Great Expectations: Story, Textual
Analysis and Critical Discussion
of Part II (Chapters 1-10)
Dr. Sarwet Rasul
Review of Previous Lesson
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Explored Part 1 (Chapters 13 onwards) of the novel and finished part 1.
Explored the text of these chapters
Explore themes
Discussed the development of characters
Critically analyze the selected parts of text
Discussed several important points related to the development of plot
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Current Session
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Part 2: 20- 39
Introduction to Part II (Chapters 1- 10) of the novel
Will explore the text of these chapters
Explore themes
Discuss the development of characters
Critically analyze the selected parts of text
Discuss several important points related to
development of plot
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Part II: Chapter 1
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With the first chapter of part 2 another phase of the journey
of Pip starts.
He goes to London.
As he reaches there, it is very ironic that as compared with
his last images of the marshes, he finds it "ugly, crooked,
narrow and dirty.“
He meets with Jaggers, who tells him that he will be living
with Mathew Pocket.
He also meets wemmick who is Jagger's square-mouth
clerk.
Jaggers seems to be an important and powerful man as
Pip finds that there are lots of people wait outside his office,
muttering his name among themselves.
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Selected TEXT from Part II: Chapter 1
TEXT: Mr. Jaggers's room was lighted by a skylight only, and was
a most dismal place; the skylight, eccentrically pitched like a
broken head, and the distorted adjoining houses looking as if
they had twisted themselves to peep down at me through it.
There were not so many papers about, as I should have
expected to see; and there were some odd objects about, that
I should not have expected to see,--such as an old rusty pistol,
a sword in a scabbard, several strange-looking boxes and
packages, and two dreadful casts on a shelf, of faces
peculiarly swollen, and twitchy about the nose. Mr. Jaggers's
own high-backed chair was of deadly black horsehair, with
rows of brass nails round it, like a coffin; and I fancied I could
see how he leaned back in it, and bit his forefinger at the
clients. The room was but small, and the clients seemed to
have had a habit of backing up against the wall; the wall,
especially opposite to Mr. Jaggers's chair, being greasy with
shoulders. I recalled, too, that the one-eyed gentleman had
shuffled forth against the wall when I was the innocent cause
of his being turned out.
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TEXT continues from Part II: Chapter 1
• When I told the clerk that I would take a turn in
the air while I waited, he advised me to go round
the corner and I should come into Smithfield. So
I came into Smithfield; and the shameful place,
being all asmear with filth and fat and blood and
foam, seemed to stick to me. So, I rubbed it off
with all possible speed by turning into a street
where I saw the great black dome of Saint Paul's
bulging at me from behind a grim stone building
which a bystander said was Newgate Prison.
Following the wall of the jail, I found the roadway
covered with straw to deaden the noise of
passing vehicles; and from this, and from the
quantity of people standing about smelling
strongly of spirits and beer, I inferred that the
trials were on.
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Discussion Points
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Structurally, we find short quick chapters.
This series of brief, quick chapters inaugurates the second
phase of Great Expectations, marked by Pip’s receiving his new
fortune as he reaches London.
The whole setting changes with the shift from marshes to
London.
How, Pip’s Great Expectations are going to be challenged at the
outset as we notice that he finds London stinky and ugly.
One of the first things Pip sees after his arrival in London is the
terrible gallows of Newgate Prison, which gives Pip “a sickening
idea of London.”
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Points to ponder
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Use of Symbols:
Places as symbols
Pip’s attitude towards places as symbols
Gallows as a symbol of threat and fear
People’s faces as symbols
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Discussion Points
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New Experiences
New People
Pip’s new acquaintances are unlike anyone he has ever
known before, and they make his transformation into a
gentleman an unpredictable one.
Jaggers is hard, cold, and powerful, but beneath the surface
he seems disgusted by his own work.
All this setting and characters around Pip raise serious
questions about his upcoming social uplift and the change
that he is supposed to undergo.
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Chapter 2- Text: Ugliness Continues+ Art of Characterization
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Casting my eyes on Mr. Wemmick as we went along, to see
what he was like in the light of day, I found him to be a dry
man, rather short in stature, with a square wooden face,
whose expression seemed to have been imperfectly
chipped out with a dull-edged chisel. There were some
marks in it that might have been dimples, if the material had
been softer and the instrument finer, but which, as it was,
were only dints. The chisel had made three or four of these
attempts at embellishment over his nose, but had given
them up without an effort to smooth them off.
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Part II: Chapter 2
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In this chapter we find that Wemmick introduces Pip to Herbert
Pocket. He is the son of Pip’s tutor, with whom Pip will spend
the night.
Herbert and Pip both like each other.
Herbert is a good man with a cheerful countenance.
When we compare and contrast Pip with him, we come to know
that Pip’s fortune has been made for him by somebody else. ,
Herbert is a person who is not rich but who hopes to become a
shipping merchant.
Soon both of them realize that they have met before. They are
surprised at the fact that Herbert is the pale young gentleman
whom Pip fought in the garden at Miss Havisham’s place.
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Part II: Chapter 2: Discussion Points
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Pip grew up in the rural marshes where poverty reigned
but people in general were generous, sympathetic and
finds himself in difficulty as he comes to London. He
realizes that in contrast to his previous experience, here
people are disconcerned, cruel and artificial.
The only warm person around is Herbert, whom Pip had
first met under strange, and violent, circumstances.
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Part II: Chapter 3
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Herbert Pocket prepares a simple dinner and explains his relationship to
Miss Havisham. His father, Matthew Pocket, is Miss Havisham's cousin.
Herbert Pocket tells Pip the story of Miss Havisham.
Miss Havisham fell in love with a swindler and Matthew Pocket tried to
warn her about him. Angrily, she demanded that Matthew leave the
house and not return.
Miss Havisham is then cheated by this man on the day of her wedding.
He, leaving her only a letter, which Miss Havisham received at twenty
minutes to nine—the time at which she later stopped all her clocks,
disappeared.
The rumour was that the fiancé had worked in conspiracy with her
younger brother, who may have wanted to exact revenge on the more
favoured.
Miss Havisham adopts Estella. She raises her to take revenge on the
male gender by making them fall in love with her, and then by cheating
them.
The next day, Herbert brings Pip to meet his father, and other family
members.
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Part II: Chapter 2: Discussion Points
Theme of food and meals
• The theme of the meal as a reflection of human
companionship again returns in this chapter.
• The meal prepared by Herbert is simple and the table setting
is balanced on a number of pieces of furniture, clearly showing
it as a non-traditional set-up.
• It is interesting that Pip enjoys his company and the meal
both.
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Part II: Chapter 2: Discussion Points
Themes of Social Class Uplift and Criminality:
The story of Miss Havisham mirrors some of the same
themes of social class and criminality that run
throughout the novel.
Her story explains the main mystery of her life, which
was implied by her surroundings and her behaviour
much earlier in the novel.
It answers many of Pip’s questions about her.
New Questions:
Who was the man who cheated Miss Havisham?
Who is Eestella?
What is Estella’s history, and how is she related to Miss
Havisham?
As the novel progresses, these questions will become
extremely important. However, here they reinforce the
theme of mystery.
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Part II: Chapter 4
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The next day, Pip visits the unpleasant commercial world of the
Royal Exchange before going to Matthew Pocket’s house to be
tutored and to have dinner.
As Pip visits the Pocket household he is surprised to see the
chaotic world of this household.
Mrs. Pocket does not and cannot handle the household.
The servants run the show.
As she does not know how to rear children, there are two
nurses who are supposed to take care of young ones.
Pip notices the same chaos over the meal.
At dinner, Pip concentrates on his table manners and tries to
learn the ways of social life in London.
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Discussion Points
Theme of Child Abuse:
• Dickens presents child abuse as a prominent theme in his
works. Same goes for this novel. We noticed the presence of
this theme from the very beginning of t5he novel when Pip as
a child was treated harshly by his sister and was raised by
hand.
• Now again we notice it. Dickens continues to present various
ways in which children are oppressed and marginalized. In
the Pocket family the children are not necessarily physically
abused (though their lives appear in danger sometimes from
lack of supervision) or under fed or made to work, but there
seems to be psychological abuse evident by there mere
numbers. The parents, Matthew and Mrs. Pocket, are busy in
their urban superficial lives, and have no time for rearing the
children properly.
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Part II: Chapter 5
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Matthew Pocket, like his son, is a serious, honest, and good
person.
Matthew Pocket was teaching Pip with sincerity so Pip tries
to learn with all eagerness and feels earnest in learning.
The natural result is that he progresses.
At the same time, he is drawn by the city life within London
and asks Jaggers if he can live permanently at the Bernard
Inn with Herbert, instead of boarding in Hammersmith.
Jaggers agrees.
Wemmick brings Pip to watch Jaggers in court, where Pip
observes him "grinding the whole place in a mill."
Pip returns to Jaggers’s office in order to arrange to share
rooms with Herbert. There Pip befriends the lively
Wemmick, who invites him to dinner.
Pip sees Jaggers in the courtroom, where he even frightens
the judge with his powerful and thundering speeches.
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Part II: Chapter 6
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While at the Pockets, Pip comes to know the family
surrounding Miss Havisham. Camilla is Matthew Pocket's
sister, Georgiana is a cousin. Pip also grows close to Herbert.
Pip is invited to dinner at Wemmick's place. Pip is pleasantly
surprised to see himas a different person at home. Actually he
believes that "Office is one thing, private life is another."
Indeed, Wemmick has a wonderful private life. Although he
lives in a small cottage, the cottage has been modified to look
wonderful.
Pip finds that Wemmick is an entertaining host, far different
from the Wemmick at the office.
Pip observes that Wemmick seems to have a new personality
when he enters his home: while he is cynical and dry at work,
at home he seems happy and merry.
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Discussion Point
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Literally, Wemmick's home is his castle.
Wemmick talks in terms of defending this private home against the
encroachment of the hard city life.
Again the theme of meal is presented.
In this meal, Pip is brought to understand how a person who is
assumed to be dull can be an entertaining host.
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Part II: Chapter 7:
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In comparison to the house of Wemmick, Jaggers’s house is
oppressive and dark. There is nobody else there but a gloomy
housekeeper, Molly.
Pip’s fellow students attend the dinner at Jaggers’s with Pip.
Here Pip and Drummle quarrel over a loan Drummle
ungratefully borrowed from Startop.
Jaggers warns Pip to stay away from Drummle, though the
lawyer claims to like the disagreeable young man himself.
The next day, Jaggers himself invites Pip and friends to
dinner. Pip brings Herbert as well as the other Pocket
boarders. Thus, Startop and Drummle also came.
Pip and his friends are irritated by the insulting behaviour of
Drummle.
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Discussion Point
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Dickens uses this chapter to once again present mysteries that
the narrator Pip hints will be solved in upcoming issues. Of all the
young men invited to Jagger's house, Jaggers is especially
pleased and interested in the unfriendly Drummle. It is a strange
choice for Jaggers and we are led to believe that Drummle will
become a more important character later in the novel.
Theme of food and meal is again highlighted.
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Part II: Chapter 8:
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Biddy writes a letter to Pip to tell him that Joe is coming to
London and would like to visit him. Pip is not very happy with
this news.
Joe comes to visit Pip in London.
Moving in the comparatively higher society, Pip find the arrival
of Joe as a member of lower class to be an irritating visitor.
Pip worries that Joe will disapprove of his opulent lifestyle. At
the same time he is worried that Drummle will look down on him
because of Joe.
The result of all this is that Joe’s visit is full of tension, is
strained and awkward.
Joe tells that Miss Havisham wants him to know Estella is back
at the Satis House.
Throughout Joe addresses Pip as "sir,“.
The visit is very short and Joe stays only for a few minutes.
He tells Pip that he is out of his element, and that if Pip would
like to see the real Joe and sit down and talk like old times, he
should visit the forge.
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Opening text of chapter 27: Letter by Biddy
‘MY DEAR MR PIP,
‘I write this by request of Mr. Gargery, for to let you know that he
is going to London in company with Mr. Wopsle and would be
glad if agreeable to be allowed to see you. He would call at
Barnard’s Hotel Tuesday morning 9 o’clock, when if not
agreeable please leave word. Your poor sister is much the same
as when you left. We talk of you in the kitchen every night, and
wonder what you are saying and doing. If now considered in the
light of a liberty, excuse it for the love of poor old days. No more,
dear Mr. Pip, from
‘Your ever obliged, and affectionate servant,
‘BIDDY.’
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Discussion Points
Recurring Theme of Food and Meals:
• Once again, we are presented with the meal theme.
• This meal is an uncomfortable clash between Pip's new
"gentlemanly" life and his "common" life at the forge.
• This meal also reminds us of many other meals.
• Joe even uses the word "wittles," which was last used by
the convict that Pip met in the marshes, symbolizing all of
Pip's past that he is trying to separate from.
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Text: Joe’s Departure
Pip, I wish you ever well and ever prospering to a greater and a greater
heighth.’
‘But you are not going now, Joe?’
‘Yes I am,’ said Joe.
‘But you are coming back to dinner, Joe?’
‘No I am not,’ said Joe.
Our eyes met, and all the ‘Sir’ melted out of that manly heart as he gave
me his hand.
‘Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together,
as I may say, and one man’s a blacksmith, and one’s a whitesmith, and
one’s a goldsmith, and one’s a coppersmith. Diwisions among such must
come, and must be met as they come. If there’s been any fault at all today, it’s mine. You and me is not two figures to be together in London; nor
yet anywhere else but what is private, and beknown, and understood
among friends. It ain’t that I am proud, but that I want to be right, as you
shall never see me no more in these clothes. I’m wrong in these clothes.
I’m wrong out of the forge, the kitchen, or off th’ meshes. You won’t find
half so much fault in me if you think of me in my forge dress, with my
hammer in my hand, or even my pipe. You won’t find half so much fault in
me if, supposing as you should ever wish to see me, you come and put
your head in at the forge window and see Joe the blacksmith, there, at the
old anvil, in the old burnt apron, sticking to the old work. I’m awful dull, but
I hope I’ve beat out something nigh the rights of this at last. And so GOD
bless you, dear old Pip, old chap, GOD bless you!’
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Part II: Chapter 9
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Pip comes back to his home place. There are two purposes
of this journey. He hopes to see Estella and also he wants to
apologize to Joe.
For the journey he is forced to share a coach with a pair of
convicts, one of whom is the mysterious stranger who gave
Pip money in the pub.
Though this man does not recognize Pip, Pip overhears him
explaining that the convict Pip helped that long-ago night in
the marshes had asked him to deliver the money to Pip.
Pip is so terrified by his memory of that night that he gets off
the coach at its first stop within the town limits. When he
arrives at his hotel, he reads a notice in a newspaper, from
which he learns that Pumblechook is taking credit for his rise
in status.
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Discussion Point
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This chapter provides some answers to the questions previously raised.
We come to know that the convict riding with Pip in this chapter was given
the pound note, and, presumably, the file by the convict who Pip had helped
in the opening few chapters.
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Part II: Chapter 10:29
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Pip goes to Satis House to see Miss Havisham the next day, and of course
he wants to meet Estella.
His imagination is at work and he thinks of himself as a triumphant knight
who is going to rescue the Lady Estella from an evil castle.
Pip imagines that Miss Havisham has adopted both he and Estella to raise
them to be with each other. Pip imagines he and Estella inhabiting the old
Satis House and flinging open the windows to let the sun and the breeze in.
As he reaches there, he meets Orlick at the gate of The Satis House. He
comes to know that he is now working for Miss Havisham.
He goes in to meet Miss Havisham and Estella.
Estella has grown older and much more beautiful than before. She is so
much beautiful that Pip doesn't recognize her at first sight.
Facing her now, he slips back "into the coarse and common voice" of his
youth and she, in return, treated him like the boy he used to be.
She is coming from France and on her way to live in London. They talk of
his new friends and his old friends: "Who is fit for you then is not fit for you
now," Estella said, asking about Joe. Pip agrees and, at that moment,
decides not to go see Joe and Biddy.
It is significant that Pip sees something strikingly familiar in Estella's face.
He can't exactly identify the look, but an expression on her face reminds
him of someone.
Later, they all have dinner with Jaggers.
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Discussion Points
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Estella tells Pip, "I have no heart,"
She is conscious that she is brought up by Miss Havisham as a
beautiful but emotionless woman.
Miss Havisham will have her revenge on the male gender: "I
developed her into what she is, that she might be loved," she tells
Pip. "Love her!"
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References of works consulted
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CHARLES DICKEN’S GREAT EXPECTATIONS. (2007) Edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom. Viva Books Private
Limited: New Delhi
DICKENS: A COLLECTION OF CRITICAL ESSAYS (1967). Edited by Martin Price. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs. New Jersey
http://www.cliffsnotes.com
www.gradesaver.com
www.enotes.com
www.bartleby.com
www.gutenberg.org
http://www.helium.com
http://www.studymode.com
http://thebestnotes.com
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Review of the Session
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Introduction to Part II (Chapters 1- 10) of the novel
Explored the text of these chapters
Explore themes
Discussed the development of characters
Critically analyzed the selected parts of text
Discussed several important points related to the development of plot
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Thank you very much!
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