Notes on "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Author Overview

• Charles Dickens: English writer and social critic.
• Known for creating world's best-known fictional characters.
• Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.
• "Great Expectations" is considered one of his greatest works.

Main Characters

1. Phillip Pirrip (Pip)

   • Protagonist and narrator.
   • Orphan living with his sister and brother-in-law, Joe Gargery.

2. Miss Havisham

   • Eccentric old lady with an unhappy love affair; betrayed on her wedding day.
   • Adopts Estella to manipulate men and take revenge.

3. Estella

   • Adopted daughter of Miss Havisham.
   • Beautiful but raised to break men's hearts, devoid of love.

4. Mrs. Joe Gargery

   • Pip's sister; over 20 years older than Pip.
   • Depicted as a strict disciplinarian.

5. Joe Gargery

   • Pip's brother-in-law; blacksmith of the village.
   • Pip's best friend.

6. Abel Magwitch

   • Escaped convict; Pip encounters him in a cemetery.
   • Forms a significant connection with Pip.

7. Pip's Companion, Pity

   • Another orphan who helps Pip in his education.

8. Uncle Bumble

   • A pompous merchant and Joe Gargery’s uncle.

9. Orlik

   • Apprentice to Joe Gargery.
   • Malicious character, causes trouble.

10. Herbert Pocket

    • Pip's good friend in London.

Story Overview

• The story begins with Pip as a young orphan living in Kent.
• One day, while visiting his parents' tombstone, he encounters an escaped convict who demands food and tools to help him escape.
• Pip steals food for the convict, who is later captured but claims to have stolen the food himself to protect Pip.
• Pip begins visiting Satis House, where he meets Estella and Miss Havisham, leading him to dream of becoming a gentleman.
• Pip initially wants to be a blacksmith but changes his mind after meeting Estella.
• Pip's aspirations to become a gentleman are crushed when he learns he must continue working as an apprentice blacksmith.
• Pip eventually receives news of a secret benefactor who provides him with a fortune to become a gentleman in London.

Key Plot Points

• Pip's Transformation: Pip's character changes as he moves to London, befriends Herbert Pocket, and trains to be a gentleman.
• Moral Conflict: Pip feels ashamed of his origins and begins to ignore Joe Gargery.
• Pip's Education: He receives tutoring from Matthew Pocket and struggles with his desires for Estella.
• Orlik's Return: Orlik reappears in Pip's life as Miss Havisham's porter and is later fired.
• Death of Mrs. Joe Gargery: Pip feels grief and remorse after her passing.
• Revelation of the Benefactor: Pip learns that his benefactor is actually Abel Magwitch, not Miss Havisham.
• Pip's Dismay: Realizing Magwitch's past shakes Pip's dreams of marrying Estella.
• End of Session: The lecture concludes with an invitation to continue the story in the next session.