Great Expectations

“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”

Part 1: Pip’s Childhood

Young Pip, an orphan raised by his harsh sister and her kind husband Joe, encounters an escaped convict, Magwitch, in a graveyard. Terrified, Pip steals food and a file for him. Later, Pip is invited to the decaying Satis House, where he meets the eccentric Miss Havisham and her beautiful but cold ward, Estella. Pip becomes infatuated with Estella despite her cruelty, and Miss Havisham encourages this, seemingly training Estella to break men’s hearts.

Part 2: Pip’s Great Expectations

A lawyer, Jaggers, informs Pip that an anonymous benefactor has granted him a fortune to become a gentleman in London. Assuming Miss Havisham is his patron, Pip moves to the city, befriends Herbert Pocket, and grows ashamed of his humble origins. He lives extravagantly, neglecting Joe and his old life. Years later, Magwitch, the convict from his childhood, reveals himself as Pip’s true benefactor—risking execution by returning to England. Shocked but loyal, Pip helps hide him.

Part 3: Revelations and Redemption

Pip learns Miss Havisham raised Estella to avenge her own heartbreak. Meanwhile, Magwitch’s enemy, Compeyson, is hunting him. Pip and Herbert attempt to smuggle Magwitch out of England but fail—Magwitch is captured, injured, and later dies after Pip reconciles with him. Pip falls ill, and Joe nurses him back to health, forgiving his past arrogance. Years later, Pip reunites with Estella, who has softened after a troubled marriage. Though their future is uncertain, they part with mutual understanding.

Key Ideas

• The illusion of social mobility and the emptiness of wealth.
• The corrupting influence of ambition and unrequited love.
• Guilt, redemption, and moral growth.
• The contrast between appearance and reality.
• The enduring scars of childhood trauma.

Notable Adaptations