Great Expectations

Michelle writes:
This novel is proof in itself that things are not usually what they seem to be. Through the twists and turns of the plot of “Great Expectations” I have come to see the characters’ intentions change – for better or for worse may be left to your interpretation. After having met the convict, Pip does not meet him again. Mrs. Joe (as his sister is referred to) sends her brother to Miss Havisham’s house, a woman who continues to live in the past of her mistakes. There he meets the beautiful young girl, Estella, trained to break hearts as a revenge of Miss Havisham for the condition of her own. Estella treats Pip rather badly, but Pip remains persistent and doesn’t give up hope to one day be worthy of her. In efforts to be more worthy, he wishes to be a gentleman, but is sent instead to be the apprentice of Joe, the blacksmith, rather than continue to visit Miss Havisham & Estella. Through the experiences of apprenticeship to Joe, he comes to realize that the man he had once idolized led a less-than-sophisticated life and he begins to question the life he’d led before Estella and before the idea of becoming a gentleman. His perspective changes greatly and he intends to better his education with the help of his teacher, Mr.Wopsle, and his classmate, the kind-hearted country girl, Biddy. Biddy also attends to Mrs.Joe after she is viciously attacked by who Pip suspects to be Orlick, a malicious laborer of Joe's. Though his life seems rather depressing thus far in the novel, he receives unexpected news one day from a lawyer named Jaggers that informs the boy that he has inherited a large fortune from a secret benefactor who insists he go to London in order to improve his education as a gentleman. Pip believes this is his fate decided by Miss Havisham, his suspiscion to be the benefactor, in a scheme to wed Estella and himself, and eagerly agrees. Getting to London changes Pip's life in extremities unimaginable in the beginning of the novel. For example, Mrs.Joe might not have let him socialize with other children of his age because she was very bitter, but he meets and befriends a young gentleman named Herbert Pocket and Wemmick, Jaggers' assistant. Other than the new friendships he gains, he also begins to express much disdain toward his past loved ones - the most surprising and most prominent of these being his disdain toward Joe, proclaimed as Pip's best friend in the earlier chapters. While Pip's life is at it's greatest - wealthy and happy in almost every conceivable way - Mrs. Joe dies back home. Pip decides to go home for the funeral, overwhelmed with grief for the loss of his sister. Years after the tragedy, the convict from Pip's childhood reappears into his life and confesses that he had been the benefactor, moved by the honesty and goodness of the boy's heart to do good not only for himself but for Pip as well. Magwitch, as the convict is referred to, admits that he'd been working hard to earn the fortune so that Pip may learn to be a gentleman. With this news comes more devastating news: Estella marries a high class gentleman. While this destroys Pip, he is more focused on helping his newfound friend who he begins to care deeply for escape from the law. Ending on this note may leave you curious to know more; what becomes of Miss Havisham? Will Estella and Pip ever turn the antagonism into a romance? Will Magwitch escape the law? What of Joe, will he and Pip ever reconciliate? You'll have to read the novel yourself to answer the questions. I personally enjoyed reading "Great Expectations". I found it to be a page-turner, constantly leaving me curious to know what may happen next. I would undoubtedly recommend this novel to read for anyone interested in an exciting, unpredictable story.