Summary

Great Expectations is about an orphaned little boy named Pip who lives in England with his sister and her husband. On Christmas Eve, after feeding an escaped convict, he gets invited to play at Miss Havisham’s house, which is where his story really begins. Miss Havisham is an unusual old lady who lives in a castle-mansion with her adopted daughter Estella, a cold and snobby girl who catches the eye of Pip. Pip soon falls in love with her, and when he is old enough dreams of marrying her. Pip then gets an apprenticeship to his brother-in-law so he has a job for when he is finally with Estella. Pip despises the job, but he thinks its one step closer to marrying Estella. One day, Pip comes into fortune from a mysterious benefactor. He leaves for London, and says his farewells to his sister and Miss Havisham, to become a gentleman. London is great for Pip at first; he stays with Mr.Jaggers who is a successful lawyer and thinks it’s interesting that so many criminals want to be near his greatness. Pip also meets Herbert Pocket, Miss Havisham’s cousin’s son, who grows to become his best friend. Later on, life in England isn’t as great. He spends too much money, and his days consist of dinner parties in old castles. He occasionally goes back to visit Miss Havisham, and to attend his sister’s funeral. On his twenty third birthday, Pip finally figures out who the mysterious benefactor is, and it’s a real surprise.