Great Expectations Video Summary

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Written in 1860 and one of the most canonical Victorian novels, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations narrates the coming-of-age of Pip Pirrip, an orphan adopted by a poor family in England. Despite a hard childhood, Pip grows up to find happiness through friendship and love rather than money and social status.

The book opens with Pip as a young boy visiting his parents’ gravestones on Christmas Eve. A man in a prison uniform—a convict—startles Pip and threatens to kill him if he does not bring food and a file to cut the shackle off his leg.

Frightened, Pip runs home to his sister, Mrs. Joe Gragery, and his adoptive father, Joe Gragery. His sister is an abusive woman who resents both raising her orphaned brother and being the wife of an unambitious blacksmith. Pip finds solace from her rages in Joe’s kindness.

The next morning, Pip steals food from the pantry and a file from Joe's workshop for the convict, who is nonetheless caught by soldiers later that night. Pip feels guilty for stealing, but his act of kindness softens the convict's heart, leading him to confess to his crime.

Early in the novel, Pip is called to entertain Miss Havisham—a wealthy recluse living in a dilapidated mansion called the "Satis House." There, Pip meets the beautiful and cruel young girl, Estella and is instantly infatuated.

One day, Miss Havisham shows Pip a great banquet hall where a table is set with rotten food and a large wedding cake, untouched for years. He learns that years before, Miss Havisham’s groom abandoned her on their wedding day. Miss Havisham’s relatives still visit on that day every year, which is also her birthday. Estella toys with Pip, inviting him to give her a kiss before he leaves.

Pip dreams about becoming a wealthy gentleman and marrying Estella. But soon, Miss Havisham decides that Pip must begin his indenture as a blacksmith with Joe and ends Pip’s visits to the mansion. Pip is miserable, ashamed of his low class status.

Four years later, a lawyer named Jaggers finds Pip and tells him that an anonymous benefactor has granted him a large monthly stipend. He must move to London and learn to live as a gentleman. Although this is a dream come true for Pip, he will find London disenchanting and miss Joe terribly.

In London, Pip lives with Herbert Pocket, who becomes a good friend and mentor. Herbert tells Pip that Miss Havisham adopted Estella and raised her to exact revenge on boys and young men by cruelly breaking their hearts. But Miss Havisham also hints that she is Pip’s benefactor and Pip assumes that she wants him to ascend in class status so that he can marry Estella.

Soon, Pip is invited to dinner by Jaggers’ clerk Wemmick, who has a fantastical private life which is the opposite of his unimaginative professional demeanor at work. Although Wemmick lives in a small cottage, his home has been modified to look like an elaborate castle. Wemmick lives with an elderly, deaf relative, whom he calls “the Aged.” Pip finds Wemmick an entertaining host and he soon becomes a trusted friend.

Meanwhile, as the years pass, Estella becomes even colder and more beautiful and moves to London.

One day, Pip returns home to attend his sister’s funeral. He visits with Joe and Biddy, his close childhood friend. Biddy is disappointed in Pip and doesn’t believe he will ever return home as he promises. She sees through his pretentiousness. Back in London, Estella begins courting Bentley Drummle, the most repulsive of Pip’s acquaintances.

One stormy night, when Pip is 23, a rough man of sixty arrives at Pip’s London home. The man, Abel Magwitch, proudly reveals that he is Pip's benefactor and the same convict Pip helped years earlier. At that time, Magwitch swore to himself that would give all his future earnings to Pip. Magwitch tells Pip he had a daughter who died soon after birth. Pip is horrified, despondent that there is no grand design to usher him into marriage with Estella.

He returns to Satis House, angry with Miss Havisham for misleading him. He confesses his love to Estella, but she declares she will soon marry Drummle. Pip returns again to make peace with Miss Havisham who apologizes for hurting him. Then, she accidentally sets herself on fire and Pip saves her, but burns himself during the rescue.

Pip soon learns the secret that Estella is Magwitch’s daughter. Pip feels ashamed of Magwitch, he feels an obligation to help him escape the police. Wemmick sends Pip a secret note warning him that he should leave the country with Magwitch. Pip and Herbert hatch a plan to help Magwitch escape by river, but Magwitch's old enemy, Compeyson, pursues him by boat.