Great Expectations Book Report free essay sample

Expectations by Charles Dickens Great Expectations is a bildungsroman, or a coming-of-age novel, published by Chapman amp; Hall in 1861, the story it’s set among the Marshes of Kent in London in the early-to-mid 1800s. This is the story about Pip, an orphan boy who lives with his sister who is married the blacksmith, the story follows the life of this boy, from his awakening to life. The main characters are Pip, Mrs. Joe, Joe Gargery, Miss Havisham, Estella, Abel Magwitch. , Mr. Jaggers, Herbert Pocket, Biddy and Bentley Drummle. Pip, is the main character and is the narrator of the story, Pip is a young orphan boy who is being raised by his sister and her husband. Pip is very passionate and a dreaming person with a huge heart and he has a lot of expectations in life. Mrs. Joe is Pip’s sister which is a overbearing figure to Pip, she is very ambitious and her wish is to be something more that the wife of the village blacksmith. She doesn’t love Pip. Joe Gargery is the husband of Pip’s sister, and he is the village blacksmith, he really loves Pip and he take care about him, he is very calm, quiet and kind, he really suffered when Pip treated him so bad. Miss Havisham, a rich old lady who lives in a castle-mansion known as Satis House, Miss Havisham is a bitter woman who was jilted at the altar on her wedding day, long ago. She stills using her wedding dress and the rotting wedding cake remains on the dinner table. She raises Estella to be the tool of her revenge, training her beautiful ward to break men’s hearts. Estella, is the beautiful Miss Havisham’s adopted child, she is the crush of Pip, he loves her even that she was very cold, cruel, and uninterested in him. She always told him that she has no heart. Abel Magwitch, is a convict who escapes from prison at the beginning of the story and terrorizes Pip in the cemetery. however, the kindness of Pip makes a deep impression on him, and because of this he decided to give all his money to Pip and he becomes in Pip’s secret benefactor, funding Pip’s education in London through the lawyer Jaggers. Mr. Jaggers is the powerful lawyer hired by Magwitch to be Pips caretaker. He is one of the most important criminal lawyers in London. Herbert Pocket is the son of Matthew Pocket, Herbert becomes Pip’s best friend and he helped Pip to get to the status of gentleman. He hopes to become a merchant so that he can afford to marry Clara Barley. Biddy, a kindhearted girl, Biddy befriends Pip when they attend school together. When Mrs. Joe becomes an invalid she moves into Pip’s home to care of her. This girl represents the opposite of Estella; she is plain, kind, moral, and of Pip’s own social class. Bentley Drummle, an unpleasant young man who attends tutoring sessions with Pip at the Pockets’ house, Drummle is a minor member of the nobility, and this makes him feel justified in acting cruelly toward everyone around him. The story begins on Christmas Eve when Pip meets an escaped prisoner who threatens him to bring him food and a file to break the shackles of his legs, and Pip had no choice but to help. The next day, on Christmas, the prisoner was captured and returned to the prison ship known as The Hulks. The prisoner never reveals that he was helped by Pip. Soon after Pip is sent to the home of Miss Havisham, where he met Estella, who is Miss Havisham’s adopted child is very pretty and Pip instantly falls for her. But Estela is cold and distant and she doesn’t really talk to Pip Then, Miss Havisham decides that Pip has to start following the profession of blacksmith, as his brother-in-law Joe, and Pip begins an apprenticeship at Joe’s smithy. But, however, Pip is ashamed of his work and family, and his greatest wish is to become into a gentleman in order to be worthy of the love of Estella. One day Pip receives a visit from Mr. Jaggers, who informs him that an anonymous benefactor has left him a huge sum of money and that he has to move to London, where he will be raised to be a gentleman. Mr. Jagger is going to be Pip’s caretaker. After this, Pip is convinced that his benefactor is Miss Havisham, and believes that he is being trained to be the future husband of Estella. In London, Pip is raised by Mr. Mathew Pocket and makes a great friendship with his son Herbert. While Pip was in London his sister dies and he has to go to the funeral, where he meets Estela again. Over time, his wealth and position change him, and he stills continue shaming of Joe and Biddy who is Joes new wife and he doesn’t’ want to know anything of them. He thinks that the association with them will affect on his relationship with Estella, who still remains a powerful factor in his life. Even that she warns him that she can’t love him, Pip persists in his love for her. One stormy night, Pip, who already has 23 years old, discovers that his benefactor is Abel Magwitch, the convict of long ago and not Miss Havisham. Although Pip is ashamed of Magwitch, is grateful and loyal, and intends to protect him of the police who are looking for him. Herbert and Pip tried to help to escape Abel, but when they were about to do it, Abel is wounded and captured. Abel dies, but, before this Pip discovers that Estella is Abel’s daughter. During this time, Estella married Pips enemy, Bently Drummle. Mrs. Havisham dies, but not before she regrets everything that she had done to Pip, and in return she leaves part of her heritage to Herbert before she died. The story ends when Pip meets Estela after many years and told him that she had left Drummle. She and Pip said goodbye as friends and it seems that there’s a hope that he and Estella will finally end up together. This is a story that I really enjoyed to read, even at first I thought it would be a boring story, this one was involving myself and becoming more interesting chapter after chapter. I’ve never read a love story like this one, the relationship between Pip and Estella comes alive from the very beginning, even that she never were interested in him, she always were his motive to succeed and become a gentleman. This story has many moments that stand out like the comics ones as well as the moments of suspense, passion or realization. I’m really sure that you will enjoy reading this book, I sincerely recommend you to read it.