Introduction
‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens deals with “the aspirations and ambitions of the protagonist and narrator, Pip, to improve his status in life and create conditions for better living.” (Dickens).
Pip is a seven year old orphan boy who is being reared by his older sister, Mrs. Joe, and her husband, Joe, a blacksmith by occupation. The opening scene depicts the poor boy grieving over the tombstones of his parents and younger siblings. Suddenly, a convict called Magwitch accosts him and threatens to kill him unless he brings food and a file to cut the chain on his legs. The terrified boy steals these items from his home and delivers the food and file to the criminal. In his own words, “I am afraid to think of what I might have done, on requirement, in the secrecy of my terror.” (Dickens, 13 ).
Subsequently, the local police apprehend the convict. However, he saves the boy from punishment at the hands of his sister by saying that he had broken into the house of Joe and stolen these items. Some time later, the boy’s uncle, Pumblechook, takes him to the wealthy Satis House, where he meets Miss Havisham and another young girl named Estelle. Although Estelle behaves coldly and disdainfully with Pip, he falls in love with her. He visits the mansion often, but later on, is given only the work of a laborer in the house, although he “longs to be a wealthy gentleman.” (Dickens).
Miss Havisham’s diabolical plans
Havisham had been jilted by her lover, Compeyson, on the marriage day, and she now nurses a deep hatred for men and yearns revenge. She wears an old faded wedding gown, stops the clocks to the time when she was jilted, and is keeping the wedding banquet ready for years, to wreak vengeance on people. Unknown to Pip, she is actually using Estelle to pretend to woo Pip in order to avenge her own fate. However, to the outside world, especially Mrs. Joe, she is “the immensely rich lady who lives a life of seclusion.” (Dickens and West, 14, Line.11).
He now seeks training in Joe’s blacksmith shop and he dislikes the work but must go on, and is tutored by Biddy, a lady school teacher. In the meantime, Mrs. Joe is viciously attacked by a violent laborer, Orlick, and becomes a mute invalid.
Pip- Beneficiary of large sum of money
Later on, Pip comes to know that he has been made a beneficiary to a large sum of money by some unknown benefactor. Blinded in his infatuation for Estelle, he believes that the money has been offered by Miss Havisham so he could rise to some status, to marry Estelle. He sets out to be a gentleman and moves to London in order to pursue education and better position in life. He meets Herbert, whose father helps him to groom up as a gentleman. Orlick again comes into his life, but is sent away by Herbert and others. Mrs. Joe, his sister, meanwhile dies and a grief stricken Pip attends the funeral. He is now “regretting his desire for a more comfortable lifestyle and his infatuation with Estella.” (Great Expectations).
Pip realizes Estelle’s guiles
One day, a surprise visitor meets Pip who is none other than the convict, Magwitch. Pip, to his astonishment, realizes that his secret benefactor was Magwitch and not anybody else. He seeks protection from Pip against the police and his former accomplice, Compeyson and wishes to flee the country. Pip now also comes to understand that both Havisham and Estelle had been deceiving him. “…. Miss Havisham adopted Estella and raised her to wreak revenge on the male gender by making them fall in love with her, and then breaking their hearts.” (Dickens). Moreover, before Magwitch’s escape, Estelle had married a ‘good for nothing’ upper class hoodlum, Drummie, whose misconduct later caused Estelle a lot of troubles and miseries.
Pip pays a visit to the Satis House, where he finds a remorse-filled Miss Havisham, who seeks his pardon for her misdeeds. Pip pardons her, but accidentally her clothes catch fire and she is severely burnt, and remains a cripple till her death.
Pip loses all the bequeathed wealth
Meanwhile, it is time for seeking Magwitch’s escape. Pip is called to the marshes where he accosts the vindictive Orlicks, who wishes to kill him. Pip is saved by the timely presence of Herbert and others. In the ensuing fight between Compeyson and Magwitch, the former is drowned and the latter is arrested by police. At this stage, Pip also comes to know that Estelle is really Magwitch’s daughter. Magwitch later dies after atoning for his sins, and Pip becomes a pauper, falls sick and Joe comes to nurse him. The old ties are rebuilt and Joe also informs that Miss Havisham is dead and her fortune has been willed to Herbert. Biddy has educated Joe. At this stage, Pip wishes to leave London and settle down after marrying Biddy, but by then, Joe had already married her.
Reunion of Estelle and Pip
Finally, Pip decides to immigrate to some other country. Returning after a long lapse of time, he finds that Satis Estate is in ruins; Estelle has been treated cruelly by her husband, but he is now dead. Estelle’s cold and indifferent attitude is now changed into sad warmth and they are now united, perhaps never to part ways.
Conclusion
In this novel, Dickens has delved on the emptiness and gloom of Victorian high class society; he wishes to state that material wealth and happiness are two different things. Pip, the protagonist “wished to become a gentleman of the 19th century in order to be the equal of Estella.” (Great Expectations-Novel).
Again, if one were to consider the character of people, the convict Magwtich was a kind person, who was very grateful to Pip for having provided him food when he was desperately seeking to escape from the clutches of the law. He provided money to Pip to become a gentleman.
The hypocrisy of contemporary society is evident in that rich and wealthy people, like the characters of Havisham, Estelle and Drummie, are unhappy and despised and finally have to suffer a lot for their misdeeds. The author postulates the idea that it is not wealth by which one should judge people, nor money makes them happy but their self belief and efforts to better their own lives and seek contentment for themselves and others. “ In the end, Great Expectations is an unforgettable tale about fate, and how a chance encounter between an orphan named Pip and an escaped convict radically and arbitrarily alters the lives of everyone around them.” (Book Clubs / Reading Guides).
Annotated Bibliography
Book Clubs / Reading Guides: Introduction. Penguin.com (USA). 2009. Web.
This source draws parallel between the life of the author (Charles Dickens) and this celebrated novel. It speaks about the maturing of a young innocent boy, his rise from lower rungs of society to gentlemanly and aristocratic levels through his association with people like Herbert, his lover Estelle. This source is important because it explores the relationship of the protagonist with various other people, and the great expectations of Pip, based on grand dreams of a young boy, his ambition to become a gentleman and his amorous adventures which however, finally ended on a happy note.
Dickens, Charles., and West, Keith. Great Expectations. Nelson Thornes. 2001.
This source gives factual account of the play and details the story of Great Expectations right from the time the protagonist visits the grave of his parents and siblings, till the time of his meeting with Estelle. At one level, the story is about the morality and naivety of Pip, as compared with the devilry and wickedness, first of the criminal, next Estelle as a puppet in the hand of fiendish Miss Havilsham. At another level it explores the love-hate relationship of Estelle and finally, what Charles Dickens the author, wishes to state is that good may often be conceived in bad elements, and often what appears good may in fact be destructive.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Kessinger Publishing. 2004.
This source traces the development if the story. This source is important because it gives us the gist of the occurrences of incidents, characters and the plot of the story.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Spark Notes. 2009.
This source provides the reader with the necessary details about the novel and its settings. The hero, Pip is infatuated by Estelle, whose mistress, however wishes to use her for satisfying her own revengeful motives against men. Charles Dickens explores the duplicity in mind of the rich mistress and the apparent innocence of the hero, Pip. The source also reminds of the own struggling childhood days of the author.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations Study Guide: Short Summary. Grade Saver. 2009.
The importance of this source is that it underlines the conflicts that rages in the mind of hero in that he is torn between his conscience and his love for Estelle.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations:Themes, Motifs & Symbols: Ambition and Self-Improvement. Spark Notes. 2009.
Though born in a working class milieu, Pip wishes to seek self improvement and education to better his lot. This is very much in line with Charles Dickens own life. Pip’s visit to Satis House and sight of its opulence and wealth, and the lovely Estelle reinforces this belief. Although he was not well educated and working in blacksmith’s trade, he longer to be in the company of rich and successful people. This source accounts for the gain and final loss of his wealth which was bequeathed by a criminal.
Great Expectations: Great Expectations Summary: The first stage of Pip’s Expectations. E Notes. 2009.Web.
The moral of the story is well figured in this source. It narrates the incidents and happenings that eventually lead to Pip amassing a fortune provided by the criminal and losing it when the criminal is caught and imprisoned. However, the good traits of the criminal in terms of his gratitude towards Pip, albeit his wickedness stands out as moral message that there is good even in evil people.
Great Expectations-Novel: What are the Paradigms Pip Found Himself Challenging?. E Cheat: “It’s Not Cheating, It’s Collaborating”. 2009. Web.
The apparent paradox of wealth and how it is sought by a poor boy is depicted. He decided to educate and become gentlemanly to win his lady love. Charles Dickens introduces the typical stereo type Victorian male in this novel, complete with false pride ( Miss Havisham) a good hearted criminal (Magwitch), a lover torn between her love and her mistress (Estelle). At another level, it also seeks out the true meaning of happiness and contentment in this novel, whether it is derived by wealth or good, simple living as professed by Pip and his brother- in- law, Joe.