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Great Expectations Feb. 18, 2024

Introduction:
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens, published in 1860. In 1861, it was released in three volumes. It is about an orphan in the 19th century named Pip. He wrote and released each chapter every month. It is a famously known novel as it has good literary critic reviews.

The Plot:
Pip, a young orphan, lives with his sister and her husband. On Christmas Eve, he encounters a runaway convict who forces him to bring food and tools. Pip steals what is needed and delivers it. Soldiers arrive, and Pip and his brother-in-law, Joe, help catch the criminal. The convict confesses to stealing, clearing Pip of any wrongdoing. Pip visits Miss Havisham, a wealthy woman, and falls in love with her adopted daughter, Estella. They have a complicated relationship. Miss Havisham gives Pip money to become a blacksmith, and Pip’s sister is attacked, leaving her unable to speak or work. Biddy helps take care of her. Pip’s apprenticeship ends after four years. A lawyer named Mr. Jaggers tells Pip that an anonymous person has given him money to become a gentleman. Thinking it’s Miss Havisham, Pip visits her before going to London.

Pip moves to London and is disappointed by its dirtiness. He lives with Herbert Pocket, who turns out to be his childhood rival. Pip learns about Miss Havisham’s past and meets classmates, including Bentley Drummle and Startop. He receives money from Jaggers and meets Molly, a former convict. Joe visits but Pip feels ashamed to be seen with him. Pip avoids Joe and worries about Orlick, a former apprentice of Joe, working for Miss Havisham and shares his concerns with Jaggers, who promises to dismiss Orlick. Pip and Herbert face financial troubles. Pip goes back to his village for his sister’s funeral. When Pip turns 21, he receives a fixed income. With the help of Jaggers’s clerk, Pip plans to secure a good position for Herbert. Pip takes Estella to visit Miss Havisham, and they argue. At a ball, Pip is outraged when Drummle proposes a toast to Estella. Later, Pip discovers that his secret benefactor is Abel Magwitch, the convict he encountered in the churchyard. Magwitch has become wealthy but cannot return to England.

Pip stops taking Magwitch’s money and plans to help him escape. Magwitch reveals his past and Pip visits Estella at Satis House. Pip confronts Miss Havisham and declares his love, but Estella plans to marry someone else. Pip returns to London and learns that Compeyson is looking for him. At a dinner, Wemmick tells Pip about Molly’s rescue and Miss Havisham admits to raising Estella to be cold-hearted. Miss Havisham gives Pip money and asks for forgiveness. As Pip leaves, Miss Havisham’s dress catches fire. Pip suspects that Estella is the daughter of Molly and Magwitch, but Jaggers advises him not to act on his suspicions. A few days before Magwitch’s planned escape, Pip is lured to a dangerous place by an anonymous letter. Pip is attacked by Orlick but is saved by Herbert and Startop. They try to help Magwitch escape but the police stop them. Magwitch fights with Compeyson and is captured, while Compeyson dies. Pip visits Magwitch in prison and tells him Estella is alive. Pip falls into debt but is helped by Joe. He goes to propose to Biddy but finds out she has married Joe. Pip moves to Cairo with Herbert and becomes successful. After many years, Pip returns and meets a widowed Estella. They make up and decide to go away together, hoping to never be separated again.

Analysis:
The novel goes through more than three decades. The author, Charles Dickens plays with the idea of chronological order and shows how the characters grow in time. For example, Joe is a blacksmith who is always kind to Pip and the only person with whom Pip is always honest and is like a father to Pip. But his personality doesn’t change throughout the book but he does get a bit depressed. The novel shows the unconditional love of Pip for Estella and the feeling Estella has for Drummle. This shows that Pip is in the middle of everything going on in the book. This book also goes over the theme of social criticism and status as Estella “rejects” Magwitch because she is concerned about her social status and image decreasing to just the daughter of a convict. She has shown how she adapted to her rich environment as Ms. Havisham had raised her in such environments. The overall mood of the novel is depressing for everyone has either physically or mentally harmed, meaning the novel ends as an unhappy ending. Another example is Orlick and Drummle. They are both strong and hard to understand. They are passionate and act on their emotions without overthinking. They also meet a tragic ending. The only happy ending is Biddy and Joe’s marriage and the birth of their children.

Conclusion:
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens published in three volumes in 1861. The novel has an interesting timeline and chronological order and shows how characters grow. The main character, Pip, is always in the middle of the web in the conflicts of the story. The ending is mostly unhappy and depressing. This book shows that things like love, faithfulness, and doing what you believe is right are more valuable than going up the social status, being rich, or belonging to a certain social class.
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