“Great Expectations” by Dickens in brief summary
In the neighborhood of Rochester, an ancient town southeast of London, lived a seven-year-old boy, nicknamed Pip. He was left without parents, and his “own hands” raised by an older sister who “possessed a rare ability to pay purity into something more uncomfortable and unpleasant than any mud.” With Pip, she addressed as if he had been “taken under the supervision of a police midwife and handed over to her with suggestion – to act according to the strictness of the law.” Her husband was a blacksmith Joe Garderi – a blond giant, complaisant and rustic, only he, as he could, defended Pip.
This amazing story, told by Pip himself, began on the day when he collided in a cemetery with a runaway convict. He, under pain of death, demanded to bring “grub and filings” to get rid of the shackles. How many efforts it cost the boy to secretly collect and pass the bundle! It seemed that each floorboard screamed after: “Hold
Hardly had they stopped gossiping about the prisoners, as in a tavern some stranger had imperceptibly showed him the podilok and gave two pound tickets.
Time passed. Pip began to visit a strange house in which life froze on the day of the wedding of the mistress, Miss Havisham. She grew old, not seeing the light, sitting in a decaying wedding dress. The boy had to entertain the lady, play cards with her and her young pupil, beautiful Estella. Miss Havisham chose Estella as a weapon of revenge for all men for the one who deceived her and did not show up for the wedding. “Break their hearts, my pride and hope,” she repeated, “break them without pity!” The first victim of Estella was Pip. Before meeting with her, he loved the craft of a blacksmith and believed that “the smithy is a sparkling path to independent life.” After receiving twenty-five guineas from Miss Havisham, he gave them for the right to go to the apprentices to Joe and was happy, and a year later shuddered at the thought, That Estella will
The people crowded around the house and in the courtyard; Pip saw his sister, struck with a terrible blow to the back of his head, and next to him lay shackles with a sawn ring. The constables tried unsuccessfully to find out whose hand had struck. Pip suspected Orlik, a worker who was helping out in the smithy, and a stranger who was showing the podilok.
Mrs Joe woke with difficulty, and she needed care. Therefore, Biddy appeared in the house, a pretty girl with kind eyes. She led the farm and kept up with Pip, using every opportunity to learn something. They often spoke heart to heart, and Pip confessed to her that he dreams of changing his life. “You want to become a gentleman to annoy that beauty who lived with Miss Havisham, or to achieve it,” Biddy guessed. Indeed, the memories of those days “like an armor-piercing projectile” broke good intentions to enter into a stake with Joe, marry Biddy and lead an honest working life.
Once in the tavern “Three merry sailors” appeared a tall gentleman with a contemptuous expression on his face. Pip recognized him as one of Miss Havisham’s guests. It was Jagger, a solicitor from London. He announced that he had an important assignment to cousin Joe Gargerie: Pip would inherit a good fortune on condition that he immediately leave these places, leave his former occupations and become a young man of great promise. In addition, he must keep the name of Pip and not try to find out who his benefactor is. Pip’s heart began to beat faster, he could barely make out the words of agreement. He thought that Miss Havisham decided to make him rich and connect with Estella. Jegger said that at the disposal of Pip comes the amount, which is enough for education and metropolitan life. As a future guardian, he advised me to apply for instructions to Mr. Matthew Pocket. This name Peep also heard from Miss Havisham.
Rich, Pip ordered a fashion suit, hat, gloves and completely transformed. In a new guise, he paid a visit to his good fairy, who accomplished this miraculous transformation. She accepted with gratitude the grateful words of the boy.
The day of separation came. Leaving the village, Pip burst into tears at the road post: “Farewell, my good friend!”, And in diligence I thought how good it would be to return under the native roof… But – it’s too late. The time of the first hopes is over…
In London, Pip has mastered surprisingly easily. He rented an apartment with Herbert Pocket, the son of his mentor, and took lessons from him. Entering the club “Chaffinch in the Grove,” he casually licked money, imitating new friends in an effort to spend as much as possible. His favorite pastime was drawing up a list of debts “from Cobs, Lobs or Nobs”. That’s when Pip feels like a first-class financier! Herbert trusts his business qualities; he himself only “looks around,” hoping to catch luck in the City. Spurred around in the whirlpool of London life Pip overtakes the news of the death of his sister.
Finally, Pip reached adulthood. Now he himself has to dispose of his property, part with the guardian, in the sharp mind and great authority of which he was more than once convinced; even on the streets singing: “Oh Jaggers, Jaggers, Jaggers, the most necessary humangrass!” On the day of his birth, Pip received five hundred pounds and a promise of the same amount annually for expenses “as a pledge of hope.” The first thing Pip wants to do is make half of his annual maintenance so that Herbert can work in a small company and then become its co-owner. For Pip himself, hopes for future accomplishments justify inaction.
Once, when Pip was alone in his dwelling – Herbert went to Marseilles, – suddenly there were footsteps on the stairs. A mighty gray-haired man came in, he did not need to get pendulums or other evidence from his pocket-Pip instantly recognized that fugitive convict! The old man began to thank Pip fervently for the act committed sixteen years ago. During the conversation it became clear that the source of the prosperity of Pip was the money of the fugitive: “Yes, Pip, my dear boy, I made you a gentleman out of you!” Like a bright flash lit up everything around – so much disappointment, humiliation, danger suddenly enveloped Pipa. So, Miss Havisham’s intentions to raise him to Estella are simply the fruit of his imagination! Hence, the blacksmith Joe was abandoned for the sake of the quirk of this man, who runs the risk of being hanged for illegally returning to England from an eternal settlement…
After the appearance of Abel Magwich, Pip, embarrassed, began to prepare for his departure abroad. The disgust and horror experienced at the first moment were replaced in Pip’s soul by growing gratitude to this man. Magvich was hid in the house of Clara, the bride of Herbert. From there it was possible to sail by the Thames to the mouth and board a foreign steamer. From Magvich’s stories, it was revealed that Composon, the second convict caught in the marshes, was the dirty deceiver, the suitor Miss Havisham, and he still follows Magwich. In addition, according to various hints, Pip guessed that Magwich – Estella’s father, and her mother was the housekeeper Jagger, who was suspected of murder, but justified by the efforts of a lawyer, and then Jagger took the baby to the rich single Miss Havisham. Needless to say, this secret Pip has sworn to keep for the sake of the adored Estella, despite the fact that by this time she was already married to the scoundrel Drumm. Reflecting on all this, Pip went to Miss Havish to get a large sum of money for Herbert. Leaving, he looked back – the wedding dress flashed on her like a torch! Pip, in despair, burning his hands, extinguished the fire. Miss Havisham stayed alive, but, alas, not for long…
On the eve of the forthcoming flight, Pip received a strange letter inviting him to the house on the swamp. He could not imagine that Orlik, harboring malice, had become Comrade’s henchman and lured Pip to take revenge on him-to kill and burn in a huge stove. It seemed that death is inevitable, but the right friend Herbert arrived in time to cry. Now on the road! At first everything went well, only the steamboat had a chase, and Magvich was captured and convicted. He died of wounds in the prison hospital before he was executed, and his last moments were warmed by Pip’s gratitude and the story of the fate of his daughter, who became a noble lady.
Eleven years have passed. Pip is working in the company’s eastern office with Herbert, finding a friend in the family and care. And here he is again in his native village, where he is greeted by Joe and Biddy, their son, named Pip, and a toddler. But Pip hoped to see one that he never ceased to dream about. There were rumors that she buried her husband… An unknown force attracts Pip to an abandoned house. A woman’s figure appeared in the fog. This is Estella! “Is not it strange that this house reunited us,” Pip said, taking her hand, and they walked away from the gloomy ruins. The fog cleared. “The wide expanses stretched before them, not overshadowed by the shadow of a new separation.”
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