Name: Great Expectation

Author: Charles Dickens

Genre: Fiction

This is the story of a little orphan boy called Pip. He lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery and her husband, Mr. Joe Gargery, the blacksmith. While in the churchyard looking at his parents’ tombstones, he meets a convict, Abel Magwich who threatens him and asks him to bring him a file and some food which Pip agrees to do right away the next morning.

The next morning, he goes to meet the convict and gives him what he asked for. He runs home hoping that his sister will not notice his absence and what he stole from the larder.

One day, Mr. Pumblechook, one of Mrs, Gargery’s friends announces that Miss Havisham, a rich old lady, has asked Pip to come and play. Pip was surprised wondering why Miss Havisham was asking for him.

Pip finds himself in a room with a lady in an old yellowish bride dress with only one shoe on and the clock stopped at twenty minutes before nine. He plays cards with Estella, a beautiful girl who was very proud and mean. On leaving, Estella makes him cry and he decided that this place was indeed very horrible.

He lies to his sister by telling her that Miss Havisham was a nice old lady, but with Joe, he tells the truth.

One fine day, Pip brings Joe with him to Miss Havisham and she offers them a large sum of money and tells them never to come back again since Pip was going to be an apprentice to Joe.

After a long time, Pip decides to pay a visit to Miss Havisham to thank her but on reaching, Miss Havisham soon sees that Pip was searching for Estella.

Soon after some time, Pip meets Mr. Jaggers, a lawyer who announces that Pip is to go to London since he has received money from a mysterious benefactor. Pip says goodbye to Joe and Biddy, a girl who was his friend and teacher without forgetting Miss Havisham.

Pip meets Herbert Pocket in Barnard’s Inn and they become fast friends. He goes to live with Mr Pocket(not Herbert Pocket) and his wife, Mrs Pocket a lady who seems to be only interested with her ancestors. He meets Mr. Drummle, a very sulky man and Mr, Startop, the very opposite of Drummle. Joe comes to meet him in Barnard’s Inn but soon goes away.

When his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery dies, Pip goes back for the funeral staying with Joe and Biddy for a day. He promises to Biddy to come and see Joe sometimes.

Pip also meets Estella in Richmond where he becomes jealous when Drummle follows her everywhere. He also accompanies Estella when both of them visit Miss Havisham. Estella fights with Miss Havisham and Pip leaves them alone.

Pip returns to London where he and Herbert find themselves paying debts and Pip receives five hundred pounds from his mysterious benefactor on his birthday. He also resolves to help Herbert with the help of Mr Wemmick, who works for Mr. Jaggers. Pip and Wemmick soon become friends.

One stormy night, he meets the convict, Abel Magwich who tells Pip that he was his mysterious benefactor who has been sending in money through the lawyer, Mr. Jaggers. Pip is puzzled when he meets a man down the stairs of where he was living.

Herbert Pocket is told the secret and they plan to get Provis, (the name they have given to Abel Magwich) out of England.

A few days before leaving, Pip receives a letter telling him to go back to the marshes if he wanted to know about Provis. On reaching, he is attacked by Orlick, Joe’s apprentice who admits that he killed Mrs. Joe Gargery and that he will kill Pip, but he is saved by Herbert and Startop while Orlick goes to jail. Joe stays with him for a while, but son goes away when he is sure that Pip was fine enough to walk again.

He goes back to London and unfortunately, Provis is caught and sentenced to death but because of his wound in the, he falls gravely ill and Pip is arrested since he did not pay all his debts.

He finds out that Joe has paid his debts and vows to pay Joe and Biddy, who are now married back all their money. Joe and Biddy name their little child after Pip.

One taking a stroll near Satis House, Miss Havisham’s house, Pip meets Estella and they become friends again deciding to be friends even if they are far away from each other.

THE END

My Ratings:

I loved the way the characters were presented each of them different from the other. I had to use the dictionary quite a multiple times because of the outdated words but I think I managed quite fine enough for an 11 year old.

Hermione.