Summary
Great Expectations Arrive
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The transformation from apprentice to gentleman begins with a whirlwind of preparations and painful goodbyes. Mr. Jaggers lays out the practical details: Pip will be tutored by Matthew Pocket (that pale young gentleman from Miss Havisham's yard, now grown) and will receive a generous allowance. He must go to London and begin his new life. But first, there's shopping with Mr. Pumblechook—now obsequiously claiming credit for Pip's rise—and awkward farewells with Joe and Biddy. What should be a moment of pure triumph feels complicated. Joe's simple goodness becomes more apparent as Pip prepares to leave it behind, yet Pip also feels relief at escaping the forge and everything it represents. Biddy's quiet dignity in the face of his departure contrasts with Mr. Pumblechook's loud self-congratulation. Pip's final days in the village are colored by his assumptions about Miss Havisham and Estella—he believes he's being prepared to eventually marry Estella, that Miss Havisham orchestrated everything as part of some elaborate romantic plan. These assumptions, never confirmed by anyone, shape his entire understanding of his good fortune. His farewell to Joe is tender but strained; he's leaving behind the person who loved him most unconditionally, and some part of him knows he's not just leaving the forge but betraying something essential. The journey to London represents both opportunity and the first step in a long moral fall.
Coming Up in Chapter 19
Pip prepares for his departure to London, but the six days of waiting feel endless. His anxiety grows that something might happen to destroy his good fortune before he can claim it, while the reality of leaving his old life behind becomes increasingly complex.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
T was in the fourth year of my apprenticeship to Joe, and it was a Saturday night. There was a group assembled round the fire at the Three Jolly Bargemen, attentive to Mr. Wopsle as he read the newspaper aloud. Of that group I was one. A highly popular murder had been committed, and Mr. Wopsle was imbrued in blood to the eyebrows. He gloated over every abhorrent adjective in the description, and identified himself with every witness at the Inquest. He faintly moaned, “I am done for,” as the victim, and he barbarously bellowed, “I’ll serve you out,” as the murderer. He gave the medical testimony, in pointed imitation of our local practitioner; and he piped and shook, as the aged turnpike-keeper who had heard blows, to an extent so very paralytic as to suggest a doubt regarding the mental competency of that witness. The coroner, in Mr. Wopsle’s hands, became Timon of Athens; the beadle, Coriolanus. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, and we all enjoyed ourselves, and were delightfully comfortable. In this cosey state of mind we came to the verdict Wilful Murder. Then, and not sooner, I became aware of a strange gentleman leaning over the back of the settle opposite me, looking on. There was an expression of contempt on his face, and he bit the side of a great forefinger as he watched the group of faces. “Well!” said the stranger to Mr. Wopsle, when the reading was done, “you have settled it all to your own satisfaction, I have no doubt?” Everybody started and looked up, as if it were the murderer. He looked at everybody coldly and sarcastically. “Guilty, of course?” said he. “Out with it. Come!” “Sir,” returned Mr. Wopsle, “without having the honour of your acquaintance, I do say Guilty.” Upon this we all took courage to unite in a confirmatory murmur. “I know you do,” said the stranger; “I knew you would. I told you so. But now I’ll ask you a question. Do you know, or do you not know, that the law of England supposes every man to be innocent, until he is proved—proved—to be guilty?” “Sir,” Mr. Wopsle began to reply, “as an Englishman myself, I—” “Come!” said the stranger, biting his forefinger at him. “Don’t evade the question. Either you know it, or you don’t know it. Which is it to be?” He stood with his head on one side and himself on one side, in a bullying, interrogative manner, and he threw his forefinger at Mr. Wopsle,—as it were to mark him out—before biting it again. “Now!” said he. “Do you know it, or don’t you know it?” “Certainly I know it,” replied Mr. Wopsle. “Certainly you know it. Then why didn’t you say so at first? Now, I’ll ask you another question,”—taking possession of Mr. Wopsle, as if he had a right to him,—“_do_ you know that none of these witnesses have yet been cross-examined?” Mr. Wopsle was beginning, “I can only say—” when the...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Instant Distance - How Success Can Isolate You from Love
The tendency to emotionally distance ourselves from people who genuinely care about us when our circumstances improve, mistaking social mobility for personal superiority.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when achievement creates artificial embarrassment about your origins.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when good news makes you want to hide your background - that's the warning signal to lean into gratitude instead.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Apprenticeship
A formal training system where young people learned trades by working for a master craftsman for several years. The apprentice was bound by legal contract and couldn't leave until the term was complete. This was the main path to skilled employment for working-class youth.
Modern Usage:
We see this in trade unions, medical residencies, and skilled labor programs where you work under supervision before becoming fully qualified.
Great Expectations
The Victorian term for a guaranteed inheritance or fortune coming from a wealthy benefactor. It meant you were set for life and could live as a gentleman without working. The phrase implies both the money and the social status that came with it.
Modern Usage:
Like getting a full scholarship to an elite college, or having a trust fund that sets you up for life - opportunities that completely change your social class.
Gentleman
In Victorian England, this meant someone who didn't work with their hands and had enough money to live off investments or inheritance. It was both a social class and a way of behaving - education, manners, and leisure were required.
Modern Usage:
Similar to 'old money' families today, or the difference between working professionals and people who live off family wealth.
Benefactor
A wealthy person who financially supports someone else, usually anonymously and with specific conditions attached. Victorian society had many such arrangements where rich people 'adopted' promising young people to educate them.
Modern Usage:
Like anonymous donors who pay for someone's college, or wealthy mentors who invest in young people's careers with strings attached.
Inquest
A formal legal investigation into a death, especially when the cause is suspicious. A coroner would question witnesses and examine evidence to determine if a crime occurred. These were public events that drew crowds.
Modern Usage:
Similar to today's coroner investigations or grand jury proceedings - formal legal processes to determine facts about deaths or crimes.
Settle
A long wooden bench with a high back and arms, common in taverns and public houses. People would sit facing each other across these benches, making conversation easy but also allowing others to lean over and listen in.
Modern Usage:
Like booth seating in diners or sports bars - communal furniture designed for socializing and eavesdropping.
Characters in This Chapter
Mr. Jaggers
Mysterious messenger
A powerful London lawyer who arrives to deliver life-changing news to Pip. He's methodical, intimidating, and clearly used to handling wealthy people's secrets. His dismantling of the murder case discussion shows his legal mind and contempt for sloppy thinking.
Modern Equivalent:
The high-powered attorney who shows up with the inheritance paperwork
Pip
Protagonist
Receives the shocking news that he's inherited a fortune and must go to London immediately. Already begins to feel ashamed of his humble background and excited about his new prospects, showing how quickly expectations can change someone.
Modern Equivalent:
The lottery winner who immediately starts feeling embarrassed about their old life
Joe
Loving father figure
Shows pure, selfless love by refusing any compensation for losing Pip as an apprentice. His emotional reaction reveals how much Pip means to him, and his simple dignity contrasts with Pip's growing pretensions.
Modern Equivalent:
The stepparent who raised you and just wants you to be happy, even when success takes you away
Mr. Wopsle
Local entertainer
Dramatically reads the murder case to the tavern crowd, enjoying being the center of attention. Gets humiliated when Jaggers exposes his poor reasoning and rush to judgment, representing how ordinary people can be swayed by sensational stories.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who reads dramatic Facebook posts out loud and thinks they're a legal expert
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I am instructed to communicate to him that he will come into a handsome property."
Context: Jaggers formally announces Pip's inheritance to the stunned tavern crowd
This moment changes everything for Pip. The formal, legal language emphasizes how serious and binding this offer is. The word 'handsome' suggests not just money but respectability and status.
In Today's Words:
You're about to inherit some serious money.
"The name of the person who is your liberal benefactor remains a profound secret."
Context: Explaining the conditions of Pip's inheritance
The mystery benefactor is crucial to the plot and to Pip's psychology. Not knowing who's helping him means he can't properly thank them or understand their motives, creating uncertainty beneath his good fortune.
In Today's Words:
The person giving you this money wants to stay anonymous.
"If you can take it, I'll put it at once into Biddy's hands."
Context: Refusing Jaggers' offer of compensation for losing Pip as an apprentice
Joe's refusal shows his integrity and genuine love for Pip. He won't profit from Pip's good fortune, and mentioning Biddy shows he's already thinking about helping others rather than himself.
In Today's Words:
I don't want your money, but if you insist, give it to someone who needs it.
Thematic Threads
Class Mobility
In This Chapter
Pip's instant transformation from blacksmith's apprentice to gentleman creates immediate psychological distance from his origins
Development
Builds on earlier class consciousness - now Pip has actual mobility, making the tensions concrete
In Your Life:
You might feel this when you get promoted, move to a better neighborhood, or achieve education your family didn't have
Authentic Love
In This Chapter
Joe's refusal to accept payment and emotional response to losing Pip demonstrates unconditional care
Development
Contrasts with Pip's earlier focus on impressing Estella - Joe's love requires nothing in return
In Your Life:
You see this in people who support your dreams even when your success means leaving them behind
Identity Confusion
In This Chapter
Pip must keep his name but everything else about his identity is changing, creating internal conflict
Development
Extends from his earlier shame about his background - now he's officially becoming someone else
In Your Life:
You experience this when rapid life changes make you question who you really are underneath the new circumstances
Secrecy's Power
In This Chapter
The mysterious benefactor's anonymity gives them complete control over Pip's life and choices
Development
Introduced here - the unknown patron creates dependency and obligation
In Your Life:
You encounter this when accepting help or opportunities with unclear strings attached
Isolation
In This Chapter
Pip's final night at home is restless and lonely despite achieving his greatest wish
Development
Foreshadows the loneliness that accompanies his earlier desires for social advancement
In Your Life:
You feel this when major life changes leave you between worlds, no longer fitting your old life but not yet comfortable in your new one
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific changes happen to Pip the moment he learns about his inheritance, and how does he start treating the people around him differently?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Pip immediately feel embarrassed about Joe and his humble background, even though nothing about Joe has actually changed?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern today - people pulling away from family or old friends when their circumstances improve?
application • medium - 4
If you suddenly came into money or got a big promotion, how would you maintain your relationships with people who supported you before your success?
application • deep - 5
What does Joe's reaction to losing Pip reveal about the difference between conditional and unconditional love?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Support Network
Draw a simple map of the people who have supported you in your life - family, friends, mentors, coworkers. Mark which relationships might change if your circumstances suddenly improved (new job, more money, education). Then identify three specific actions you could take to maintain those authentic connections even if success creates distance.
Consider:
- •Think about people who loved you before you had anything to offer them
- •Consider how your own attitudes might shift, not just how others treat you
- •Remember that maintaining relationships requires intentional effort when circumstances change
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when success or good fortune created distance in one of your relationships. What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 19: The Price of Rising Above
Moving forward, we'll examine sudden fortune can blind us to the feelings of those who love us, and understand people react differently when your status changes - and what it reveals. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.