Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Mandatory Study Guide Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What narrative point of view has Dickens chosen for this novel?
  2. What social class is the criminal, and how can you tell?

Chapter 2

  1. Contrast Pip’s description of Mrs. Joe with his description of Joe.

Chapter 3

  1. How does the setting mirror Pip’s state of mind?

Chapter 4

  1. How does Chapter 4 begin and end?
  2. What observation does Pip make about Joe’s dress and appearance?
  3. What are the sources of humor in this chapter?

Chapter 5

  1. How is the capture of the two convicts ironic?
  2. What facts do we learn about the convicts in this chapter?
  3. Why does the convict go out of his way to clear Pip of any blame for the missing food?

Chapter 6

  1. Why does Pip love Joe? What reason does he give for keeping the truth of his crimes from Joe?

Chapter 7

  1. How are Biddy and Pip alike?
  2. Compare Joe’s dialect with the convict’s (which was shown in Chapter 1).

Chapter 8

  1. How is the name “Satis House” ironic?
  2. Describe Miss Havisham in detail and her interaction/feelings towards Pip.
  3. How has Pip’s character developed after interacting with Estella?

Chapter 9

  1. How does Dickens reinforce Pip and Joe’s closeness?

Use the following passage from the book to answer the next two questions.

“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same way with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause, you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day” (55).

  1. What “links” in Pip’s “chain” are begun the day he visits Satis House?
  2. Why do you think Dickens allows the narrator to pause in the narrative and address the reader directly?

Chapter 10

  1. What steps does Pip take to improve himself?
  2. What two things does the stranger do to suggest a connection with the convict from the beginning of the book?
  3. What two major plotlines begin to converge at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 11

  1. Describe the Pockets.
  2. What is the significance of Pip’s saying of the man he meets on the stairway, “He was nothing to me, and I could have had no foresight then, that he ever would be anything to me”?
  3. What suspicions about Miss Havisham are confirmed for the reader in this chapter?
  4. Pip fights a young man. How does the young man inspire Pip with great respect?
  5. In the following passage, what is the significance of the light from Joe’s forge?

“…when I neared home the light on the spit of sand off the point on the marshes was gleaming against a black night-sky, and Joe’s furnace was flinging a path of fire across the road” (72).

Chapter 12

  1. How much time elapses in this chapter?

The amount of time that elapses in this chapter is many months—between 8 and 10 months.

  1. What is the adult Pip insinuating when he narrates:

“What could I become with these surroundings? How could my character fail to be influenced by them? Is it to be wondered as if my thoughts were dazed, as my eyes were, when I came out into the natural light from the misty yellow rooms?” (101)

Pip’s doubt is growing at this point. This quote (and chapter) is full of speculation about Pip’s future.

The adult Pip (the narrator) is comparing the artificial light and yellow rooms to the unnatural and

harmful desires to be a gentleman. (The setting mirrors Pip’s state of mind.)

Chapter 13

  1. Why is Pip ashamed of Joe when he goes to meet Miss Havisham?

Joe is common and from a lower social class along with “rough” manners, which embarrasses Pip.

  1. What does Pip mean when he says, “Miss Havisham glanced at him as if she understood what he really was, better than I had thought possible, seeing what he was there”?

Miss Havisham can see that Joe is a good, honest, caring man. Joe has the opportunity to profit

from Pip’s services, but asks for nothing when it comes to the indenture contract.

  1. Define “indentures.” What restrictions does the law place on a boy who is bound?

These are legal papers that bind one person into the service of another for a specified time.

  1. By the end of the chapter, how does Pip feel about Joe’s trade?

Pip says he “had a strong conviction on me that I should never like Joe’s trade.” He is unhappy to

be bound to Joe, even though that’s what he once wanted.

Chapter 14

  1. Why does Pip hide his true feelings about his work as Joe’s apprentice?

Pip hides his true feelings so as not to hurt Joe.

Chapter 15

  1. Under what conditions does Joe agree to let Pip visit Miss Havisham’s house? Why does he think Pip should stay away?

Pip can only visit Miss Havisham during limited moments of time, and the visits should be

invite-only and POSITIVE.

  1. What new character and conflict is introduced in this chapter?

Orlick is the new character and he’s mad that Pip might take away his job. He’s also mad

at Mrs. Joe because he feels insulted by her.

  1. Given particular pieces of information, who probably attacked Mrs. Joe?

Orlick probably attacked Mrs. Joe because of their previous altercation.

The escaped convict may have attacked Mrs. Joe because of the characteristics of the convict

that reappear during this time.

Chapter 16

  1. What purpose does Dickens have for reintroducing the convict’s leg iron in this chapter?

Dickens wants to keep the plot of the convict connected to the other plots in the novel and further

develop the guilt that has plagued Pip.

  1. How does Biddy come to live with Pip and Joe?

Mr. Wopsle’s great aunt dies, so Biddy nurses Mrs. Joe.

  1. What does the following passage suggest?

“She [Mrs. Joe] watched his [Orlick’s] countenance as if she were particularly wishful to be assured that he took kindly to his reception, she showed every possible desire to conciliate him, and there was an air of humble propitiation in all she did, such as I have seen pervade the bearing of a child towards a hard master” (131).

It can be inferred that Orlick attacked Mrs. Joe; she acts like a person who has been abused and wants

no further altercations with the abuser.

Chapter 17

  1. How does Dickens establish the passage of time at the beginning of the chapter?

Pip visits Miss Havisham every year for his birthday. This connects to Pip’s comment that Biddy “had

not been with [Pip’s family] for more than a year.” We can infer that more than a year has passed.

  1. Describe Pip’s internal conflict.

Pip is unsatisfied with his life and wants to be a gentleman because Estella makes him feel common.

  1. Explain Pip and Biddy’s relationship.

Pip and Biddy have a positive relationship and looks like they might even fall in love. Pip notices

the clarity and goodness of her eyes and feels jealousy when Orlick pays attention to her. At the same

time, Biddy wisely notes that—had Pip never met Estella—he’d be a much happier person.

Chapter 18

  1. Where has Pip seen this particular stranger before? What does he do to Mr. Wopsle?

Pip has seen this stranger before at Miss Havisham’s house (coming down the stairs). He interrogates

Mr. Wopsle as if he is a lawyer. This, we find out, is Jaggers.

  1. This chapter includes the first mention of the novel’s title. To what expectations is Jaggers referring?

Jaggers is referring to Pip’s prospects of inheriting wealth from an unknown benefactor, which will

help him rise the social ladder and become a gentleman.

  1. How old is Pip in this chapter?

Pip is 18 years old because it is four years after the beginning of his apprenticeship.

  1. How is Pip feeling in the last paragraph of this chapter?

Pip is distancing himself from his old life and no longer feels comfortable in his own bed (home).

Chapter 19

  1. What is significant about Biddy’s response to Pip’s request for her to prepare Joe to be elevated to a “higher sphere”?

Joe is comfortable with who he is as person. This shows an important theme: People are happiest when they know

themselves and know where they fit in. Pip, of course, is uncomfortable in his own skin and therefore unhappy.

  1. Compare Mr. Pumblechook with the Pockets.

Both Pumblechook and the Pockets are hoping to gain riches from Miss Havisham. They are all pretentious and fake.

  1. Many critics have seen what they consider fairy-tale elements in Great Expectations. From this viewpoint, identify who in the novel fills the following roles:
  2. The beggar revealed as a prince: Pip
  3. The princess: Estella
  4. The fairy godmother: Miss Havisham; Pip’s benefactor
  5. The ogre: Orlick
  6. The wicked stepmother: Mrs. Joe
  7. Define “peripeteia.” What peripeteia occurs at the end of this first stage of the novel?
  8. The first stage of Pip’s expectations ends with, “And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me” (170). Many critics see this as an allusion to John Milton’s famous epic, Paradise Lost.

How is the ending optimistic?

How might it be pessimistic?

Chapter 20

  1. There is very little plot advancement in this chapter. What, then, is its purpose, and which new character are we introduced to?
  2. Describe Mr. Jaggers.
  3. What does the description of Jaggers’ office tell the reader about its occupant?

Chapter 21

  1. How are Pip’s and Wemmick’s idea of crime different?
  2. There is a coincidence in this chapter that reveals the name of the boy Pip boxed with many years ago at Miss Havisham’s house. What is this person’s name?

Chapter 22

  1. What do we learn of Estella’s family history?
  2. Who do the Pockets feel is Pip’s benefactor?
  3. How does Herbert feel about Pip’s great expectations?
  4. What is the reason for Miss Havisham’s life in seclusion?

Chapter 23

  1. What kind of tone has been set up in the last chapter and continues in Chapter 23?
  2. What is the source of satire in Mrs. Pocket’s pretentious (conceited) nature?
  3. What might Dickens be implying about early marriage?

Chapter 24

  1. What does Pip’s benefactor intend for Pip, if it says that Pip is “not designed for any profession”?
  2. How does the characterization of Mr. Jaggers’ housekeeper illustrate Mr. Jaggers’ powers?
  3. Why does Dickens have Wemmick create the topic of Jaggers’ housekeeper?

Chapter 25

  1. How does Wemmick feel about his home?
  2. Dickens uses dichotomy as a concrete reminder that there is usually more to people than initially appears on the surface. Discuss the following dichotomies found within characters:

a. Describe Wemmick’s dual life.

b. Miss Havisham is wealthy, but ______.

c. Estella is beautiful, but ______.

d. Joe is illiterate, but ______.

e. Biddy is a poor orphan, but ______.

Use the following words to help fill in the blanks above.

haughtymiserable

wiserespectable/respected

Chapter 26

  1. What might be the reason for Jagger’s immediate and almost exclusive interest in Drummle?
  2. Why does Dickens have Jaggers point out Molly’s wrists to his guests?

Chapter 27

  1. Pip says he recognizes a type of dignity in Joe’s behavior. How has this shown to be true, so far? (You may refer to other chapters, as well.)

Chapter 28

  1. What information is now revealed about “Pip’s convict”?
  2. What might be the reason(s) for Pumblechook’s public announcement of taking credit for being Pip’s earliest patron and the founder of his fortune?

Chapter 29

  1. How does the adult Pip describe his love for Estella?
  2. What has become part of Estella’s beauty, and inevitably changed her?
  3. What does Pip believe (or hope) Miss Havisham plans to do with Estella?

Chapter 30

  1. How has Pip’s character advanced/changed in this chapter?

Chapter 31

  1. Think about the way the audience heckles Wopsle. Also, think about the way the Trabb boy mimics Pip. How are they similar?

Chapter 32

  1. Most of this chapter centers on Pip’s anxious wait for Estella’s coach. How does Dickens use foreshadowing in this chapter to maintain the reader’s interest?

Chapter 33

  1. What does Pip hope Estella means when she tells him, “We are not free to follow our own devices, you and I”?
  2. What does Estella tell Pip that shows she does not agree with Miss Havisham’s plan to avenge herself against the male gender?

Chapter 35

  1. Pip realizes that his attitudes and actions have affected those around him. Explain.
  2. How does Pip feel about his sister’s death?

Chapter 36

  1. Why is Pip looking forward to his twenty-first birthday?
  2. How does Pip show he is still a decent, thoughtful person at heart?

Chapter 37

  1. How does Wimmick’s character portray a combination of both heart and intellect?
  2. Which of Pip’s guardians represents (and follows) the heart? Which of Pip’s guardians represents (and follows) intellect?

Chapter 38

  1. What might be Estella’s reason to accept Drummle as a suitor?

Chapter 39

  1. What peripeteia occurs at the end of the second stage of Pip’s expectations?
  2. What is an important piece of information Pip learns at this point in the story?

Chapter 40

  1. Abel Magwitch’s name alludes to a biblical character. How is this significant?
  2. Compare Pip’s difficulty disguising Magwitch with his observation about Joe in his Sunday clothes.

Chapter 41

  1. Why is Pip ambivalent toward Magwitch?

Chapter 42

  1. Why does Dickens choose to begin the chapter with a note of humor?
  2. What important story is revealed when dealing with Magwitch, Compeyson, and Arthur?
  3. How is Arthur’s hallucination significant now that the revelation about Miss Havisham has been revealved?

Chapter 43

  1. How does Dickens continue to connect Magwitch and Estella?
  2. How is the scene with Pip and Drummle by the fireplace humorous?

Chapter 44

  1. How does this chapter serve as the climax of the Pip/Estella plot?
  2. On what will the rest of the novel most likely focus?

Chapter 45

  1. What important information is revealed about Compeyson and Magwitch?

Chapter 46

  1. How does Dickens establish the character of Clara’s father without the reader ever meeting him?

Chapter 47

  1. What can be assumed is part of Pip’s redemption?
  2. What information is revealed because of Wopsle being in London?

Chapter 48

  1. Loose ends are beginning to come together. What does the reader learn about Molly?
  2. What is foreshadowed about Estella’s future with her husband?

Chapter 49

  1. How is the fire (that destroys Miss Havisham’s dress) symbolic?
  2. Pip has a “childish association” when he decides to return to Miss Havisham’s room. What had Pip imagined he saw on his first visit to Satis House?

Chapter 50

  1. What does the reader learn about Estella’s history? Who is Estella’s father?

Chapter 51

  1. How is Estella’s parentage a way for Dickens to criticize the idea of social classes?

Chapter 52

  1. What situation foreshadows that Herbert will be sent to the East to run the firm’s eastern office, and that Pip believes that he too will soon be leaving the country?
  2. What reminds Pip of how true and faithful Joe and Biddy are?

Chapter 53

  1. The novel has a theme of light vs. dark, which can represent hope vs. evil. Describe Dickens use of light and dark in this chapter.
  2. List three mysteries Orlick solves for Pip while he is working up the courage to kill him.

Chapter 54

  1. Describe Pip’s plan to get Magwitch out of England.
  2. What incident in the past suggests that Magwitch is telling the truth when he says he did not kill Compeyson?
  3. What is ironic about the confiscation of Magwitch’s purse?

Chapter 55

  1. What does Dickens pause to talk about in order to create a brief relief of tension?

Chapter 56

  1. Read the following passage: “I sometimes derived an impression, from his manner or from a whispered word or two which escaped him, that he pondered over the question whether he might have been a better man under better circumstances.” Does Pip believe that a person’s “character” is determined by nature or by nurture? Explain.
  2. Describe Magwitch during the time of his death.
  3. Why does Pip tell Magwitch about Estella?

Chapter 57

  1. How is Pip’s illness like a second childhood for him?
  2. Think about the following characters: Matthew Pocket, Herbert Pocket, Bentley Drummle, Mr. Jaggers, and Joe. Which character possesses all the traits of a true gentleman? Explain.
  3. Why does Joe begin to call Pip “sir” when Pip begins to regain his strength?

Chapter 58

  1. How does this chapter wrap up Pip’s childhood relationships with Pumplechook, and Joe and Biddy?

Chapter 59

  1. Why might Dickens have Pip return to where the novel began?
  2. Explain the ambiguity of the ending of the novel. Do Pip and Estella part and never see each other again, or do they remain together?