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Great Expectations | Discussion Questions 1 - 10

1) In Great Expectations how does Pip's uncertainty in Chapter 1 connect to his feelings of guilt in
Chapters 3 and 6?
Pip's uncertainty and his guilt are closely linked. In Chapter 1 Pip feels uncertain because he fears the convict's
companion might cut his liver out. To prevent the possibility of being killed, Pip decides to steal the items for the
convict. However, he feels guilty about doing this act because he knows he is breaking the law. Also Pip steals
from his friend Joe, who trusts him. In Chapter 3 when Pip takes the stolen goods to the convict, he states, "This
was very disagreeable to a guilty mind." In Chapter 6 Pip feels guilty about not telling Joe he stole his file and is
ashamed of his cowardice. Pip states, "I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly
to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong."

2) In Chapter 1 of Great Expectations, why does Dickens combine humor and terror?
Dickens combines humor and terror to provide comic relief in a tense situation. For instance, a terrifying man
threatens to cut Pip's throat. However, during this encounter Dickens interjects elements of physical humor. The
man turns Pip upside down and shakes him. Pip states, "When the church came to itself,—for he was so sudden
and strong that he made it go head over heels before me, and I saw the steeple under my feet." The image is
humorous despite the frightening situation, thereby relieving the terror. Also Dickens uses humor to make the
man seem more human. For example, the man asks where Pip's mother is. Pip points to a grave and says, "There,
sir!" But the man thinks Pip is indicating his living mother standing nearby. The man finds this misunderstanding
funny, showing he is not a monster but a human being with a sense of humor.

3) In Chapters 1 to 5 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens build a connection between Pip and
Magwitch?
Both Pip and Magwitch are frightened, desperate people who engage in illegal activities. Magwitch is a frightened
escaped convict, desperate for food and freedom. Pip states, "His eyes looked so awfully hungry too, that when I
handed him the file and he laid it down on the grass, it occurred to me he would have tried to eat it, if he had not
seen my bundle." Because he is a convict, Magwitch has been found guilty of breaking the law. Also when he
fights with the other convict, Magwitch seems intent on killing him. Pip is scared about being killed by Magwitch's
companion and, as a result, becomes desperate enough to steal food and a file, which binds him to Magwitch
through the illegality of the actions. In addition after Magwitch is captured, he and Pip share a silent
communication, suggesting an intuitive bond between them.

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 4) In Chapter 7 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook to convey the
theme of ambition?
When Mrs. Joe breaks the news about Miss Havisham wanting Pip to play for her, she states that "this boy's
[Pip's] fortune may be made by his going to Miss Havisham's." Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook see Miss Havisham's
request as a chance for upward social mobility for Pip and thus for themselves. Such a rise in fortunes would, of
course, benefit Mrs. Joe. After all any payment Miss Havisham might give to Pip for coming to play would go
into Mrs. Joe's cash box. As a member of the family, Pumblechook could also benefit from a rise in Pip's fortunes.
Because of this ambition Pumblechook implies that he has an inside connection with Miss Havisham that brought
about Pip's invitation.
5) In Chapter 8 of Great Expectations, how does the image of a woman hanging by the neck in the
brewery relate to the symbol of Satis House?
Pip sees a phantom image of a woman hanging by the neck in Miss Havisham's brewery. The phantom woman is
wearing a wedding dress like Miss Havisham. This image conveys a sense of self-inflicted death. Miss Havisham
could be seen as a person who has committed a type of spiritual suicide. Also Miss Havisham has inflicted a state
of decay or death on Satis House. Because of her influence this house seems not to have changed in any significant
way for many years except by decaying or falling into death. All the clocks have stopped, a decaying wedding
cake remains on a table, and the furniture has not been dusted. Therefore Satis House becomes a symbol of death.

6) How does Dickens convey the themes of guilt and redemption in Chapter 9 of Great Expectations?
By expressing his feelings of guilt about telling a fantastic lie, Pip receives forgiveness, good advice, and
redemption. The fantastic lie is about Pip's experience at Miss Havisham's house. However, he feels guilty when
he realizes that Joe believes the tale. Pip states, "Now, when I saw Joe open his blue eyes and roll them all round
the kitchen in helpless amazement, I was overtaken by penitence." As a result Pip confesses to Joe about the lie
and also expresses how common he feels in comparison to Miss Havisham and Estella. In response Joe says, "If
you can't get to be uncommon through going straight, you'll never get to do it through going crooked."

7) In Chapter 10 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use the mysterious stranger in the Three
Jolly Bargemen to create foreshadowing?
Pip finds Joe at the Three Jolly Bargemen with a stranger. As Joe and the stranger talk, the stranger shows Pip a
file in such a way that only Pip sees it. Pip realizes the file is the same one he stole from Joe's forge. In so doing
Dickens not only connects the character back to the convict on the marshes but also suggests that this convict will
continue to play a role in the story. Then the stranger gives Pip a shilling wrapped in two one-pound notes, thereby
connecting money with the convict on the marshes and foreshadowing the importance of this connection in Pip's
life.
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 8) In Chapter 11 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use the symbol of tears differently for Pip
and Mrs. Camilla?
Dickens uses the symbol of tears differently for Pip and Mrs. Camilla to emphasize the differences in their
characters. Pip is a sincere lad who suffers from a sense of inferiority. So when Estella slaps Pip, he sheds inner
tears that represent his sense of inferiority and shame. As a defense he angrily tells Estella that he will never cry
for her again, but he knows this claim is false. Pip narrates, "Which was, I suppose, as false a declaration as ever
was made; for I was inwardly crying for her then." In contrast Dickens wants to emphasize the phoniness of Mrs.
Camilla. Her crying represents false emotion. Camilla is obviously trying to ingratiate herself to Miss Havisham
by claiming how much she cares for her reclusive relative. To make her point convincing, Camilla bursts into
tears. However, Camilla acts with concern toward Miss Havisham only to persuade the recluse to give her money.

9) In Chapter 13 of Great Expectations, why might Dickens have used humor as part of Joe's
conversation with Miss Havisham?
Dickens introduces humor during Joe's conversation with Miss Havisham to emphasize the themes of uncertainty
and social class. This humor shows the ridiculous situation that can result from a class system that stresses the
inferiority of the working class in comparison to the upper class. Joe senses this class divide between himself and
Miss Havisham to such an extreme that he can't even talk to her directly. As a result Joe responds to her by
speaking to Pip. By doing this Joe creates a humorous conversation between Joe and Miss Havisham in which
Pip acts as a go-between. Pip describes Joe as "looking so unlike himself or so like some extraordinary bird;
standing, as he did, speechless, with his tuft of feathers ruffled, and his mouth open as if he wanted a worm."

10) In Chapter 16 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use situational irony to enhance the theme
of redemption?
Situational irony happens in a story when an event has unexpected results. Such a situation happens with the
attack on Mrs. Joe. The assault leaves Mrs. Joe mentally impaired. However, it also has an unexpected, ironic
results. Mrs. Joe becomes a kinder, more patient woman after she is hit on the head. Pip states, "Her temper was
greatly improved, and she was patient." Indeed Mrs. Joe changes for the better to such an extent that she treats
Orlick kindly. This change is a type of redemption for Mrs. Joe for the years and years of torment she gave to Joe
and Pip. Even though Mrs. Joe becomes kinder, this change is too late for Pip, however. The effect of her constant
belittling of Pip has caused him to suffer from inferiority. As a result Pip constantly needs to convince Estella that
he is worthy enough to love. Mrs. Joe's redemption, therefore, has the unexpected result of having no benefit for
Pip.

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Great Expectations | Discussion Questions 11 - 20
11) In Great Expectations how do Pip's great expectations as revealed in Chapter 18 create situational
irony as the story progresses?
Situational irony occurs in a story when an event has unexpected results. In Chapter 18 when Pip learns about his
great expectations, he believes his dreams have come true. Before this Pip dearly wanted to become more
uncommon and refined in the eyes of Miss Havisham and Estella but didn't have the means to accomplish this.
However, with the offer of his mysterious benefactor, Pip can be educated as a gentleman and gain the approval
he desires. As the story progresses though, Pip's great expectations take an unexpected turn. When he becomes a
gentleman, Pip does not gain Estella's love but instead realizes that Estella cannot love him, which makes him
miserable. Pip's fantasy about Miss Havisham being his benefactress and wanting Estella to marry him comes
crashing down on his head when he learns the convict Magwitch is the benefactor.

12) In Chapter 19 of Great Expectations, how does Pip's snobbishness lead to deception about Miss
Havisham?
Pip assumes that the person who has raised his fortune must be Miss Havisham, who comes from the upper class.
Because of his newfound snobbery, Pip cannot conceive of another person, such as one from the lower class,
being his benefactor. When Pip comes to express his gratitude to Miss Havisham, he treats her as royalty by
kneeling before the woman and kissing her hand. Pip states, "She stretched out her hand, and I went down on my
knee and put it to my lips. I had not considered how I should take leave of her; it came naturally to me at the
moment to do this ... so I left my fairy godmother." Miss Havisham takes full advantage of Pip's assumption and
deceives him by implying she is indeed his benefactress.

13) In Chapter 15 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use a story within a story to show Pip's guilt
about his ambition?
Dickens uses a story within a story through the play about a man named George Barnwell. When Pip listens to
Mr. Wopsle recite the play The London Merchant, or, The History of George Barnwell, he realizes that Wopsle
and Pumblechook intend the plot points in the play to be a warning for Pip. George Barnwell is an apprentice
who goes astray and murders his uncle. As a result Barnwell is hanged for this crime. Pip finds this warning via
the play to be annoying. However, listening to the play also makes him feel guilty. When Pip hears about the
attack on Mrs. Joe, he suspects that somehow he had something to do with the crime because his head was full of
George Barnwell. Therefore, Pip probably feels an underlying guilt about wanting to improve his station in life
and not being grateful for what he has.

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 14) In Great Expectations how does Dickens use Newgate Prison in Chapter 20 to explore social class?
Dickens depicts Newgate Prison as a dreadful place where prisoners are treated inhumanely. Even if some of
these prisoners were from the middle class or upper class, they are now treated like lower-class people with no
rights. Many prisoners are publicly whipped. Prisoners also are executed in factory-like manner. Four to eight
prisoners line up at eight in the morning and are killed in a row. The proprietor, who leads Pip on the tour of the
facility, is dirty and drunk. Pip says he wore "mildewed clothes, which had evidently not belonged to him
originally, and which, I took it into my head, he had bought cheap of the executioner." Other people milling about
the prison smell of spirits. So in British society during the mid-1800s, lower-class people such as prisoners are
treated as if subhuman by stripping away their dignity. In addition the people in charge of these prisoners seem
to be barely functional, implying that lower-class people don't deserve anything better.

15) How does Pip's ambition differ from Herbert Pocket's ambition in Great Expectations?
Herbert Pocket's ambition focuses mainly on getting established as an insurer of ships. Also Herbert has a casual,
genial attitude about his ambition: "But the thing is," he tells Pip in Chapter 22, "that you look about
you. That's the grand thing. You are in a counting-house, you know, and you look about you." So for Herbert,
getting set up in business is fun, something he can casually do while working in a counting-house. In contrast
Pip's ambition has nothing to do with business but everything to do with social status. Pip wants to become an
upper-class gentleman and, thereby, get Miss Havisham's and Estella's approval. Pip is very intense about this
ambition and is plagued by feelings of inferiority because he has not fully achieved it.

16) In Great Expectations how is Mr. Jaggers's attitude inside the courtroom as shown in Chapter 24
similar to his attitude outside the courtroom?
Inside the courtroom Mr. Jaggers takes control of the proceedings. He intimidates every person in the courtroom,
including the magistrates. Pip observes, "The magistrates shivered under a single bite of his finger. Thieves and
thief-takers hung in dread rapture on his words." Jaggers mercilessly cross-examines witnesses, and if one of
them makes an admission he says, "Now I have got you!" Outside the courtroom Mr. Jaggers has a similar
approach. He tends to cross-examine people he meets. For example, in Chapter 18 Mr. Wopsle gives a dramatic
reading of a news article concerning a trial. Mr. Jaggers listens and then cross-examines Wopsle to such a degree
that he intimidates him. As Pip watches this interchange, he becomes convinced Wopsle has done a horrible act
with his reading by slanting it against the accused. Pip says, "We all began to suspect that Mr. Wopsle was not
the man we had thought him, and that he was beginning to be found out."

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 17) In Great Expectations how is Bentley Drummle similar to and different from Dolge Orlick?
Both Orlick and Drummle are unsociable, sulky types of people. Pip says of Orlick, "He always slouched,
locomotively, with his eyes on the ground." Pip describes Drummle as "heavy in figure, movement, and
comprehension—in the sluggish complexion of his face, and in the large awkward tongue that seemed to loll
about in his mouth as he himself lolled about in a room." Also both Orlick and Drummle serve as antagonists of
Pip. Orlick tries to kill Pip, thereby preventing him from helping Magwitch escape. Drummle marries Estella,
thereby dashing Pip's hopes of marrying her. However, Orlick is a working-class man who becomes a lower-class
criminal. Drummle starts out being a middle-class gentleman who, when he comes into his inheritance, becomes
a member of the upper class. Orlick tends to be envious of people, especially Pip. Drummle, though, feels superior
to most people.

18) In Chapter 27 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use a hat as a prop to convey the theme of
social class?
In Chapter 27 Joe visits Pip at the young man's residence in London. By this time Pip has adopted the manners
and tastes of an upper-class gentleman. As a result Joe, who has the crude manners of a working-class man, feels
awkward. Dickens uses a hat as a prop to show Joe's awkwardness and Pip's impatience with Joe. Joe becomes
so intent on trying to behave in a proper way that he focuses on carefully placing his hat on a corner of the chimney
piece. For some reason Joe could not find another proper place to put his hat. Pip says, "Joe ... looked all round
the room for a suitable spot on which to deposit his hat—as if it were only on some few very rare substances in
nature that it could find a resting-place." However, the hat keeps falling off, causing Joe to lunge at it, catch it,
and place it back on the chimney piece. Eventually Joe juggles the hat and it falls into the slop basin. Because of
this Pip becomes impatient with Joe. Therefore through these antics with the hat, Dickens shows a clash of social
classes and the awkward and ridiculous behavior that results. Joe and Pip feel they each have to play the charade
of the upper class instead of ignoring social class manners and allowing their natural friendship to be expressed.

19) In Chapter 28 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens explore the ideas of uncertainty and deceit?
When Pip overhears the convict who gave him the two one-pound notes years before, the young man feels an
ambiguous fear. He is uncertain about what causes this fear. Pip says, "I could not have said what I was afraid of,
for my fear was altogether undefined and vague, but there was great fear upon me." The fear's strength suggests
that it comes from more than Pip's recognizing the convict. Pip tries to convince himself this fear comes only
from remembering his terror as a boy as he dealt with the convict on the marshes. Also Pip's encounter with the
convicts in the coach involves a type of deceit. The convict who showed Pip the file was on a secret errand for a
prison mate. The convict himself seems perplexed about the purpose of showing the file to Pip and giving him
money.
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 20) What causes Pip's infatuation with Estella as described in the second paragraph of Chapter 29 of Great
Expectations?
Pip's infatuation with Estella seems to be caused by his desire to have her against all odds. Because of this Pip
often fantasizes about rescuing Estella, like a knight rescuing a princess in a castle. In such tales the knight has to
fight against various forces to attain his goal. This idea is reinforced later in the paragraph when Pip states that he
loves Estella "against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all
discouragement that could be." For Pip all of these elements are obstacles that he has to fight against to win
Estella. Indeed it is the struggle that makes the enticement of Estella so strong. If Estella easily agreed to marry
Pip and treated him kindly, he would not be infatuated with her.

Great Expectations | Discussion Questions 21 - 30

21) In Chapter 29 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use Miss Havisham to combine the idea of
ambition with the ideas of uncertainty and deceit?
Miss Havisham continues her deceitful plot of having Estella break men's hearts by encouraging Pip to love
Estella. For Miss Havisham, having Pip love Estella is an obsessive ambition. She says to Pip, "If she favours
you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces—and as it gets older and stronger, it
will tear deeper—love her, love her, love her!" Although Pip is now aware of Miss Havisham's motives, he still
believes that the recluse intends for Pip to eventually marry Estella. Pip says, "Then, a burst of gratitude came
upon me, that she should be destined for me, once the blacksmith's boy." Therefore he remains deceived by Miss
Havisham. Also Pip is uncertain when Estella will start to show her love for him.

22) In Chapter 32 of Great Expectations, why might Dickens have decided to show Wemmick's treatment
of prisoners?
Dickens shows Wemmick's treatment of prisoners to emphasize the themes of social class and ambition.
Wemmick treats the prisoners like a gardener treats his plants. Pip narrates, "This was first put into my head by
his seeing a shoot that had come up in the night, and saying, 'What, Captain Tom? Are you there? Ah, indeed!'"
Therefore Wemmick, a lower-middle-class clerk, treats the lower-class prisoners like plants to be cultivated. The
reason for this cultivation is for the prisoners to provide income to Mr. Jaggers and thereby to Wemmick. Indeed
the conversation between Wemmick and the prisoners often involves the payment of fees. Dickens thus
emphasizes that members of the middle class often treat members of the lower class as objects to be used.

23) In Chapter 33 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens indicate that Estella views Pip as a friend?
Dickens has Estella often pair herself with Pip in her manner of speaking. For instance, Estella tells Pip, "We are
not free to follow our own devices, you and I." Also Dickens has Estella confide in Pip by sharing with him how
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Miss Havisham's relatives have tried to discredit Pip. Estella says, "for they beset Miss Havisham with reports
and insinuations to your disadvantage." Estella finds these attempts to be ridiculous, thereby showing a regard for
Pip's character. Also Estella is honest with Pip. When Pip kisses her hand she says, "You ridiculous boy. Will
you never take warning?" Estella refers back to her telling Pip that she does not have a heart. She does not show
such honesty with the other men interested in her. Also she does not want to hurt Pip, which is the act of a friend.

24) In Chapter 35 of Great Expectations, how does Mrs. Joe convey guilt and redemption?
Mrs. Joe's actions show that she feels some remorse about the way she treated Joe in the past and wants to treat
him kindly now. In this way she attains redemption concerning her husband. For example, Mrs. Joe has been in
an oblivious state for quite a while. Then she clearly says the word Joe. Her husband sits next to her, and Mrs.
Joe indicates she wants her arms around his neck. Biddy does this for her. Then Mrs. Joe rests her head on his
shoulder. Then Mrs. Joe says three words to her husband: Joe, pardon, and Pip. Mrs. Joe's words and gestures
reveal her feelings of guilt about how she treated Pip and her desire for forgiveness. Therefore with her last act
Mrs. Joe redeems herself concerning Pip as well.

25) In Chapter 36 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use Mr. Jaggers to explore the idea of guilt?
Dickens shows how Mr. Jaggers creates an atmosphere of guardedness and suspicion, thereby making people feel
guilty even if they haven't done anything wrong. For example, Mr. Jaggers tells Pip in a very guarded manner
that he has come of age and will receive a large annual income. This atmosphere of guardedness and suspicion
affects Wemmick. When Pip asks Wemmick's advice about providing money to help a friend get started in
business, Wemmick says such an idea is foolish. He says this because he fears Jaggers will overhear him, and he
know Jaggers would approve of no other response. So Wemmick feels guilty about answering Pip at Jaggers's
office. However, Wemmick tells Pip his answer might be different if the question were presented at his home. So
when Wemmick removes himself from Mr. Jaggers's influence, his guilt vanishes. Herbert also reveals how
Jaggers makes people feel guilty. After being with Jaggers, Herbert says he thought "he must have committed a
felony and forgotten the details of it, he felt so dejected and guilty."

26) In Chapter 38 of Great Expectations, how does Miss Havisham's influence on Estella work against
the recluse?
Miss Havisham knows she has created in Estella a person who is not only breaking the hearts of men but also
breaking Miss Havisham's heart. Consumed by her own hate, Miss Havisham must accept its results—an unloving
adopted daughter. For Miss Havisham to redeem herself, she would have to totally change her way of life and
how she treats people, especially Estella. However, she is unable or unwilling to do this. Instead, after Miss
Havisham realizes that Estella cannot love her, Pip hears the recluse pacing in her room and moaning. So like a
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ghost doomed to haunt a mansion, Miss Havisham has been entrapped by her own creation, namely an unloving
daughter.

27) In Chapter 37 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use the symbol of tears?
Dickens uses the symbol of tears to represent joy for doing a good or redemptive act. For instance, after Pip's plan
to help Herbert get started in business succeeds, Pip cries. Pip states, "At length, the thing being done, and he
having that day entered Clarriker's House, and he having talked to me for a whole evening in a flush of pleasure
and success, I did really cry in good earnest when I went to bed, to think that my expectations had done some
good to somebody." By helping Herbert, Pip feels he has made amends for the bad influence he has had on his
friend. Also like other tears expressed in the novel, Pip's tears seem to have a restorative effect, making Pip feel
better about himself.

28) In Chapter 39 of Great Expectations, how does Pip's abhorrence of Magwitch create situational
irony?
Situational irony happens in a story when there is a difference between what is expected to happen and what really
happens. Pip expects he will show appreciation and reverence for his benefactor. Indeed in Chapter 19 when Pip
believes Miss Havisham is his benefactress, he respectfully kneels before her and kisses her hand. However, in
Chapter 39 when Pip finds out his benefactor is really Magwitch, he responds with terror and abhorrence toward
the former convict. Pip states, "The abhorrence in which I held the man, the dread I had of him, the repugnance
with which I shrank from him, could not have been exceeded if he had been some terrible beast." Therefore
instead of adoring the person who made him a gentleman, Pip is revolted by him. This response is totally the
opposite of what Pip expected and is thus ironic.

29) In Chapters 39 and 40 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens convey uncertainty and deceit?
Pip shows uncertainty about many things, including who the stranger visiting him is and who he stumbled over
during the night. Also, although the uncertainty of Pip's benefactor is clarified, this realization creates more
uncertainty for Pip, namely how to disguise and hide Magwitch. Pip knows he must resort to deceit to protect his
benefactor from the law. In addition Pip knows he has been deceived about Estella being intended for him. Pip
states, "Miss Havisham's intentions towards me, all a mere dream; Estella not designed for me; I only suffered in
Satis House as a convenience, a sting for the greedy relations, a model with a mechanical heart to practise on
when no other practice was at hand."

30) In Chapter 44 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens deal with guilt and redemption?
Dickens uses Pip's inability to complete his redemptive act for Herbert as motivation to ask Miss Havisham to
consider completing it for him. Then Dickens describes Miss Havisham as showing guilt as she stares at Pip and
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Estella when the two of them talk about Estella marrying Drummle. Pip states, "I saw Miss Havisham put her
hand to her heart and hold it there, as she sat looking by turns at Estella and at me." Later after Pip expresses the
pain of his broken heart to Estella, "Miss Havisham, her hand still covering her heart, seemed all resolved into a
ghastly stare of pity and remorse." Miss Havisham begins to regret the pain she has caused both Pip and Estella.

Great Expectations | Discussion Questions 31 - 40

31) In Chapter 44 of Great Expectations, for what purpose does Dickens use figurative language in the
paragraph beginning, "Out of my thoughts"?
Dickens uses figurative language to convey Pip's broken heart about Estella. Pip says Estella is present in
everything he sees, "on the river, on the sails of the ships, on the marshes, in the clouds, in the light." Then Pip
compares the strength of Estella's presence in his life to "the stones of which the strongest London buildings are
made." By using this figurative language, Pip emphasizes that Estella is not an abstract dream but instead a
tangible reality in his life. Because of this Estella has become a part of Pip or, as Pip says, "part of the little good
in me, part of the evil."

32) In Chapter 45 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens indicate the need for secrecy concerning
Magwitch?
Dickens emphasizes the need for secrecy concerning Magwitch through the manner in which Wemmick responds
to Pip. First of all Wemmick emphasizes that "we are in our private and personal capacities." He does this to make
sure Pip realizes that what is about to be discussed should not be made known in official quarters. Indeed
Wemmick refuses to answer any question by Pip that might "clash with official responsibilities." When Pip asks
direct questions about Compeyson, Wemmick only nods because he doesn't dare give verbal responses. Also
when Wemmick refers to Magwitch, he doesn't dare mention his name either but instead calls him "Tom, Jack,
or Richard." By using this indirect way of responding, Wemmick clearly communicates about Magwitch to Pip
without directly admitting any knowledge of Magwitch's presence in England.

33) At the beginning of Chapter 47 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens convey the concept of
redemption?
Pip talks about his financial problems, mentioning how creditors have pressed him for money. Because of this
Pip has resorted to pawning some jewelry for ready cash. However, despite this dire situation, Pip refuses to take
more money from Magwitch, even though the former convict is eager to give his money to Pip. Pip states, "I had
quite determined that it would be a heartless fraud to take more money from my patron." As a result Pip returns
Magwitch's pocketbook unopened. By doing this Pip attains a type of redemption. Pip states, "I felt a kind of
satisfaction ... in not having profited by his generosity since his revelation of himself."
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 34) In Chapter 48 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens use Wemmick to interrelate the theme of social
class and the themes of uncertainty and deceit?
Through Wemmick's dual personality, Dickens identifies a characteristic of many middle-class workers. At work
Wemmick is reserved and businesslike, but at home he is relaxed and caring. So while eating dinner with Jaggers
and Pip, Wemmick is very reserved. However, when the clerk walks home with Pip, Wemmick becomes more
open and clarifies as far as he can any uncertainty Pip has about Molly's identity. By doing this Wemmick reveals
how Jaggers used deceit to defend Molly. Jaggers's deception involves changing Molly's appearance. Wemmick
says, "This woman was so very artfully dressed from the time of her apprehension, that she looked much slighter
than she really was."

35) In Chapter 49 of Great Expectations, why is Miss Havisham's "vanity of sorrow" one of the "curses
in this world"?
Pip compares Miss Havisham's "vanity of sorrow" to other vanities, such as "the vanity of penitence, the vanity
of remorse, the vanity of unworthiness." Like these other vanities, the "vanity of sorrow" is an act of pride, which
makes a person feel superior to and separate from other people. Miss Havisham believes her sorrow so far exceeds
the sorrow of any other human being that she becomes isolated in her house as a queen of sorrow, plotting
vengeance on men. Also by doing this, Miss Havisham has cut herself off from the healing influence of life. So
the vanity of sorrow, like other vanities, is a curse on the world because it works against the love and healing
between people.

36) In Chapter 51 of Great Expectations, how does the awkwardness between Mr. Jaggers and Wemmick
reflect their social classes?
When Pip talks to Jaggers about the identity of Estella, he mentions that Wemmick is a pleasant person who takes
care of his father. This news is a revelation to Jaggers. Because Wemmick keeps his home life completely separate
from his work life, he has never even hinted to Jaggers about having a father or having pleasant manners. The
strict boundary of propriety between the middle-class clerk and the employer has been crossed. As a result
Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers look oddly at each other. Jaggers teases Wemmick about being an imposter, and in
response Wemmick calls Jaggers an imposter who also wants to have a pleasant home when he retires. Because
of this atypical interchange between employer and employee, Jaggers eases his strict legal code of conduct and
reveals more about Estella.

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 37) In Chapter 54 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens heighten suspense, and for what purpose?
Dickens heightens suspense by building one suspicious event after another. Early in the escape route, Pip looks
around for signs of being suspected but sees none. However, when Pip, Magwitch, Herbert, and Startop stay
overnight at a public house, Pip hears about a four-oared galley on the Thames that might contain customs
authorities. This news seems suspicious and makes Pip uneasy. After Pip wakes up in the morning, he sees two
men inspecting his boat, which also seems suspicious. As Pip and his companion head out on the Thames to
intercept the foreign packet-boat, a four-oared galley approaches. One of the sitters in the galley is cloaked,
thereby hiding his identity. This is another suspicious act. Dickens heightens the suspense to generate reader
interest and also to make the reader identify with Pip and Magwitch. Technically Magwitch is breaking the law
and should be prosecuted. However, by using suspense Dickens encourages the reader to root for Pip and
Magwitch to get away.

38) In Chapter 50 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens convey redemption and uncertainty through
Magwitch?
Dickens uses Magwitch to show redemption through the improvement of his character. For example, Pip says to
Herbert, "I said to you I thought he was softened when I last saw him." Herbert agrees, saying that Magwitch
talked more about his life, including his relations with a jealous woman. Apparently Pip's and Herbert's kindness
to Magwitch has softened his soul. This development reinforces Dickens's view of social conditions strongly
influencing a person's character. Also by having Magwitch open up, Dickens conveys the theme of uncertainty.
As Magwitch talks more about himself, he clarifies the identity of Estella. After hearing about Magwitch losing
his daughter, Pip becomes certain that Estella is Magwitch's daughter.

39) In Chapter 56 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens show that Pip views Magwitch as a beloved
father?
Dickens shows that Pip has formed a close, loving bond with Magwitch. For example, during the trial Pip sits
near Magwitch in the dock and holds his hand. After Magwitch is sentenced to death, Pip writes numerous letters
of appeal to officials, asking for Magwitch's reprieve. Indeed Pip becomes so absorbed in this task that he hardly
sleeps. Pip states, "For several days and nights after he was sentenced I took no rest except when I fell asleep in
my chair, but was wholly absorbed in these appeals." While Magwitch is in the infirmary, Pip visits him on a
daily basis. Magwitch comes to rely on Pip's visits, like a father would rely on the visits of a beloved son. Pip
willingly accepts this role, waiting at the gate until it opens so he won't lose a moment of time with Magwitch.
Near Magwitch's death, Pip tells him that his daughter is alive and is a beautiful lady. Then Pip says that he loves
her but does not mention anything about her being married to someone else. So in a way Pip wants Magwitch to
view him as a son-in-law.
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 40) In Chapter 57 of Great Expectations, why does Pip feel guilty as he comes close to fully recovering
from his illness?
As Pip gets stronger, he notices that Joe becomes more uneasy around him. Pip feels guilty about Joe's change of
manner. Pip knows that when he was prosperous he acted rudely toward Joe, indicating he didn't want Joe's
company. Because of this Joe now acts more guardedly with Pip as he gets stronger. Pip wonders, "Ah! Had I
given Joe no reason to doubt my constancy, and to think that in prosperity I should grow cold to him and cast him
off? Had I given Joe's innocent heart no cause to feel instinctively that as I got stronger, his hold upon me would
be weaker, and that he had better loosen it in time and let me go, before I plucked myself away?" Joe realizes Pip
will become less vulnerable as he gets better and, therefore, will be able play the role of the upper-class gentleman.
Joe fears that when this happens Pip will reject him as before.

Great Expectations | Discussion Questions 41 - 50

41) In Great Expectations how does Pip's redemptive act toward Herbert Pocket in Chapter 58 offer Pip
an opportunity to mature?
By anonymously helping Herbert become a partner in a shipping firm, Pip receives a job opportunity. Herbert
offers the job of clerk to Pip at the shipping firm. Pip accepts the job and works steadily for the firm for 11 years.
During this time Pip says he "lived frugally, and paid my debts, and maintained a constant correspondence with
Biddy and Joe." So Pip gains maturity, learning how to responsibly handle his money and show value for his
friends. Pip's view of Herbert also changes. He now sees Herbert's business acumen, whereas Pip previously
thought Herbert to be inept at business.

42) In Great Expectations how does Dickens use a framing device to show how Pip and Estella's
relationship has changed over the course of the novel?
A framing device is a literary technique that uses the same element(s), such as an event or setting, at the beginning
and end of a story or a part of a story. For Pip and Estella's relationship, Dickens uses both the setting of Satis
House and a conversation between Pip and Estella at both the beginning and conclusion of their story. Pip first
meets Estella at Satis House, which is a large, imposing symbol of decay and death. During their conversation
Estella is snobbish and very insulting toward Pip. Pip becomes infatuated with Estella. At the end of the novel,
Pip and Estella meet at the remains of Satis House and have another conversation, thereby forming a framing
device. However, Estella's attitude toward Pip has changed completely. She is now humble and considerate.
Estella says, "I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape. Be as considerate and good to me
as you were, and tell me we are friends." Pip still loves Estella, but in a more mature way, viewing her as a friend.
Nothing is left of Satis House, except the ruins of the garden. So this former symbol of death has been demolished.

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 43) How are the two endings for Great Expectations similar and different?
In both endings Estella matures, becoming a kinder and more compassionate person. In the revised ending, Estella
states, "when suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart
used to be." In the original ending, Pip says about Estella, "Suffering had been stronger than Miss Havisham's
teaching, and had given her a heart to understand what my heart used to be." However, in the revised ending,
Dickens indicates that Pip and Estella will stay together. In this way the revised ending has the typical romantic
resolution, tempered by the suffering each character has endured. In the original ending, Pip and Estella do not
get together. Because of this the revised ending has a sadder tone.

44) In Great Expectations how does Estella's character develop?

Estella starts out being a snobbish, mean-spirited girl who seems to take pleasure in insulting Pip. However, when
Estella becomes a woman she no longer wants to hurt Pip. Because of this she warns Pip that "I have no heart."
Estella hopes Pip will stop loving her to protect himself. Later Estella shows a passive-aggressiveness toward
Miss Havisham by acting coldly toward the recluse. Estella thus must harbor some resentment toward Miss
Havisham for the way she has been trained. Later Estella gets her revenge on Miss Havisham by marrying Bentley
Drummle. Miss Havisham knows Drummle will mistreat Estella, which will give her pain. Also through this
marriage Estella is punishing herself for being cold-hearted and inflicting so much pain on men. Finally, over the
years Estella has learned to be kind and compassionate and to value friendship.

45) How is Joe a foil to Pip in Great Expectations?

A foil is a character with traits that contrast with the traits of another character. As a result the foil emphasizes
the qualities of the other character. Joe remains constant throughout the novel. He is a common worker who values
friendship, loyalty, kindness, and integrity. In contrast Pip's character fluctuates. At first Pip has a close bond with
Joe and views the blacksmith with affection. However, when Pip visits Satis House for the first time, his views
about Joe start to change. Later when Pip receives his great expectations, his attitude completely changes. He
becomes a snob who thinks he is superior to the people of his village, including Joe. Pip no longer seeks Joe's
companionship but instead seeks to avoid him. At the end of the novel when Joe nurses Pip, Joe's character
remains the same. Pip's character, though, changes again. Racked by guilt about his treatment of Joe, Pip seeks
to redeem himself and reestablish his friendship with the blacksmith. Pip succeeds in doing this. However, instead
of having an innocent adoration of Joe, Pip now has a mature appreciation of his old friend.

46) In Great Expectations how does Dickens criticize the Victorian Age?
Dickens criticizes the Victorian Age by exploring social class. The author shows that many members of the lower
class and middle class, including Pip, Pumblechook, and Magwitch, want to achieve a sense of superiority. Pip

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feels he must reach this superior state to achieve worth as a human being. Magwitch attempts to gain this
superiority via Pip. Magwitch tells Pip he has made a gentleman of him and says, "I tell it, fur you to know as
that there hunted dunghill dog wot you kept life in, got his head so high that he could make a gentleman—and,
Pip, you're him!" Members of the upper class want to maintain their superior position and use their power to
control other people, often with disastrous results. Miss Havisham uses her influence to control Estella and
through her, Pip. As a result both Estella and Pip are miserable. Also Dickens shows how the Victorian Age could
pigeonhole a lower-class child from birth, thereby grooming the child for criminality. Such is the case with
Magwitch. Indeed Magwitch needs to get out of Victorian England to break free of his criminal past. Finally,
Dickens exposes the sham of social class. The difference between working-class people, middle-class people, and
upper-class people is their way of acting and dressing, which does not mean that upper-class people have more
integrity than middle-class or working-class people. In fact, when Pip becomes a gentleman, he treats his friend
Joe rudely and accrues large debts.

47) How is Pip in Great Expectations similar to and different from the title character of David
Copperfield?
The stories about Pip and David Copperfield both start in childhood and continue to young manhood. During
these stories both Pip and David learn about life through hardships. However, David is more of an innocent, noble
character who has high ideals. In contrast Pip's character tends to be fickle concerning his old friends. Also his
ideals prove to be a sham at some point. Pip wants to attain the superiority of the upper class and eventually learns
that this goal is shallow. David, though, has strong ideals throughout his story. These ideals mature but are not
replaced. For example, David values a strong marriage, but his first choice of a partner shows immaturity. Later
David uses the wisdom he has gained in life to choose a better mate. Pip is plagued by guilt over his callous
actions toward people, but David is not.

48) How is Mrs. Joe similar to and different from Miss Havisham in Great Expectations?
Both Mrs. Joe and Miss Havisham are consumed by anger. However, Mrs. Joe shows her anger by scolding and
beating Pip. In contrast Miss Havisham contains her anger within herself, feeds on it, and then uses it to seek
vengeance. Mrs. Joe controls people through force. Miss Havisham controls people by using money and deceit.
Mrs. Joe is the wife of a working-class man. Miss Havisham is from the upper class and has never married. Both
Mrs. Joe and Miss Havisham seek redemption by asking for forgiveness. Mrs. Joe asks Joe for forgiveness for
the way she treated Pip. Miss Havisham asks Pip for forgiveness for the way she treated Estella and him.

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 49) In Great Expectations how does Dickens use the British colonies in relation to the characters?
Dickens uses the British colonies as a way for characters to have a new start in life. When Magwitch is sent to
Australia, he becomes a great success, earning his freedom from being a convict. Magwitch says, "I've done
wonderful well. There's others went out alonger me as has done well too, but no man has done nigh as well as
me. I'm famous for it." Also at the end of the novel, Pip goes to Cairo in the British colony of Egypt. There he
gets a new lease on life by working hard in a shipping firm. Pip states, "Within a month, I had quitted England,
and within two months I was clerk to Clarriker and Co., and within four months I assumed my first undivided
responsibility." Indeed, Dickens might be making a satirical comment about the confining Victorian society of
England through the way Pip's and Magwitch's fortunes change dramatically for the better in foreign lands.

50) In Great Expectations how are Pip's great expectations dependent on luck, and what is the result?
Pip was fortunate to meet and help a convict who ended up getting rich in Australia and using this money to help
Pip. In this way his great expectations are dependent on luck. As a result of the incident, Pip doesn't have to work
anymore but instead becomes a member of the upper class. However, Pip's great expectations do not provide him
with fulfillment. He loses his connection to Joe, who loves him without reservation, and leads an empty,
purposeless life. After he finds out that his great expectations are a sham, based on a mere chance encounter with
someone he considers beneath him, he begins to realize what he has sacrificed to become a gentleman.

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