacked her was never caught and wishes he could hunt down Orlick, as he believes he is responsible for indirectly causing Mrs. Joe’s death.
Pip writes to Joe, offering his consolation and assuring he will attend the funeral. Early the next morning, he leaves London and stops at the Blue Boar before walking to the forge. It is summer, and as Pip walks along, he has memories of his early days when Mrs. Joe brought him up by now, which are now softened. When he arrives at his house, Mr. Trabb makes the funeral arrangements, and he goes into the parlour, where he finds a grief-stricken Joe sitting and Biddy, wearing a black dress, helping with the arrangements. Uncle Pumblechook helps himself with some food served on the table. Mr. Trabb then orders everyone to get their handkerchiefs as they are ready. Pip and everyone else, including the Hubbles, leave the house as Mrs. Joe’s coffin is taken out from the kitchen door. The pallbearers are also forced to wear a black sheath over their heads. The villagers watch eagerly as Mr. Joe’s coffin is led away. Uncle Pumblechook annoys Pip by fixing his hatband and cloak from behind him. They arrive at the churchyard in the marshes, and Mrs. Joe is interred next to her and Pip’s parents.
During the funeral, Uncle Pumblechook continues to annoy Pip by taking credit for being the founder of his fortune, drinking all the sherry, and wishing that Pip had done Mrs. Joe more honour. Once all the guests and Trabb and his men leave, Pip, Joe, and Biddy have dinner in the parlour. Afterwards, Pip sits with Joe and talks with him about the forge. Joe is pleased when Pip tells him he will spend the night inside his old childhood room. Later that evening, Pip walks with Biddy in the garden. He asks her if she will stay at the forge, and she replies that she will visit Mrs. Hubble tomorrow and hopes that they will look after Joe until he recovers from his grief. He then asks what she’ll do now, and she says she hopes to get a job as a schoolmistress at a new school. She admits that she has improved after learning from him while they were in school.
Pip then asks about how Mrs. Joe died. Biddy explains that her health worsened for a few days until she whispers Joe’s name and wants him to sit next to her. After wrapping her arms around Joe, she rests her head on his shoulder and mutters Joe and Pip’s names. She never lifted her head again, and when she was brought to bed, they saw that she was dead. Biddy starts to cry, and Pip asks about Orlick. She assumes he has started working in the quarries but says she saw him the night Mrs. Joe died. He was seen for a minute before he disappeared. Pip thinks Orlick is still interested in her and assures her he will take drastic measures to drive him out of the country. She wants him to calm down, reminds Pip how much Joe loves him, and never complains about anything. He assures her that he will visit Joe often, but she doesn’t believe he will fulfill his promise.
Feeling hurt and ashamed, Pip distances himself from Biddy and has a restless night in his old room. Early the next morning, he gets up and says goodbye to Joe in his forge, promising he will visit him again, even if Joe doubts him. Biddy stands at the kitchen door with a mug of milk and a slice of bread for Pip. When Pip bids goodbye to Biddy, he tells her he isn’t angry but hurt. Biddy urges him not to feel hurt, as she should feel the same if she was being unkind to him. As he walks away, Pip realizes that Joe and Biddy are right and he shouldn’t visit them because of the way he has treated them.
Pip and Herbert’s debts and spending continue to get worse. Pip’s 21st birthday is approaching, and he looks forward to it as his guardian will offer him a fortune when he comes of age.[36] The day before his birthday, he received a note from Wemmick informing him that Mr. Jaggers had invited him to his office at 5 o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow. The next day, Wemmick congratulates Pip and then motions him to Mr. Jaggers’ room, where he’s standing in front of the fire. He also congratulates Pip for turning 21 and invites him to sit.
Mr. Jaggers asks Pip about his spending habits, and Pip replies that he doesn’t know. Then Pip asks Mr. Jaggers questions, such as if he’ll know his benefactor today or if he will receive anything for his birthday. Mr. Jaggers summons Wemmick, who hands in a sheet of paper. Mr. Jaggers notices that Pip is in debt because his name is often printed in Wemmick’s cash book, and Pip admits it’s true. He unfolds the piece of paper, a 500-pound banknote. Mr. Jaggers informs him that the banknote is his gift from the benefactor, and he will receive 500 pounds each year until he meets his benefactor. Additionally, he will withdraw 125 pounds per quarter from Wemmick, and Mr. Jaggers will no longer be the financial overseer.
Pip expresses his gratitude, but Mr. Jaggers says he’s not paid to be his messenger. After a pause, Pip asks again when he will meet his benefactor, and Mr. Jaggers reminds him what he said during their first meeting. Pip remembers that it might be years until his benefactor appears. Pip asks how many years it will be, but Mr. Jaggers cannot tell him that. He tells him that when he meets his benefactor, they will settle their own affairs, and Mr. Jaggers will no longer be needed. Pip believes that Miss Havisham would not have consented to Mr. Jaggers to arrange a possible marriage for him and Estella. Mr. Jaggers looks at his watch, and Pip invites him to dine with him and Herbert at their apartment. Mr. Jaggers accepts his invitation but insists he’ll come with him. While Mr. Jaggers prepares to close his office, Pip asks Wemmick for some advice about his 500 pounds. Inside Wemmick’s office, Pip tells him that he wants to help his friend obtain a beginning by investing some money from his fortune to finance his friend’s career in the merchant business.
Wemmick says he should throw his money away from one of the bridges, as he shouldn’t share his fortune with anyone. Pip realizes that Wemmick is speaking in his serious, businessman tone, so he decides to visit him at Walworth for advice. Wemmick says he’s always welcome to have a private word with him at Walworth. The office closes, and Pip, Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers go their separate ways. Later at dinner, Mr. Jaggers’ presence makes the boys feel melancholy. When Mr. Jaggers leaves, Herbert says he feels guilty for committing a felony.
On Sunday, Pip arrives at Wemmick’s home, where the drawbridge is up, and the Union Jack flag is flying atop the Castle.[37] The Aged Parent greets him and lowers the drawbridge to let him in. While sitting at the fire, the Aged Parent tells him that his son is expecting him today and is currently out for a walk but will be home soon. He also admits that he’s surprised that Wemmick chose to work for the law. Pip tries to converse with the old man while constantly nodding at him. Soon, a click is heard on the wall, and a wood flap appears with the name “JOHN” imprinted on it. The Aged Parent excitedly knows his son is home, so they go to the drawbridge to lower it. Wemmick salutes Pip from across the moat and then walks across the drawbridge with a woman he introduces to Pip as Miss Skiffins, who is a few years younger than Wemmick and a frequent visitor at the Castle.
After they stroll around the Castle, Pip asks Wemmick to help his friend, Herbert. He describes how they first met, admits he has been a bad influence on him, and feels he hasn’t repaid him for his past support. Without mentioning Miss Havisham, Pip wishes to use some of his fortune to invest in Herbert’s finances to find a job and asks for some advice on how he can do it without Herbert’s knowledge. Wemmick is silent for a moment, then compliments Pip for being generous. He will consider helping him and may even call upon Miss Skiffins’ brother for assistance. Pip thanks him, and they go inside to have tea and toast with the Aged Parent and Miss Skiffins. Afterwards, the Aged Parent reads aloud from a newspaper to Pip, Wemmick and Miss Skiffins until he dozes off. During the reading, Pip witnesses Wemmick trying to put his arm around Miss Skiffins’ waist. Wemmick serves some hot refreshments, which awakens the Aged Parent, and Pip heads home.
The following week, Pip receives a note from Wemmick at Walworth, saying he has made some advancement in finding Herbert work and asks Pio to come over and see for himself. Pip drops by at Walworth several times, but Wemmick is often busy with his duties. However, they have found a merchant named Clarriker, who recently opened his business and is looking for a working partner. Pip chooses Herbert for the job, paying him half his 500 pounds. Miss Skiffins’ brother arranges to find the new business, but Wemmick doesn’t take part. Herbert doesn’t suspect that Pip secretly helped him get the job, but Herbert came home satisfied with working for Clarriker. Pip feels relieved and happy that his “great expectations” might do some good to someone after all.
Pip visits Estella at Richmond, where she lives with a widow named Mrs. Brandley and her daughter, who is several years older than Estella.[38] Mrs. Brandley used to be a friend of Miss Havisham before her seclusion. Whenever he visits Estella, she constantly torments him by using him to tease other men. She also has many admirers, which makes Pip jealous as he’s never happy with her company. However, he is still obsessed with marrying her. He often sees Estella at Richmond and accompanies the Brandleys on day outings, such as picnics, operas and parties. One night, while standing on a balcony at Richmond, Estella warns him not to love her. She then says she is visiting Satis House for the day and invites him to escort her there. The next day, Pip and Estella arrive at Satis House.
Pip notices that Miss Havisham has grown more fond of Estella than the last time he saw them together. She is also delighted with Estella’s beauty and manners and even asks Pip how much Estella uses him. One night, they sit by the fire, where Pip watches Miss Havisham making Estella describe all the men who admire her. He realizes that Estella has been bred to exact Miss Havisham’s revenge on men, and he won’t have her until she has completed her revenge. He also realizes that Estella is causing mischief and misery to any men who love her, and he could be next.
Miss Havisham clutched Estella’s arm when she suddenly loosened herself from her grasp. Miss Havisham thinks she has grown tired of her and chastises her for being cold-hearted. Estella stares at the fire and tells her that she is what Miss Havisham has made her, and she has to accept the blame and praise. She acknowledges that Miss Havisham owes her everything, but she cannot give her what her adoptive mother didn’t give her, which is love. Miss Havisham insists that she has always loved her, but Estella retorts the times she learned from her lessons while cowering at her frail appearance. Miss Havisham cries that she has become proud and hard, and Estella says she has never forgotten her lessons or shown any weaknesses. She muses that if she were raised in a dark house with no sunlight but then saw the sunlight for herself, then Miss Havisham would have been disappointed in her.
While Miss Havisham moans and rocks herself in her chair, and Estella stands by the fire, Pip sees this as a chance to leave and walk in the courtyard, ruined garden and brewery for about an hour. When he returns, he sees Estella sitting at Miss Havisham’s knees, stitching part of Miss Havisham’s withered dress. Afterwards, he and Estella play cards before he retires for the night. He spends a restless night in Satis House, and throughout the night, he hears Miss Havisham’s constant sobbing. When it is two o’clock in the morning, he decides he must leave immediately. He changes his clothes and walks down the stony passage to the outer courtyard. He extinguished his candle and spotted Miss Havisham ascending the staircase with a lit candle. He follows her until he stands at the bottom of the stairs, where he sees her walking back and forth to her room and the other room where her wedding feast lies. He hears her sobbing and stays where he is until dawn.
The next day, the argument between Estella and Miss Havisham isn’t mentioned, and it doesn’t happen again. Miss Havisham stays loyal to her, although she seems afraid of her. During a meeting with the Finches, Drummle makes a toast to Estella. Pip objects to Drummle proposing a toast to a lady he doesn’t know. Drummle says he has proof he knows Estella, and the next day, he dances with her. This makes Pip feel pain that Estella would show any favour to a sulky brute. Even worse, Drummle is pursuing her, and she seems to enjoy it. One night, during a party at Richmond, Pip catches Drummle flirting with Estella. Later, while she’s resting and waiting for Mrs. Brandley to take her home, Pip sees this as his opportunity to talk to her. He asks her why she is spending time with a wealthy young man who is brutish and hateful, and it makes Pip miserable. Estella says that her actions affect different men but not Pip. She finds Drummle to be a suitable match for her. Pip tells her she never smiles or admires him like she does to Drummle. Estella says it’s part of her game, but not to deceive or entrap Pip.
Pip Meets his Benefactor[]
Pip is now 23 years old.[39] He and Herbert have left Barnard’s Inn and moved into the Temple by the River Thames a year ago. He is no longer tutored by Matthew Pocket, although they are still friends. He still hasn’t found work yet and feels restless, constantly reading for many hours a week.
A week has passed since Pip’s 23rd birthday. Herbert is away on a business trip in Marseilles, France, and Pip is alone in their apartment. It is a stormy, windy night, and whenever Pip looks down the staircase, it is dark with no lights. The streets are also dark, with the street lamps burnt out. That night, at 11 o’clock, Pip finishes his book when he hears St. Paul’s Cathedral and all the other churches strike the hour. At that moment, he hears footsteps on the stairs. He believes it could be the ghost of Mrs. Joe, but when he hears them again, he takes his lamp and stands at the top of the stairs. He calls out who is there, and a man’s voice says he wants to see him. The stranger slowly comes into the light as he ascends the stairs. He is an old man dressed roughly like a voyager, has long, grey hair and is muscular. Pip asks what business he has, and the stranger asks him to invite him into the apartment. The stranger seems to recognize him and is jovial, while Pip resents it.
He brings the stranger into the apartment, who is amazed by its glamour. He removes his hat and coat, and Pip sees his bald head with long, grey hairs on the side. The stranger holds out his hands as if to embrace him, and Pip thinks he’s insane. The stranger sits in a chair and asks if nobody is around. Pip then recognizes the stranger as the convict he has met in the churchyard many years ago. The stranger holds Pip’s hands and kisses them, overjoyed that he has grown up to be noble. He prepares to embrace Pip, but he pushes him away, telling him that it isn’t necessary for him to come back into his life like that. He hopes his gratitude has caused him to repent from his criminal life and offers him a drink before he goes. When he serves the convict some rum water, he is surprised to see that his eyes are filled with tears. He apologizes for his harshness and wishes him happiness.
Pip asks the convict how he has been living. The convict says he has been a sheep farmer and stock breeder in Australia and has been doing well. Pip asks if he has seen a messenger he once sent to him, and the convict replies that he hasn’t seen him. Pip explains when he was still a child, someone gave him a £2 banknote back when he was still poor. Like the convict, he has been doing well and wants to repay him. He reaches into his purse, takes out the £2 banknote and hands it to the convict, who burns it and drops the ashes into the fire. The convict smiles and asks Pip how he has been doing well since their meeting in the marshes. He stands in front of the fire, and Pip trembles before he says he has a small portion of his income. The convict guesses how much money Pip has as Pip gets up and stares at him in astonishment. He then guesses the name of Pip’s guardian, Mr. Jaggers, and then reveals that while he was in Portsmouth, he wrote a letter to a lawyer who works for Mr. Jaggers in London asking for Pip’s address, who was Wemmick.
Pip is so shocked that he’s about to faint, but the convict catches him and places him on the sofa. The convict then reveals that he is his benefactor and has sworn that every single guinea will go to Pip so he’ll become wealthy, and he worked hard so Pip will have an easy life. Pip abhors the convict despite him being his benefactor. The convict tells him he is his second father, and when he lived a lonely life as a shepherd in Australia, he would see Pip’s face constantly. He vows that when he has liberty and money, he will make Pip a gentleman and is proud of what he has done. He admires Pip’s pocket watch and ring, but he quickly pulls his hand away when he touches it. He also admires Pip’s clothes and the books in his library. The convict asks Pip if he ever suspected he was his benefactor, and Pip says no. The convict says it was only him, with Mr. Jaggers’ help, and nobody else, which makes Pip dismayed about Estella.
The convict explains that when his master, a man like the convict, died, he left him some money and took that opportunity to offer Pip his fortune. Whenever anyone saw him and viewed him as a convict, he took pride in telling them that he was making a gentleman better than them. He admits that returning to England wasn’t easy or safe but is glad he has come. Pip is stunned by the news, and the convict asks where he’ll sleep, as he has travelled for months and needs some rest. Pip says his friend isn’t here, and he can have his room. The convict asks if he’ll return tomorrow, and Pip replies no. The convict tells Pip he must be careful, as he had risked himself returning to England illegally, and he would be sentenced to death and executed if he returned. Pip realizes that he’s keeping a wanted criminal in his apartment who was responsible for his fortune. The situation would have been different if he had been kinder and loving to the convict. He shuts the windows and locks the door while the convict sits at the table eating a biscuit and drinking rum. When Pip sees him, it reminds him of watching him eat the stolen food he brought to him in the marshes.
Pip then asks the convict if he’ll go to bed. The convict says yes and wants to wear Pip’s gentleman’s clothes tomorrow morning, so he lays the clothes out for him, and the convict kisses his hands goodnight. Pip then heads straight to the fire and sits in front of it, too afraid to sleep. For over an hour, he feels shunned and devastated that Miss Havisham never intended for him to have Estella. He had been only used as a tool at Satis House for Estella to practice breaking his heart when there was nobody else and taunt him in front of her greedy relatives. Worst of all, he is devastated that his fortune has come from a violent, uneducated convict, and he had abandoned Joe and Biddy for a false dream and also feels guilty for how he had treated them. He can never return to them as he can never undo the damage he has done.
For many weeks afterwards, he becomes suspicious and unsettled whenever he hears footsteps or voices on a rainy, windy day. He remembers that another convict said that Pip’s convict tried to murder him, and he even saw him fighting his opponent viciously in the ditches on the marshes. He is terrified of the convict and doesn’t know what crimes he has been guilty of; he takes a candle and goes into Herbert’s room, where the convict is fast asleep with a pistol lying on his pillow. He quietly locks the door, returns to the fire, slips from his chair, and falls asleep on the floor. When he wakes up, it’s five o’clock in the morning.
Pip knows he must take extra precautions to keep the convict safely secured in the apartment but fears that doing so would arouse suspicion.[40] He no longer has the Avenger with him but has a nosy landlady and her niece. To prevent any suspicion from them, Pip would tell them the next morning that his uncle had come over to visit him. Since he desperately needs light, he resolves to go outside and ask the night watchman for a lantern. He descends the dark staircase and trips over a shadowy man crouching in a corner. The man doesn’t make a sound, but Pip rushes outside to the Lodge and urges the watchman to come quickly, telling him what he has seen. The wind becomes harsh as Pip and the watchman relight the lights on the staircase, but there’s nobody there. Pip believes the stranger could have entered his apartment, so he leaves the watchman at the door, takes a candle, returns, and examines all the rooms, including the one where the convict slept. Again, he finds nothing.
Thinking the stranger had been on the stairs that night, he asks the watchman if he has admitted any gentleman dining out. The watchman explains that he admitted three gentlemen at different times throughout the night. He also says that another stranger, whom Pip says is his uncle, had entered the premises, but he is further surprised to learn that he had someone else with him who wore dusty clothes under a dark coat. After dismissing the watchman, Pip feels troubled when he imagines the stranger sneaking past the watchman and falling asleep on the stairs, and the convict may have brought someone to help him show the way to Pip’s apartment.
Pip returns to the apartment, where he lights the fire and falls asleep in front of it, waking briefly when the clock strikes six but isn’t fully awakened until daybreak arrives. He sits shivering until the landlady and her niece arrive with a broom to clean the apartment. Pip tells them that his uncle arrived last night, is still asleep, and wants breakfast to be prepared. He washes and dresses while the landlady and niece sweep the apartment, then waits for the convict to awaken and have breakfast. Finally, the convict wakes up and leaves the bedroom, but Pip cannot bear to look at him. At the table, Pip asks the convict what he should call him. The convict says he used the name Provis when he travelled to England and insists Pip should call him uncle. Pip then asks what his real name is, and the convict replies his birth name is Abel Magwitch.
Pip next asks Magwitch if anyone was with him when he arrived at the Temple last night. Magwitch says he didn’t have anyone with him and didn’t notice anyone in the building, except that he thinks someone may have followed him. Pip asks if he’s known in London and if he was tried here last time. Magwitch says he hasn’t been known in London and hopes he won’t. It was at his previous trial when he first met Mr. Jaggers. Before Pip can ask him any more questions, Magwitch says that it has all been settled and paid for, and then he ravenously eats his breakfast. Pip is disgusted by Magwitch’s greedy, messy eating habits and remembers that he was starving terribly when Magwitch brought the stolen food from the pantry on the marshes. Magwitch apologizes for his manners, but it has always been his habit. He wishes that if he had a decent lifestyle, he would have proper manners. He rises from the table, fills his pipe with tobacco, takes coal from the fire, and lights it with it. He feels proud that he has made Pip a gentleman and says he must have a horse and some riding boots. He takes out his pocketbook and tosses it onto the table, saying there are more things for him to buy from the pocketbook. He has arrived from Australia to see Pip spend his money like a gentleman, determined to make him the best gentleman the colonists will see.
Pip demands that he stop and wants to know how he will be kept out of danger, how long he will stay here, and what he plans to do now. Magwitch assures him he won’t return to his old lifestyle as a convict. Pip asks him what he should do to prevent him from being recognized, and Magwitch says that it isn’t the most important right now. In fact, Magwitch thinks there isn’t much danger for him, as many years have passed, and there won’t be such a reward for anyone who would turn him in. Pip asks if there is a chance anyone might recognize him in the street, and Magwitch replies that there isn’t, as he doesn’t intend to advertise himself in the newspapers with a new identity. Pip then asks how long he will stay in England. Magwitch says he’s never going back to Australia and plans to stay here permanently. Pip asks where he will be and if he will be safe, and Magwitch says that dozens of former convicts have disguised themselves with wigs and clothes and have lived in safety ever since. Pip reminds him that last night, he stated that his punishment for returning is death, but Magwitch brushes it aside and will gladly accept his fate if it’s death.
As Magwitch surveys him again, Pip decides to provide him with some lodging until Herbert’s return, which he expects will be in a few days. He will also have to tell his secret to Herbert, and Magwitch, whom Pip plans to call Mr. Provis, doesn’t feel comfortable revealing his identity to another person, so he consents to have Herbert swear an oath with an old Bible he takes from his pocket. Pip notices the book looks like it was stolen from a courtroom and appears helpful to Magwitch. He recalls when Magwitch forced him to obey in the churchyard.
Pip discusses with Magwitch what outfit he should wear. Pip decides that Magwitch should disguise himself as a wealthy farmer, have his hair cut loose and wear some powder. He also arranges to keep Magwitch hidden from the landlady and her niece until he is fully disguised. After making this arrangement, Pip leaves the apartment late in the afternoon to buy the new clothes, while Magwitch is confined in the apartment alone and must not let anyone inside. Pip finds a lodging house on Essex Street, close to the Temple, and secures the second floor for Magwitch. After shopping for clothes, he heads to Little Britain and Mr. Jaggers’ office.
When Pip enters Mr. Jaggers’ room, he warns Pip not to say anything, as he’s aware of Magwitch’s arrival and doesn’t want to know anything else about it. Pip says he only wants to ask about the truth of his benefactor. He asks if Magwitch is his benefactor, and Mr. Jaggers confirms he’s correct. Pip admits that he always thought Miss Havisham was his benefactor, but Mr. Jaggers says he had nothing to do with that. He explains that he corresponded with Magwitch when he was in Australia after he first wrote to him. Magwitch hinted in his letter that he has thought of returning to England to see Pip again, but Mr. Jaggers warned him he might not receive a pardon if he does return and might even risk facing the death penalty. He explains further that Wemmick informed him that he received a letter from Portsmouth from a colonist named Provis, who asked for Pip’s address. Pip says that the letter given to him gives him an explanation about Magwitch, and Mr. Jaggers promises Pip he will send him the vouchers and balance before saying goodbye.
Pip returns to the Temple, where he finds Magwitch drinking rum and smoking his pipe. The next day, Magwitch’s clothes that Pip ordered arrive, and Magwitch tries them on, but to Pip, the clothes don’t make Magwitch look fully disguised as he still has the mannerisms of a convict and a solitary farmer. The powder doesn’t work either, but Magwitch’s hair is cut short.
Whenever Magwitch falls asleep, Pip stares at him and becomes fearful of the convict’s crimes. He also worries about everything Magwitch has done for him and how he took the risk. At one point, Pip even considers abandoning his benefactor and enlisting as a private soldier in India. Whenever Magwitch is awake, he’ll play a card game Pip hasn’t seen before and record his winnings by sticking his pocketknife into the table. He would sometimes ask Pip to read him a book about foreign languages, and when he did, Magwitch would survey the lavish furnishings in the apartment.
For the next 5 days, Pip anticipates Herbert’s return and doesn’t dare go outside, except to take Magwitch out for some fresh air after dark; all the while, Pip suffers from restless, fearful nights. Finally, one evening after dinner, Pip is about to fall asleep when he is thrilled to hear a familiar footstep at the doorway. Magwitch hears it, too, and gets his pocketknife ready, but Pip orders him to be quiet. Herbert walks in and happily greets Pip, surprised to see Magwitch putting away his pocketknife. Pip informs Herbert that he is his visitor, and he and Magwitch make Herbert swear an oath on Magwitch’s Bible to keep his identity a secret, which leaves Herbert confused.
Pip, Magwitch and Herbert sit by the fire, where Pip tells Herbert all about the secret of his benefactor.[41] Magwitch then boasts to Herbert about how he made Pip a gentleman and how he came here to see the work he had done for him. He also assures the boys that he isn’t as dangerous as he used to be. Herbert is astonished by what he has heard, and they are anxious about when Magwitch will go to his lodgings, even if he’s jealous that they will leave him. At midnight, Pip takes Magwitch to his lodgings at Essex-street and breathes a sigh of relief when Magwitch closes the door behind him. However, he worries about avoiding suspicion when taking Magwitch out into the streets after dark in a large city. Fortunately for him, the streets are quiet and empty when he returns to the Temple. Nobody isn’t at the gate, around the gardens or on the staircase as he ascends to his apartment.
After Herbert warmly welcomes Pip back, they talk about what they should do. Herbert removes Magwitch’s chair, takes another one, and says he is too stunned to think. Pip decides something must be done, as Magwitch is interested in buying expensive items such as horses and carriages, and he must be stopped. After shuddering, Pip says that his benefactor has become attached to him, and he can’t accept any more money from him. Since he’s already heavily in debt, he needs to pay off what he owes to Magwitch. He decides he should become a soldier, but Herbert consoles him, saying that he shouldn’t be a soldier, as a soldier’s salary won’t be enough to pay off his debt, and he would be better off working at Clarriker’s house.
Additionally, Magwitch is fierce and desperate, and Pip tells Herbert about his encounter with the other convict as a child in the marshes. Herbert says that Magwitch had risked his life to return to England and see the result of his labours. If Pip does leave, he’ll destroy Magwitch’s dream, and his creation will be worthless to him. Pip admits that he had worries about Magwitch since his arrival, and Herbert says he could become dangerous from disappointment.
Pip becomes horrified by this thought and says that if Magwitch is found and captured, he would be responsible for this, even if he isn’t comfortable having Magwitch live with him and wishes he was still working in the forge. Herbert suggests he should leave the country with Magwitch, and Pip asks if he could prevent Magwitch from returning to England. Herbert replies that getting him out of England is the most important priority right now. Pip says that he doesn’t know about the convict’s life, and he appears to be a fearsome stranger to him, who terrified him as a child even though he offered him his fortune. After pacing around, Herbert asks Pip if he’ll reject Magwitch and no longer accept more money from him. Pip says he will, and Herbert tells him to help Magwitch from risking too much to be with him and safely get him out of England. Pip agrees, and they shake hands.
Pip then decides to ask Magwitch about his backstory, and Herbert suggests discussing it when he joins them at breakfast. After arranging this plan, they go to bed, but Pip awakens anxious and fearful about Magwitch being discovered. Magwitch shows up at breakfast that morning and urges Pip to look through the pocketbook. He also considers temporarily living at his lodgings and convinces Pip to find him a fancy house in Hyde Park. After he finishes his meal, Pip says that he told Herbert about how the soldiers found him struggling with another convict in the marshes and asks if he remembers it. Magwitch thinks he does remember it, and Pip says he would like to learn more about the convict and Magwitch’s background, even wondering if this isn’t a good time to discuss it. Magwitch reminds Herbert about his oath and insists he won’t discuss it under the secrecy of the oath. He lights his pipe, stares at the fire, and says, “what follows.”
When Magwitch discusses his backstory with Pip and Herbert, he mentions that he has been in and out of jail multiple times.[42] He explains that he was born an orphan and grew up living on the streets, often stealing and begging to survive. He had been taken in by various families but then promptly kicked him out. As such, he had even been jailed for his crimes. He later worked odd jobs, such as a labourer and a haymaker, to avoid run-ins with the law, and a travelling soldier taught him to read and write.
20 years ago, Magwitch met a man at the Epsom horse races named Compeyson, the convict he fought in the marshes years ago. Compeyson posed as a polished gentleman who received a proper education, and a landlord told Magwitch that Compeyson could help him with his problems. Compeyson sympathized with Magwitch when he admitted his luck ran out and hoped he’d get his life back on track. After giving him 5 shillings to buy some food, Compeyson made Magwitch his accomplice to assist him in his business of swindling and forging banknotes. Magwitch later realizes that his new partner is a cold-hearted, cruel man who previously worked for a man named Arthur. They swindled a wealthy elderly heiress several years ago. However, Compeyson lost all his money from gambling while Arthur was dying and impoverished. Before he died, Arthur had nightmares and hallucinations about a woman in white.
Magwitch despised Compeyson for forcing him to do all his dirty work, and both men were eventually charged and convicted of counterfeiting. However, during the trial, the jury saw Compeyson as a well-educated gentleman who deserved another chance. In contrast, Magwitch was seen as a ragged, infamous criminal, and Compeyson even claimed that Magwitch was the mastermind behind their crimes. Magwitch was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Compeyson was given a lighter sentence of just 7 years.
Magwitch pauses his story and reassures Pip he isn’t as dangerous or vicious as he once was. He continued his story by saying that he had sworn revenge against Compeyson for ruining his life. They were aboard the same prison ship, and he didn’t have the opportunity to confront Compeyson. When he finally got his chance to be near him, he attacked him until he was seized and placed into solitary confinement. He escaped by swimming out of the ship and ended up ashore, where he met Pip in the churchyard. He had warned Pip about Compeyson and believed he may have also escaped to get back at him in the marshes. He hunted down Compeyson, and the convicts fought until they were recaptured and brought back to the prison ship. Magwitch was then retried and transported to Australia for life.
Magwitch smokes his pipe again, and Pip asks if Compeyson is dead. Magwitch doesn’t know, as he hasn’t heard from him since his second trial. Herbert writes something in a book and shows it to Pip, saying that Arthur was Miss Havisham’s half-brother and Compeyson was her fiancé who abandoned her at the wedding altar.
Pip is heartbroken that he’s further away from Estella and harbouring a convict responsible for his fortune.[43] He fears that Compeyson is alive and would be searching for Magwitch, and before he plans to leave England with Magwitch, he tells Herbert that he must see Miss Havisham and Estella one last time. The next day, he goes to Richmond and asks about Estella to Mrs. Brandley, and a maid says that Estella has returned to Satis House and won’t return to Richmond for a while. Pip returns home disappointed. The next evening, after Pip walks Magwitch home to his lodgings, he and Herbert decide they shouldn’t say anything about going abroad until he returns from seeing Miss Havisham. They consider whether they should keep Magwitch in hiding despite suspicions of his presence or if Pip should propose an expedition with Magwitch to a foreign land. Next, Pip plans to visit Joe and urges Magwitch to be really careful. Herbert will keep a close eye on him while Pip is away. He plans to be absent for one night and lies to Magwitch that when he returns, they will advance his gentlemanly lifestyle. Herbert and Pip also decide that Magwitch should escape by water.
Early the next morning, Pip takes a coach to Satis House. He stops at the Blue Boar and is shocked to see Drummle. He pretends not to notice Drummle as they go into the coffee room, where Pip orders breakfast. He is also aware of why Drummle is in town today, as he’s here to see Estella. He pretends to read an outdated newspaper while Drummle stands before the fire. Pip reaches for the fire poker and pokes the fire while pretending not to notice Drummle. When Drummle does notice him, he asks if he just came here, and Pip replies yes. He asks Drummle if he has stayed here long. Drummle replies that he’s here long enough to get tired of it. Pip wishes he could push him into a window. Drummle says he plans to go for a ride in the marshes and then informs a waiter that he has planned to dine with a lady today. Pip imagines throwing Drummle into the fire.
Pip’s breakfast is brought to him, and Drummle asks if he has returned to the Grove. Pip replies no, and Drummle sneers that he shouldn’t have lost his temper. Pip says he doesn’t want to talk about it and asks if they shouldn’t speak to each other again in the future. He seethes with anger when Drummle mentions dining with a lady, knowing he’s talking about Estella. He watches Drummle mount a horse outside but quickly returns to light a cigar and then leaves. Pip skips his breakfast and heads straight for Satis House.
In the dressing room at Satis House, Pip finds Miss Havisham sitting near the fire, with Estella knitting and sitting at her feet.[44] They both look at Pip when he walks in, and they can tell that he has changed. Miss Havisham asks what he’s doing here, and Pip says he has come here after he went to Richmond to ask about Estella. Miss Havisham motions him to sit down, and Pip tells her that he wishes to speak to Estella, which would make Miss Havisham pleased, as he is unhappy as she would have wanted him to be. He reveals that he has found out who his benefactor is, but this person won’t enrich him in any station or reputation, so he must not say anything more about it. After a few moments of silence, he asks Miss Havisham that when she first invited him to Satis House, she intended him to be a paid servant. Miss Havisham says yes, and when Pip brings up Mr. Jaggers, she interrupts him and says that he has nothing to do with this or knows anything about her hiring Pip to be a servant. It’s even a coincidence that Mr. Jaggers is her lawyer. Pip asks her if she was kind when she was leading him on, and she angrily asserts that she has no reason to be kind. Pip tries to comfort her by saying he is merely seeking some information and she has paid him well for his services here. He next asks her if she used him to punish her relatives, and she confirms this.
Pip says he has befriended her relatives, Matthew and Herbert Pocket, who don’t have the same nature as her other greedy relatives. He begs her not to punish them and to also offer some money to Herbert after he failed to help him get started in a business job without his knowledge a few years ago. Miss Havisham turns away from Pip and stares at the fire while Estella continues to knit. After a silence, Pip tells Estella that he loves her and always has for the longest time. With Estella staring at him, Pip says that he has always thought Miss Havisham was his benefactor and planned to have him and Estella together. Knowing this was all a mistake, he professes his feelings for her. He admits that Miss Havisham isn’t cruel for manipulating and tormenting him and believes that she doesn’t realize the consequences of the damage she has caused. Estella says she has no feelings for him, as she had warned him before. Pip admits that he has hoped that she didn’t mean what she said, but Estella replies that it’s her nature that was formed on her during her upbringing.
Pip asks if Drummle is in town to see her and if she is spending more time with him. Estella confirms this, and Pip begs her not to love him. Estella stops knitting, angrily retorts that she is incapable of love, and reveals that she will marry him. Pip is shocked, and Miss Havisham is aghast. He begs her not to allow Miss Havisham to encourage her to marry Drummle and that she should choose a different suitor who’s worthy of her and could bear it better if she chose a man who truly loves her. Estella replies in a calmer tone that she’s marrying Drummle and that her marriage will be happening soon. Pip is disbelieved that she’s marrying a brute, and she retorts that she and Drummle will do well together. She says she’s tired of living with Miss Havisham and wants a new change, such as marrying. However, she will marry a man who has no feelings for her, as she won’t return it. Pip tearfully tells her that for as long as he lives in England, he doesn’t know how he’ll see her as Drummle’s wife. Estella says that he will soon forget about her, and Pip tells her that since he was a boy, she has always been on his mind, part of his life, and how he sees the world. She motivated him to desire more than what life had promised him, and despite her cold-hearted nature, he only associates her with the good, and she will never leave his mind. He blesses her and bids her goodbye, leaving her stunned and Miss Havisham sympathetic.
It is late when Pip leaves Satis House and decides to return to London by foot, as he cannot bear to return to the inn where he saw Drummle or ride the same coach with him. It is past midnight when he crosses London Bridge and heads toward the Temple. Even though he isn’t expected until tomorrow, he still has the keys and could sneak back into the apartment without waking Herbert. He arrives at the Temple just after it closes, and a night watchman gives him a note addressed to him. With the watchman using his lantern to help Pip read the note, Pip reads that it’s from Wemmick, warning him not to go home.
After reading the warning, Pip immediately leaves the Temple, heads to Fleet Street, and takes a coach to rent a room at the Hummums Inn in the Covent Garden, where there are beds always available at this time of night.[45] The chamberlain leads him to a dusty, smelly room on the ground floor for him to sleep in. Throughout the night, Pip becomes restless from the odour and eerie sounds in the room, and he constantly thinks about the ominous message he received the previous night. He remembers reading a story in the newspaper about how a man unknown to the Hummums Inn checked into a room during the night and then committed suicide. His body was found the next day lying in a pool of blood. Pip thinks that he’s sleeping in the same room where the man died, so he checks for any red marks and opens his door to look down any passages. At the same time, he wonders why he can’t go home and whether Magwitch is safe at the Temple. He also thinks about his last meeting with Estella. When he does sleep, he tosses and turns over the thoughts of the message “don’t go home”.
When morning arrives, his first plan is to visit Wemmick immediately. He arrives at the Castle, where he finds Wemmick and the Aged Parent having tea. Pip tells him that he didn’t go home last night, and Wemmick says he left some notes at the gates of the Temple for him, and he’ll destroy the rest when Pip finds one at one of the gates. Wemmick asks Pip to toast a sausage for the Aged Parent, and Pip thanks him for his kindness. After toasting the Aged Parent’s sausage, Wemmick explains that he accidentally heard yesterday the story about a convict who disappeared from Australia, which has caused a stir of interest. There have been theories of where he has gone. Pip asks if this is why his apartment may be watched, and Wemmick firmly replies that it may be true and that it might also be searched. Pip asks Wemmick if he knows Compeyson and if he’s still alive and living in London. Wemmick confirms it and says he went to Covent Garden to find Pip after what he has heard, but then he went to Clarriker’s to inform Herbert that if there is anyone named Tom, Richard or Jack spotted in the apartment or neighbourhood, he should have them removed immediately. Wemmick then advises Pip that since London is such a large city, he should stay and hide here until things calm down before he can travel abroad. Pip thanks Wemmick for his advice and asks what Herbert has done. Wemmick says that Herbert told him that his fiancée’s bedridden father lives in a house that overlooks the ships going up and down the river.
Wemmick asks Pip if he knows Herbert’s fiancée, Clara, but Pip recalls that Clara disapproved of him and thought he was a bad influence on Herbert, even though he never met her. Wemmick explains that Herbert met a widow whose upper floor in her home by the docks will be arranged for Magwitch’s lodgings, where he will likely be safe from Pip’s troubles. Finally, when the time comes to help Magwitch escape England, he will be put on a ship to take him out of the country. He again advises Pip that he should stay away from Magwitch’s lodgings to avoid suspicion. After he finishes his breakfast and prepares to head to work, he gives Pip the address where Magwitch is staying, but he shouldn’t return there after he goes home. Wemmick leaves for work, Pip falls asleep by the fire, and later has dinner with the Aged Parent.
Pip gets lost at the docks trying to find Magwitch’s address.[46] He finds a house at the Mill Pond Bank where a plate on the door reads “Mrs. Whimple,” whose name is in the address he’s looking for. He knocks on the door, and a kind, elderly woman answers the door. Herbert then appears, quickly leads him into the parlour and closes the door. Pip finds it unusual to find his friend in an area unfamiliar to him. Herbert tells Pip that Magwitch is well, comfortable, and eager to see him. Clara is with her father, and Herbert will introduce her to Pip when she comes down. Pip hears a strange growling sound, and Herbert says it’s her father, Mr. Barley. Herbert admits he hasn’t seen his fiancee’s father, and he smells of rum, as he’s a heavy drinker, which is bad for his gout. Mrs. Whimple has been helpful and affectionate to shelter Magwitch and is also kind to Clara.
Herbert explains to Pip several times that he first knew Clara while she was completing her education in Hammersmith. When she had to return home to nurse her father, they relied on Mrs. Whimple’s affection and kindness, who offered them lodgings. During the conversation, they heard Mr. Barley’s growl again, following by the room door opening. Clara, a pretty, young woman, appears with a basket in her hand, and Herbert tenderly takes her basket and shows Pip her supper she eats every night, which consists of bread, cheese and wine that Herbert drinks. He also shows Pip Mr. Barley’s breakfast, which is to be prepared tomorrow, consisting of meat, potatoes, flour, and salt and pepper.
Pip admires Clara until they hear the growl and a loud, thumping noise. Clara says she must tend to her father and quickly leaves. Pip and Herbert listen to Clara, making him drink his rum before Clara returns, and Herbert leads Pip upstairs to see Magwitch. Along the way, they hear Mr. Barley muttering hoarsely to himself, and Herbert says Mr. Barley occasionally mutters to himself often. At the top of the house, there are two cabin rooms where Magwitch is settled comfortably. Pip decides not to mention anything about Compeyson to Magwitch right now in case he may become alarmed and will go out searching for him. Pip and Herbert sit with Magwitch by the fire, and Pip asks Magwitch if he relies on Wemmick for information.
Pip tells Magwitch that he recently talked to Wemmick and was given some caution and advice. He explains to Magwitch that he is under suspicion and Pip’s apartment is now closely monitored. Wemmick advises Pip that he should get Magwitch out of the country, and Pip will accompany him. Herbert then suggests that they could smuggle Magwitch out of London by boat and tells Pip he should keep a boat at the Temple stairs. If he kept rowing routinely on the River Thames, he would likely not arouse suspicion. Pip agrees with this plan and hopes that Magwitch won’t recognize them when they row past Mill’s Pond Bank and pick him up by the bridge. They also decide to keep Magwitch’s blinds down so he would be able to watch Pip rowing and everything is well.
Once everything has been arranged, Pip prepares to leave before telling Herbert they shouldn’t go home together. He then tells Magwitch that while he doesn’t want to leave him here alone, he knows he will be safe here and should stay in his rooms at all times. After they bid goodbye, Pip and Herbert leave Magwitch on the landing as they descend the stairs. When they get to the landing, Herbert explains to Pip that Magwitch is now called Mr. Campbell.
Pip goes home and heads straight to bed. The next day, he obtains a boat and brings it to the Temple stairs. He then spends all his time practicing rowing, sometimes alone or with Herbert. He practices rowing during bad weather, and after a few times, he is sure nobody will suspect him. He initially rowed under Blackfriars Bridge, but when the hours of the tide changed, he then rowed under the Old London Bridge. The first time he passes by Mill Pond’s Bank, he sees the shades being lowered at Mrs. Whimple’s house and knows that Magwitch is watching him. Herbert is rarely seen there and doesn’t give Pip any alarming news. However, Pip cannot help but worry that he may still be watched and is filled with fear for Magwitch. Herbert says it is enjoyable to gaze out the window after dark when the tide is running low, but Pip worries that Magwitch’s pursuers may appear on the tide to capture him.
Several weeks pass, and still no word from Wemmick.[47] Even if Pip wants more money, he pawns some jewelry to earn some cash and refuses any more money from his benefactor. As time passes, Pip has the impression that Estella is married, so he avoids reading the newspapers about her marriage and begs Herbert not to talk about Estella to him again. He becomes miserable and anxious while rowing his boat and waiting as best as possible. On some occasions, the tide makes it difficult for Pip to return home by boat through Old London Bridge, so he leaves his boat on a wharf by the Custom House, where it would be brought to the Temple.
One day, in late February, Pip arrives at the wharf at dusk. He has rowed from Greenwich along the tide, and during the rowing, he glimpsed at Magwitch’s window and knows he is fine. It is now a cold, foggy evening, so Pip decides to have dinner and then watch a play at the theatre where Mr. Wopsle works, who has achieved some success in performing comedies. After he eats out, he heads to the theatre.
One afternoon, after leaving his boat at the Old London Bridge, Pip strolls in Cheapside, unsure where he should dine.[48] He meets Mr. Jaggers, who asks where he’s going. Pip doesn’t know, so Mr. Jaggers invites him to dine with him. Pip is about to excuse himself until Mr. Jaggers mentions that Wemmick is joining them. They first head to Mr, Jaggers’s office, where Mr. Jaggers finishes his working duties before he, Pip and Wemmick take a coach to his house, where dinner is immediately served. During the meal, Wemmick hands Mr. Jaggers a note addressed to Pip from Miss Havisham, who requests he visit her. Since he has nothing on his mind right now, Pip replies that he’ll go immediately, and would leave tomorrow. Mr. Jaggers then mentions that Drummle has married Estella, although he suspects he may abuse her, which torments Pip. Molly appears and Mr. Jaggers reprimands her for being slow.
Pip watches carefully at Molly’s hand gestures, and notices they are similar to knitting. Her eyes and hair are also a striking resemblance to Estella, and he immediately assumes that Molly is Estella’s mother. After the meal, Pip and Wemmick leave together, with Pip glad to see Wemmick’s stern personality change. Pip asks Wemmick if he has seen Estella, but Wemmick replies no, so Pip abruptly changes the subject by asking him about the Aged Parent and Miss Skiffins. Wemmick becomes sly when Pip mentions Miss Skiffins.
Pio then asks Wemmick about Molly and if Mr. Jaggers tamed her. Wemmick isn’t sure, and Pip persuades him to tell him her story. Wemmick doesn’t know the whole story, but will tell him what he knows about it as they arrive at his home. Wemmick explains to Pip that many years ago, Molly was tried for murder at the Old Bailey and was acquitted. Mr. Jaggers was her lawyer and was in his early years of his law career. Molly was charged of murdering a woman out of jealously, and the victim’s body was found in a barn near Hounslow Heath. There had been a violent struggle between the woman and Molly, as implicated by the scratches on Molly’s hands. But one day during the trial, Mr. Jaggers dressed Molly in a dainty outfit, and argued that Molly was too small and dainty to commit such a heinous crime. At the time, Molly was suspected of killing her 3-year-old child, and her wounds were caused from her child she killed to revenge herself against her husband. But since Molly was tried for her child’s murder, the jury ended up acquitting her, and she immediately became Mr. Jaggers’ tamed servant. Pip asks about the gender of Molly’s child, and Wemmick replies that it was a girl. Wemmick then says he has nothing to tell Pip and has destroyed his letter. After they say goodnight, Pip heads home, with his mind filled with what he has learned.
Helping Magwitch Escape[]
The next day, Pip returns to his hometown to visit Satis House.[49] An elderly woman, who Pip recognizes as one of the servants who lived in the supplementary house, opens the gate, and Pip ascends the dark staircase with a candle. He finds Miss Havisham in the large room with the decaying wedding feast, sitting by the fireplace. He notices how lonely she is as he walks in. She notices him and thanks him for coming, almost thinking he isn’t real. She asks Pip how he wanted her to do something good for Herbert, and he explains Herbert’s partnership, but Miss Havisham doesn’t seem to follow him, so he repeats his explanation.
Afterwards, Miss Havisham asks how much money he wants for the investment, and he requests £900. She asks him if he will keep a secret after he takes the money and if he is unhappy. Pip replies that he has been unhappy for a while, and she asks if there is anything she can do for him. He replies there is nothing for her to do, so she takes out some ivory tablets and writes something on them. She asks if he is still on friendly terms with Mr. Jaggers, and he replies that he dined with him yesterday. She gives him the notes written with directions for Mr. Jaggers to pay the necessary funds for Herbert’s business.
Miss Havisham hopes that Pip will eventually forgive her, and he replies that he already has. To Pip’s surprise, Miss Havisham kneels at his feet and cries, “What have I done?”. Pip tries to help her stand up, but she grasps tighter on him and weeps in despair. Pip asks if Estella is married, and Miss Havisham confirms this. She again laments constantly, “What have I done?”. Pip doesn’t know how to answer or comfort her, as he knows that she has caused Estella’s heart to turn to ice, and rather than turning to happier influences that would heal her broken heart, she shuts herself out from the sunlight and the outside world, and indulged her anger and sorrow.
Pip assures Miss Havisham that he would have fallen in love with Estella under any circumstances, and since she has done so little for him, he urges her to undo some of the harm she has done to Estella. Miss Havisham says she only wanted to save Estella from her heartache, but as she grew more beautiful, she moulded her into a weapon. Pip tells her it would have been better to leave Estella her heart, even if it breaks. He says he knows about her history, which makes him more compassionate, and asks how Estella came into her care. Miss Havisham says that Mr. Jaggers brought her here but didn’t know who her biological parents were. She explains that after being shut up in Satis House for many years, she asked Mr. Jaggers for a little girl to love and raise, and save her from her fate. One night, he brought her a young girl aged 2-3 years old. She named her Estella and adopted her.
Pip leaves Miss Havisham and heads outside, where it’s getting dark. He tells the elderly servant he wants to stroll around the property before leaving for the final time. He roams in the ruined garden where he fought Herbert and walked with Estella. He walks inside the brewery, where he sees a vision of Miss Havisham hanging onto the beam. Before he leaves, he decides to check on Miss Havisham and see if she’s alright. He peeks inside the room he left her in, and she is seated by the fire. He sees a flame spark, and Miss Havisham runs toward him, screaming and engulfed in flames. Pip quickly covers her with his coat and cloak to douse the flames, throws her onto the ground, and pulls off the tablecloth from the table, causing the wedding cake to topple over and a bunch of beetles and spiders to scurry away. He covers her with the cloth, and she continues to scream and struggle. The servants burst inside, and Pip holds Miss Havisham forcibly down to the ground.
He holds her down until assistance arrives, afraid that if he lets her go, she will catch on fire again. He realizes that his hands are burnt and learns that Miss Havisham has severe burns, and the surgeon asserts that it’s the shock that’s more harmful to her than the burns. She is placed on the table, where she says she will lie once she dies. Her wedding dress is burnt, so she is wrapped in cotton wool. He learns from one of the servants that Estella is in Paris, and the surgeon promises to write to her explaining what happened. Pip intends to inform Matthew Pocket about this, and then Mr. Pocket will pass on the message to the rest of his family. When he returns to London the next day, he will pass this information on to Herbert. As Miss Havisham lies on the table, she again laments what she has done, reciting why she adopted Estella and asking Pip for forgiveness. Since there is very little Pip can do for her now, he decides to head home early the next morning. Before he leaves, Pip kisses her on the lips.
Pip’s burnt hands are dressed twice at night and again the next morning.[50] His arm is also burnt to the elbow, but Pip is grateful it isn’t worse. His bandaged right hand isn’t badly burnt, and he can still move his fingers and carries his injured arm in a sling, to which he has to wear his coat around his shoulders. His hair was also burnt from the fire. After Herbert returns from Hammersmith, he kindly attends to Pip and nurses his wounds. While Pip rests, he struggles to get the image of the fire out of his mind, and when he dozes off, he is awakened by Miss Havisham’s screams. Pip and Herbert haven’t discussed the boat, and Pip asks if everything is well at the river. Herbert replies that all is fine, and they don’t bring up the subject until the end of the day.
While changing Pip’s bandages, Herbert says he was with Magwitch last night, and Clara had a troubled night with her ailing father. Herbert thinks that her father will die soon, and if he does, he will marry Clara. He also mentions that while he sat with Magwitch, he told him more of his backstory, and Pip asks him to explain it. Herbert explains that Magwitch’s wife was a jealous, vengeful woman who was tried for murdering a woman in a barn. Mr Jaggers defended her during her trial and was then acquitted. Magwitch and his wife also had a child who Magwitch adored, but during her trial, the wife threatened that she would kill their child and he would never see her again. Magwitch lived with his wife for four to five years and seemed to pity her despite what she had done. However, Magwitch went into hiding to avoid being a witness at her trial. The wife disappeared shortly after her acquittal, and he never knew what happened to his child. Compeyson heard most of the story and used this knowledge to blackmail Magwitch into working harder for less pay.
Pip asks Herbert when this all happened, and Herbert replies that it happened over a year ago after he partnered with Compeyson. Herbert asks Pip how old he was when he first met Magwitch in the churchyard, and Pip says he was 7 years old. Herbert says that it happened three or four years ago at that time, and his child he had lost would have been around Pip’s age. Pip then realizes that Magwitch is Estella’s father and informs Herbert of this.
Pip is left with a feverish conviction upon discovering Estella’s parentage.[51] He decides to pay a visit to Mr. Jaggers for confirmation about the truth, and the next morning, he arrives at Mr. Jaggers’s office, where Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers are going over the office accounts. After Pip explains to Mr. Jaggers about the fire at Satis House, he requests the £900 for Herbert. While Wemmick writes the cheque, Mr. Jaggers apologizes to Pip for not doing anything for him. Pip recalls how Miss Havisham asked if she could do anything for him, and he refused. Mr. Jaggers says that he shouldn’t have refused. Pip then says that he has learned more of Estella’s backstory and knows who her parents are. Mr. Jaggers is surprised when Pip mentions the father is Provis from Australia, but Provis himself has no evidence since he doesn’t know if his daughter is still alive. After Pip explains everything, Mr. Jaggers changes the subject by going on with his business with Wemmick.
Refusing to be ignored, Pip appeals about his false hopes and recent discovery. He needs to know, as he loves Estella dearly and still cares about her. He addresses Wemmick’s kindness, his castle home, the Aged Parent, and how he has a soft side outside of work. Mr. Jaggers is astounded by hearing about Wemmick’s private life and thinks he’s an impostor. Wemmick insists his home has nothing to do with their business, and thinks Mr. Jaggers should retire to a pleasant home when he’s tired of working.
Mr. Jaggers changes the subject by explaining to Pip how a woman who had a child was on trial, and there was an eccentric woman he knew who wanted to adopt the child. The father was believed to be dead, and Mr. Jaggers told the woman that he would only acquit her if she offered her child for adoption. The woman agreed, and he took her in after her acquittal. Her child then grew up and married off for money, while the parents are still alive. Mr. Jaggers then tells Pip it won’t do any good if he reveals the truth to the parents about their child, as this will leave Estella in disgrace. Afterwards, Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers return to work, and Pip notices how indifferent they are now that Mr. Jaggers knows about Wemmick’s private life. However, they are both relieved when their client, Mike, appears. Pip first saw him when he visited Mr. Jaggers’s office for the first time. Mike explains to Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers how his daughter is accused of stealing, and the two lawyers notice he’s in no fit state to come here and order him to leave. Afterwards, Mr. Jaggers and Wemmick’s relationship appears to have been rekindled.
Pip heads to Clarriker’s with the cheque to secure Herbert’s partnership.[52] Clarriker informs Pip that he’s planning to establish a branch in the East, and Herbert will be transferred there. Pip knows he should be prepared to lose his friend, but fantasizes about Herbert returning home and telling him stories of him escorting Clara to the land of the Arabian Nights, and Pip may eventually join him.
It is now March. Pip’s arm is still recovering and is unable to put his coat on, although his right arm is fully healed. One Monday morning, while having breakfast with Herbert, Pip receives a letter from Wemmick, telling him Wednesday is the preferred date to escape with Magwitch, and he must burn the letter immediately after reading it. Pip shows the letter to Herbert, and after they burn it, Herbert suggests they should have Startop help with the escape. Pip agrees with the idea and wonders what port they’ll end up in and if a foreign steamer would take them there, so long as they get Magwitch out of England. He thinks they should start rowing well beyond Gravesend and would start rowing at high tide.
After breakfast, Pip and Herbert make the preparations. They discover that a steamer from Hamburg will be the best choice for escaping London, but they look at other steamers, too, that are leaving London at high tide. Pip goes out to get the passports, while Herbert visits Startop. When everything is done, the friends meet again and everything is set. Because Pip’s arm is still injured, he can’t row, so Herbert and Startop will use the paddles, Pip will be the steerer, and Magwitch will sit in the boat and stay quiet. They also arrange that Herbert shouldn’t come home for dinner before going to Mill Pond Bank, and will avoid going there on Tuesday evening. Instead, he’ll prepare Magwitch to leave his lodgings and wait for the boat on Wednesday. They will avoid speaking to Magwitch until he climbs aboard. Now that the preparations are ready, Pip heads home.
When he opens the door to his apartment, Pip finds a letter written to him. The anonymous sender asks him to come to the sluice-house by the limekiln at the marshes at 9 o’clock to gather information about his “uncle Provis”, and he must come alone. Pip doesn’t know what to do, but knows he must decide quickly, or he’ll miss the afternoon coach taking him to the marshes. He also knows he can’t go tomorrow, since it will almost be close to the time of the escape. He’s convinced this person might have important information about the escape. He checks his watch, and the coach is scheduled to leave in half an hour, so he decides to go anyway. He leaves a note for Herbert, saying he has to check on Miss Havisham and doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone. He quickly puts on his coat, locks up the apartment, and boards the coach just as it leaves.
Pip is the only passenger in the coach, and he wonders why he’s in the coach and if he should change his mind and go back. But when the sender mentions Provis, he worries that Magwitch will be in danger if he chooses not to go. It is almost dusk as the coach arrives in the marshes. Avoiding the Blue Boar, Pip stays at a local inn and orders dinner. While his meal is being prepared, he heads to Satis House and learns that Miss Havisham is doing slightly well. Back at the inn, Pip chats with the landlord, who tells him the story about Uncle Pumblechook making a young man’s fortunes. Pip asks if the young man ever returned here, and the landlord explains that he occasionally returns home to see his friends, but gives Uncle Pumblechook the cold shoulder for everything he has done for him. Pip then reflects that Joe never complains, nor does Biddy. The landlord wants to offer him more food, but Pip refuses, as he already feels remorseful for his mistreatment of Joe. He muses by the fire for another hour until 9:00. But as he leaves, he checks his pocket and no longer has the letter, assuming he must have dropped it in the coach. But since he knows the appointed place, he wastes no time and heads to the sluice house by the limekiln on the marshes.
It is a dark night with a red moon and bitter wind as Pip walks in the marshes.[53] He knows the limekiln well, like the Old Battery, but they are located miles apart. Half an hour later, he approaches the kiln, where the stench of lime lingers, but no workers are present. He then spots a light at the old sluice house and knocks on the door. While awaiting a response, Pip notices how dilapidated the house is, and its roof wouldn’t hold on for much longer. There is no response, so he knocks again. Again, there is no response, so he tries the latch, and the door opens. Inside, he finds a lit candle on the table, a bench and a mattress. Pip calls out to anyone, but there is silence. He checks his watch, and it’s already past 9 o’clock. He prepares to leave, but it starts to rain, so he stands in the doorway, looking out into the night. He assumes that someone must have been here recently and would return soon, or else the candle wouldn’t still be burning. He decides to search for the wick, so he takes the candle, which suddenly extinguishes. A strong noose is thrown over Pip’s neck, and someone calls, “I got you!”.
Pip struggles and calls for help. His arms are restrained tightly, and his injured arm causes him pain from the pressure. He is then tied to the wall, and is unable to move from being tied up tightly and can’t ease the pain in his arm. He hears a shutter close, and his attacker strikes a light with a match. In the darkness, Pip can only see the attacker’s lips, who uses steel and flint to light the match. The room brightens, and Pip sees the attacker’s face, and it’s Orlick.
Orlick lights the candle and drops the match, then sits at the table and stares at Pip. Pip notices that he is tied to a stout ladder a few inches from the wall, and it leads to the loft above. Pip demands that Orlick let him go and asks why he lured him here. Orlick pulls out a gun with a brass-bound stock and scolds Pip for coming between him and a woman he admired. Pip tells him it was his problem, and he wouldn’t have brought him harm if he hadn’t done it. Orlick calls Pip a liar and suspects he will spend his money to drive him out of England, and decides he will kill him here. Now realizing he’s about to be killed, Pip looks around for an escape, but there is none. Orlick tells Pip that after he kills him, he’ll dump his body into the kiln and nobody will suspect anything. At that moment, Pip imagines that Magwitch will think that he’s abandoned him and will accuse him if he’s captured. Herbert will think the same way, too, without any provided evidence. Joe and Biddy will never know how sorry he is, and is about to die here anonymously.
Orlick decides he’ll have a good look at Pip before killing him. Pip thinks of calling for help again, but the sight of Orlick taunting him makes him detest him more. Orlick has also been drinking and has bloodshot eyes with the bottle around his neck. He confesses that he attacked Mrs. Joe and indirectly caused her death, and it was all Pip’s fault because Joe favoured him over Orlick. He drinks again and confesses that he was the man he tripped over on the stairs at Pip’s apartment. Ever since Pip turned him away, Orlick is determined to have revenge on him, and starts stalking him in London after Pip returned home for Mrs. Joe’s funeral. Since he had known Pip since he was a child, he knew he didn’t have an uncle, until he realized that Provis was wearing the filed leg irons he used to attack Mrs. Joe, and now knows that Pip is planning to escape with Magwitch and even knows the person hunting Provis.
After slouching around the room, Orlick tosses the bottle away, and Pip sees he’s holding a stone hammer. Pip struggles and cries for help, until he hears voices and light gleaming at the door. Pip sees some men burst inside and attack Orlick, who quickly escapes. Afterwards, Pip faints, and when he regains consciousness, he is lying on the floor and untied from the ladder. His head rests on someone’s knee, and he sees Trabb’s Boy staring at him. He also sees Herbert, whose knee his head rests on, and Startop is with them, too. Pip quickly get up, but flinches from the pain in his arm, demanding to know what time it is. Herbert replies it’s still Monday evening, and asks Pip if he can stand. Pip says he can still walk and feels no pain, but in his arm.
Pip’s friends replace his arm in the sling with fresh bandages, and they leave the sluice house with Trabb’s Boy, now an adult, leading the way with a lit lantern. Pip asks Herbert how he found him, and Herbert initially refuses, but does so anyway. He explains that when he came home after retrieving Startop, he found the letter open inside the apartment shortly after Pip left. Feeling suspicious after reading the letter, he heads to the coach office with Startop, but learn the afternoon coach had already left. They used a post chaise to the Blue Boar Inn, expecting to find Pip there, but they didn’t. While at the inn, they met Trabb’s Boy, who became their guide in the marshes to find Pip. Herbert even searched the sluice house, but could hear nothing until he heard Pip’s cries for help.
When Pip recalls to Herbert what happened in the sluice house, Herbert considers going to the town magistrate and getting out a warrant for Orlick. Pip worries that this delay will endanger Magwitch, and they decide to pursue Orlick later. He pays Trabb’s Boy two guineas and apologizes for thinking ill of him. Trabb’s Boy ignores his apology but takes the money. On Wednesday, Pip and his friends plan to return to London to prepare for Magwitch’s escape. Herbert uses lotion to treat Pip’s arm to soothe the pain, and Pip rests in bed after they arrive at the Temple. However, Pip worries that in his current condition, he won’t be fit for the escape, and anxiously looks forward to it. Whenever he hears a sound, he fears that Magwitch has been found and captured. His arm still throbs in pain, and he worries he will become delirious when the escape plan comes to fruition. His friends look after him with refreshments and treat his arm. At midnight, he gets out of bed, thinking he’s overslept for 24 hours and Wednesday has already passed. But on Wednesday morning, Pip awakens feeling strong and ready to carry out the plan. Herbert and Startop are still asleep, and since Pip can’t get dressed by himself without help, he lights the fire and makes coffee. Eventually, Herbert and Startop awaken, and Herbert informs Pip of their plans for tomorrow.
It is a chilly, sunny morning as Pip and his friends get ready for the escape.[54] Pip packs some of his possessions in his bag, unsure if he will return to his apartment again, but his biggest priority is Magwitch’s safety. They head down the Temple stairs and nearly reconsider their plans until they board the boat. The tide is high, and it’s half past 8. They arrange to start rowing once the tide runs low, and keep going until nightfall, where they’ll be close to Gravesend. There will be less activity there, and they could even find a public house to spend the night. The steamers leaving for Rotterdam and Hamburg are scheduled to leave from London at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning, which relieves them to execute this long-awaited plan.
The River Thames slowly becomes busy with steamers and boats coming and going. Pip sits in the stern, and as the boat approaches Mill Pond Bank, Pip asks if Magwitch is there until they see him. Magwitch quickly boards the boat, wearing a cloak and carrying his bag. Magwitch thanks Pip, and as they start rowing, Pip looks around for any sign of suspicion, but so far, there is nothing. Magwitch smokes his pipe and recalls that since living in the penal colony, he hasn’t been concerned about arousing suspicions of being captured. Pip tells him that if their plan becomes successful, he will be safe and free. Magwitch dips his hand in the water and philosophizes about freedom and life.
Magwitch is Captured[]
Throughout the boat ride, Magwitch remains calm and content. The tide lowers as they leave London and approach the marshland countryside. After a quarter of an hour of rowing, the men stop at some slippery stones to eat and drink. They row until dusk and debate about finding a lone tavern to spend the night in. However, at the same time, they sense that they are being followed, such as hearing sounds and voices. Pip steps ashore and finds a dirty public house that provides food and shelter. They haul the boat, eat their dinner by the fire, and arrange the rooms they’ll stay in: Herbert and Startop will sleep in one room and Pip and Magwitch in the other. As they sit by the fire after eating, a man asks Pip if he saw a four-oared galley rowing with the tide. Pip replies no, and the man says two sitters were in the galley. The man says the galley was here before Pip and his friends, and thinks the men on the galley looked like Custom officials from the way they’re hovering, even though they don’t have their buttons.
Pip and his friends are alarmed when they hear this. After asking Magwitch to retire for the night, Pip, Herbert and Startop head outside and debate whether they should leave early in the morning or near 1 o’clock when the steamer is preparing to leave. They decide it’s best to leave an hour before the steamer heads out, so they can row easily with the tide, and they go to bed. Several hours later, Pip is awakened by sounds coming from their boat. Looking out the window, he sees two suspicious-looking men examining the boat. He initially plans on calling for Herbert, but knowing how tired Herbert and Startop are, he changes his mind. He looks out the window again and sees the men heading into the marshes. He lies down to think it over, but falls asleep.
The men awaken early in the morning. Pip thinks he should explain to Herbert and Startop what he has seen. Magwitch doesn’t seem worried and thinks the men outside are just Custom House officials with no interest in them. Pip proposes that he and Magwitch walk together to a distant area where Herbert and Startop will pick them up at about noon. After breakfast, Pip and Magwitch walk out, not speaking to each other. Pip then asks Magwitch to hide so he can survey the area where the two men were last seen. Magwitch complies, and Pip goes there alone. There aren’t signs of anyone having been there, nor was a boat present. Afterwards, Pip and Magwitch wait until Herbert and Startop arrive with the boat.
Pip looks out for the steamer’s smoke, and at half past one, he sees it appearing from behind another steamer. As the steamer starts moving full speed ahead, Pip and Magwitch get out their bags and prepare to say goodbye to Herbert and Startop, when they spot a four-oared galley on the river. Pip asks Herbert and Startop to keep with the tide, hoping the steamer will spot them, and asks Magwitch to sit still, covered in his cloak. However, the galley seems to follow them, and the men row harder and faster. One of the sitters in the galley is wrapped in a cloak, like Magwitch. Startop glances at one of the steamers and sees one named “Hamburg”. But as the steamer approaches the boat, a voice from the galley hails their boat, and calls for Magwitch to surrender and be arrested. The galley then stops next to the boat and holds onto the gunwale. Meanwhile, the steamer notices what’s happening, and a man onboard orders the paddles to stop, but the steamer keeps moving.
The steersman from the galley places a hand on Magwitch’s shoulder, and Magwitch pulls off the cloak of the sitter, and it’s Compeyson. Magwitch and Compeyson dive into the water, and the boat capsizes. Pip, Herbert, and Startop are brought onboard the galley, but their boat is gone, and the two convicts are nowhere to be seen. Eventually, a dark shape is seen underwater, and Magwitch emerges without Compeyson. He is brought onboard and immediately shackled. The two steamers, including the one leaving for Hamburg, drift away down the river, dashing all hopes of escaping.
Pip, Magwitch and their friends are brought to the same tavern where they stayed the previous night. Magwitch is severely injured from one of the steamers, and explains to Pip that he got swept under the keel of the steamer, which left a deep cut on his head. He also has injuries on his chest from the galley, making his breathing extremely painful. He explains that he and Compeyson went overboard together, where they fought and struggled underwater, until Magwitch was able to free himself and swim away. Pip asks the officer to buy some dry clothes for Magwitch. He complies but must confiscate everything belonging to Magwitch, so Pip hands Magwitch’s pocketbook over to the officer. Pip is allowed to accompany Magwitch to London, but Herbert and Startop can’t go with him. The authorities search for Compeyson’s body.
Pip and Magwitch remain at the public house until the tide turns. Magwitch is carried onto the galley, and Herbert and Startop return to London. Pip no longer resents Magwitch and now sees him as a good man who was his benefactor and treated him with affection and gratitude over the years. During the night, Magwitch’s breathing becomes difficult and painful, and Pip tries to make him comfortable. He isn’t sorry that Magwitch is badly hurt, and thinks it’s best if Magwitch should die, even doubting the sentence will be merciful. He tells Magwitch that he’s devastated he returned to England for his sake, but Magwitch doesn’t regret returning here. He says he should become a gentleman without him, but Pip realizes this won’t happen, because if Magwitch is convicted, all of his assets will be seized by the Crown. He also tells Pip that a gentleman shouldn’t be with him and should only come with Wemmick and sit in the courtroom where he can see him. However, Pip vows that he will stay at his side.
The next day, Magwitch is brought to court.[55] The trial is postponed until an officer from the prison ship from which Magwitch escaped is brought in to confirm his identity. This was supposed to be Compeyson’s task, but he drowned in the river, and no officer in London can provide evidence. Pip goes to Mr. Jaggers’s house to beg him to defend Magwitch in court, but Mr. Jaggers says it’s a lost cause and scolds Pip for not trying to preserve his wealth. Because Pip isn’t related to Magwitch or has any connections with him, Mr. Jaggers doubts that his wealth will be extracted. Pip understands this and decides not to press the claim.
Compeyson’s remains have been recovered, and on his body was a notebook from a bankhouse in New South Wales. It features details about Magwitch’s money and lands, hoping he’ll receive a reward, but Pip’s fortune was kept safe. After 3 days, the witness comes forward to identify Magwitch, and his trial is scheduled for next month. Around this time, Herbert informs Pip that he will be leaving soon for Cairo, Egypt, but doesn’t want to go yet when he needs him the most. Pip insists he won’t need him now, as he will be by Magwitch’s side all day. Herbert then asks Pip about his future, but is unsure. Herbert encourages him to become a clerk at the new branch he has been called to work at and asks if he’ll come with him. He explains that he discussed this with Clara, and they would like Pip to move in with them. Pip thanks him for the offer, but decides he won’t join him just yet. He wants Herbert to give him 2-3 months to think over his decision.
Pip and Herbert shake hands in agreement. Herbert says that Clara’s father is already dying and will stay at his side until he dies, and then he will marry her. That Saturday, Herbert boards a seaport mail coach, and Pip goes to a coffee house, where he writes a letter to Clara explaining that Herbert has left and sends his love to her. Afterwards, he returns home, where he runs into Wemmick. He says that he met one of Compeyson’s employees, who heard that Compeyson would be out of town and thought it best for the escape. However, it is false information, and he is sorry for the loss of the property. He pities Magwitch, but because of his feud with Compeyson and his determination to have him captured, Magwitch was already doomed. He thinks that the property could have been saved.
Pip invites Wemmick upstairs for a drink, where Wemmick announces he took the day off on Monday, and asks Pip to join him for a walk that day. Pip is bout to excuse himself, but Wemmick assures him the walk isn’t long and they’ll have breakfast along the way. Pip complies and arranges to arrive at the Castle at half-past 8 on Monday morning. On the appointed day, Pip arrives at Wemmick’s home, where Wemmick is wearing a sleeker hat. Pip notices the Aged Parent isn’t seen in his bedroom, and he and Wemmick eat some biscuits and two glasses of rum-and-milk. Afterwards, they head out, and Pip is surprised that Wemmick is carrying a fishing rod. Wemmick insists they aren’t going fishing, but he likes to walk with one.
The men walk towards Camberwell Green, where Wemmick spots a church up ahead, where he leaves his fishing rod outside as they enter. Wemmick pulls out a pair of white gloves, and the Aged Parent appears with Miss Skiffins, also wearing white gloves. Wemmick announces that he and Miss Skiffins will get married. After Wemmick puts on white gloves on his father’s hands, the clerk and clergyman appear, and Wemmick brings out a ring from his pocket. Pip acts as Wemmick’s best man, and after the ceremony is done, everyone heads to a tavern for breakfast. Pip congratulates Wemmick, and Wemmick asks him not to reveal to Mr. Jaggers about his marriage.
Magwitch lies in prison, suffering from two broken ribs and a punctured lung. His breathing becomes more difficult, and he can barely speak.[56] Because of his condition, Magwitch is transferred to the prison infirmary. Pip visits him everyday, although the visits are short, and notices that Magwitch’s health is declining rapidly. Magwitch even ponders if he should have been a better man under any circumstances. He is happy to have Pip at his side and hardly complains.
When the trial approaches, Mr. Jaggers tries to postpone it, since Magwitch’s health is already failing, but to no avail. The trial is short, during which Pip is allowed to sit beside Magwitch and hold his hand. He is convicted and sentenced to death, along with 32 other prisoners. Magwitch’s sentence is long, as it mentions all his crimes and offences over the years. Magwitch then tells the judge that he received his death sentence from God. Pip hopes that Magwitch will die before his execution, and writes a petition to the Home Secretary of State, stating that he returned from Australia for his sake. After he finishes and submits it, he writes petitions to the other authorities, including the Crown. For several days, he cannot rest except by sleeping in his chair, and will walk around the offices and houses where he sent the petitions at night.
Pip’s visits with Magwitch are shortened, as the officials suspect he’s bringing poison to Magwitch. Before Pip can sit at Magwitch’s bedside, he has to be searched and tells an officer he will do anything to support his benefactor. For 10 days, Pip stays close to Magwitch, and Magwitch thanks him for being loyal to him and never abandoning him. He’s glad that Pip is always comfortable around him and never complains about being in pain. Afterwards, Magwitch doesn’t speak again, and the visit is almost over. The prison governor tells Pip he doesn’t need to go yet, and Pip asks if he can still talk to Magwitch, knowing he’s already in his final moments. The governor agrees and beckons the officer away.
Pip tells Magwitch that he once had a daughter whom he loved and lost. Magwitch squeezes Pip’s hand tightly as Pip says that she’s alive, a beautiful lady, and he loves her. Magwitch kisses Pip’s hand and then dies peacefully. Pip then mutters a prayer to God to forgive his benefactor.
Pip’s Illness/Reconciliation with Joe[]
Now on his own, Pip gives notice to give up his lodgings at the Temple, and is alarmed to find himself struggling with his debts.[57] He starts to fall deliriously ill, but is too stressed to deal with his illness. He spends the next two days lying on the floor and sofa, suffering from heavy aches. One night, he has horrible hallucinations of him grappling for a boat, lighting a lamp for Magwitch, and hearing voices, including one telling him Miss Havisham was being burned inside a furnace.
When Pip wakes up in the morning, he sees two men he doesn’t recognize. One of the men informs him he’s under arrest for debt. Pip asks how much he owes, and the man replies £123 to a jeweller. He orders Pip to come with him to his house, so Pip tries to get up and dress himself. He says that he would come if he could, but is too sick, and thinks he’ll die on the way there. The men argue that Pip looks fine, until they end up delaying the arrest. After they leave him, Pip becomes delusional and feverish. He hallucinates people plotting to kill him, but then they assist him. He sees distortions of different faces, and one of them resembles Joe. When his illness worsens, he still sees visions of Joe, and when he awakens, he sees him sitting in a chair by the window, smoking his pipe.
Pip asks for a drink, and Joe gives it to him. Pip asks Joe if he really is there, and he recognizes Joe’s voice replying to him. Pip begs Joe not to be good to him, but Joe puts his arm around Pip’s head and assures him they’re still friends, and they’ll go out for a ride once he’s better. Joe then walks to the window, and since Pip is too weak to get up, he whispers a blessing to him. Joe then sits next to him, and Pip holds his hand, asking how long he’s been sick. Joe replies that it’s the end of May, and Pip asks if he’s been here all this time. Joe says that after Biddy received a letter about his illness, she urged Joe to go to Pip and tend to him. Pip kisses his hand and watches Joe write a letter to Biddy.
Pip then realizes that Biddy taught Joe how to write, and he joyfully cries when Joe keeps her updated. Some of Pip’s furnishings, including his bed and carpet, are removed, and Joe uses Pip’s writing desk to write his letters. The next day, Pip asks Joe if Miss Havisham has recovered. Joe shakes his head and says she’s dead, living a week long after Pip became sick. Pip then asks what will happen to her property. Joe says that Estella was her heir, but left £4,000 to Matthew Pocket. The other relatives, Sarah, Georgiana and Camilla Pocket, also received a portion of her fortune. Joe also reveals that Orlick has been arrested and sent to jail after breaking into Uncle Pumblechook’s house, attacking and robbing him.
As Pip slowly regains his strength, Joe stays at his side to keep him company. He looks forward to the day Joe will take him out for a ride, and when that day comes, Joe carries Pip to their coach. They drive into the countryside, where the trees, flowers and grass are fully grown for summer and the air is filled with sweet summer scents. It is Sunday, and Pip is moved by the beautiful scenery around him, hearing the Sunday church bells ring after being sick in bed for a long time. They arrive at the Old Battery, and Joe lifts him out. They spend their time lying on the grass before returning to their coach. As Joe carries him while heading to the Old Battery, Pip remembers the day on Christmas when Joe carried him into the marshes while hunting for the escaped convicts.
Pip asks Joe if he knows who his patron was. Joe replies that he knows it wasn’t Miss Havisham, but thinks it was the man who gave him the banknotes at the Jolly Bargemen. Pip says that he is dead and is about to explain the circumstances when Joe interrupts him, saying they’re still friends, as the details aren’t important to him. He admits to Pip that he tried to protect him from Mrs. Joe and the Tickler, but she became angrier when he did. He calls Pip “sir” and tells him he may have guilt for other things he has done. Pip feels ashamed and doesn’t want to admit to Joe that he’s poor and has lost his fortune.
As Pip gets stronger, he notices Joe is becoming uneasy around him, and realizes he’s worried that he will abandon him again 9nce he’s fully recovered. They go for a walk around the Temple Gardens, with Pip leaning on Joe’s arm, and then sit by the river. Pip tells Joe that he’s feeling better and can walk on his own now. Joe is happy to hear this, but asks him not to overdue it. Pip walks further until he reaches the gate, and then lets Joe support him by the arm. He has still refrained from telling Joe about his financial situation, as he wants to avoid helping him with his savings. When he goes to bed that night, he decides that on Monday, he will tell Joe the truth about losing his fortune and why he didn’t leave with Herbert.
On Sunday, Joe and Pip return to the countryside and walk in the fields. Pip then admits to Joe that he’s grateful he was sick, because they spent so much time together than they had in the past, and he will never forget it. Joe anxiously replies that what happened between them is already past. That night, when Pip goes to bed, Joe asks him if he’s fully recovered. Pip replies yes, and Joe bids him goodnight. When Pip awakens the next morning, he is ready to explain everything to Joe. He even plans to surprise him in his room, as it’s the first time he has woken up early. But when he arrives in Joe’s room, he’s no longer there. On the breakfast table, Pip finds a note from Joe, saying that he has left now that he’s better, and again reassures them that they’re still friends. He also finds a receipt that shows Joe has paid off his debt to the jeweller. He decides to return to the forge to apologize to Joe and disclose his poverty. He also plans to apologize to Biddy and then propose marriage to her. 3 days later, Pip leaves for his hometown.
The news of Pip’s fall from fortune quickly spreads to the village and the Blue Boar.[58] Pip arrives at the Blue Boar at night, fatigued from his journey, but isn’t assigned to the usual bedroom he often sleeps in when staying there. Early the next morning, while his breakfast is being made, Pip walks to Satis House, where he sees that the house and its furniture are about to be auctioned off. When he returns to the Blue Boar for breakfast, he sees Uncle Pumblechook talking with the landlord. Uncle Pumblechook pities Pip for losing his fortune, and Pip sits down to eat breakfast as Uncle Pumblechook wants to order him a watercress sandwich, but Pip refuses as he doesn’t like watercress. Uncle Pumblechook asks him if he’s going to see Joe, and Pip replies yes. Uncle Pumblechook turns to the waiter and says that he watched him being brought up by hand and rode with him in his cart. He asks Pip to inform Joe that he has met his benefactor and the founder of his fortune, as he still gives himself credit for being his benefactor. Pip says he doesn’t see him here. Uncle Pumblechook urges him to inform Joe that he bears him no malice, and is familiar with Joe’s stubbornness and ignorance, just like how he’s familiar with Pip’s lack of gratitude. He then proceeds to explain that Pip is being ungrateful towards him, being the founder of his fortune. Pip gets fed up by Uncle Pumblechook’s attitude towards him, and after Uncle Pumblechook finishes lecturing, Pip promptly takes his leave and heads out to find Joe and Biddy.
It is a beautiful, sunny day in June. Pip heads to Biddy’s schoolhouse in the house, but is disappointed to learn that today is a holiday, as the schoolchildren are absent and Biddy’s house is closed. He approaches Joe’s forge, but doesn’t hear Joe working. He finds it closed, too, but notices that the parlour is in use, as there are white curtains and flowers in the window. He looks into the window and sees Joe and Biddy standing arm in arm. Biddy is surprised to see him and announces that she and Joe are married. Joe and Biddy bring Pip into the kitchen, and they are both overjoyed and proud to see him again. Pip is relieved that he didn’t tell Joe he was going to marry Biddy, and he wishes them happiness. He thanks them for everything they have done for him and plans to travel abroad to work hard and pay off the debt he owes them. He also hopes they will have children, and that one of them will sit in his seat at the chimney corner. He asks Joe and Biddy not to tell their future child about his ungratefulness, but that he honoured them both as their friend, and hopes their child will grow up to be a better man than he was. Joe promises he and Biddy won’t mention his ungratefulness to their future child. Pip then begs them for forgiveness, and Joe and Biddy reconcile with him. Pip says that he’ll rest in his old room for a few minutes before saying goodbye.
Afterwards, Pip sells all his possessions and makes arrangements with his creditors. A month later, he leaves England and joins Herbert in Cairo, where he becomes a clerk at Clarriker. Herbert left briefly to marry Clara after her father’s death, and Pip is left in charge of the Eastern Branch until their return. A year later, Pip becomes a partner in the house and repays his debts. He corresponds with Joe and Biddy, and moves in with Herbert and Clara. Eventually, the senior partner informs Herbert about Pip’s role in getting him the job with Clarrikers, and he is amazed. Pip and Herbert may not have become wealthy, but they are comfortable with their lifestyle, work for their profits, and do well with their business. Pip realizes that Herbert isn’t as inapt as he thought he would be.
Reunion with Estella[]
11 years pass, and Pip hasn’t seen Joe and Biddy during that time.[59] One night in December, Pip returns to England and arrives at his home without being noticed. He finds Joe sitting by the fire smoking his pipe, and a young boy sits on Pip’s old stool in the corner. Joe tells Pip that he and Biddy named their son after him, and hoped he will turn out to be like him. Pip and his namesake, Pip II, become friends, and Pip takes him to the churchyard to view the gravesite of his parents. Later, Pip asks Biddy for permission to spend more time with Pip II. Biddy, with her young daughter resting in her lap, urges him to get married. Pip doesn’t think it’s likely he’ll get married, and prefers to be a bachelor. Biddy asks him about Estella, and Pip replies that he no longer pines after her, but still thinks about her. However, he plans to revisit Satis House for Estella’s sake.
Pip learns that Estella had an abusive marriage with Drummle and separated from him. Drummle died 2 years ago in a horse, and Pip assumes that Estella must have remarried. After dinner at Joe’s, Pip heads out to Satis House before dusk arrives. He hopes to view old objects and reflect on past times. But when he gets to Satis House, the house is no longer there. The brewery is also gone, and all that’s left of the property is the ruined garden wall overgrown by vegetation. Pip passes a gate and walks into the garden. It is late afternoon, and a cold mist, and Pip traces out where the house and brewery once stood. On the garden path, he spots a lone figure. He approaches the figure and notices that it’s a woman. He then recognizes her as Estella, who is still beautiful but is now more emotional.
Pip and Estella sit on the nearest bench together. Pip remarks that it is strange they meet again after many years, and it was here that they met for the first time. Estella admits that she hasn’t been back here since her marriage, nor has Pip. The moon starts to rise as Estella explains that she wanted to return here, but was restrained from doing so. She wipes her tears and says the Satis House grounds are her only possession, even though she lost everything else. Pip asks if the grounds will be built upon, and Estella confirms it. Pip says that he’s living abroad and works hard to earn a sufficient living. Estella tells Pip that she has always thought of him, regretting what she threw away because of her ignorance. Pip tells her that she always remained in his heart.
Estella then says they should part ways from where they are. Pip tells her that parting is too painful for him, since he was filled with grief and pain from their last parting. Estella remembers when Pip forgave and blessed her, and admits that suffering gave her a heart. She says that life has broken her, but hopes it has shaped her into a better person. She asks Pip for forgiveness and if they can be friends. Pip assures her that they are friends, even when apart. As the mist starts to rise, Pip takes Estella’s hand and they leave the garden together, with Pip not seeing another shadow leaving her.
Personality/Appearance[]
Relationships[]
Joe Gargery[]
Mrs. Joe Gargery[]
Miss Havisham[]
Abel Magwitch[]
Estella[]
Biddy[]
Herbert Pocket[]
Matthew Pocket[]
Bentley Drummle[]
Mr. Jaggers[]
Wemmick[]
Uncle Pumblechook[]
Orlick[]
Quotes/Relatable Quotes[]
Portrayals[]
References[]
- ↑ Great Expectations, Chapter 1
- ↑ Chapter 2
- ↑ Chapter 3
- ↑ Chapter 4
- ↑ Chapter 5
- ↑ Chapter 6
- ↑ Chapter 7
- ↑ Chapter 8
- ↑ Chapter 9
- ↑ Chapter 10
- ↑ Chapter 11
- ↑ Chapter 12
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