Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

The main character, Pip, who is an orphan, lives with his sister and her husband Joe has a passion for art. One day while at the marshes drawing, he meets an escaped convict who tells him to return with food and a file from his sister and Joe, or he will be killed. After Pip helps him, he is almost immediately recaptured by the police. After all of this, Pip is hired by a wealthy woman by the name of Ms. Havisham, as a playmate for her adopted daughter, Estella. Pip immediately falls in love with Stella.

Ms. Havisham was left at the altar and has trained Estella that man is the enemy , and that she must stop at nothing to hurt all men. She goes by this and the two children, Pip and Estella, grow up together. Estella leaves Pip, heartbroken, and he starts to work with Joe after his sister leaves as well. One day out of nowhere, a lawyer by the name of Jaggers comes and tells Pip that he has “Great Expectations” Pip has a secret benefactor, which he assumes is Ms. Havisham, and Jaggers is supposed to make all of his dreams come true. Ms. Havisham’s relative Herbet Pocket teaches Pip manners, and Pip asumed that she is preparing him to marry Estella. After all of this attention and new money, he becomes somewhat of a snob, and begins to ignore Joe who has taken care of him all these years.

Estella is engaged to marry Drummle. One stormy night the convict, Magwitch, who Pip had helped when he was just a young boy, appears at his door and Pip learns that he was the benefactor. He has been sentenced to death, and Pip feels obligated to help him once again. He moves the criminal to a house by the river, and then discovers that Magwitch is Estella’s father. Magwitch ends up being captured, but dies before his set execution. Pip becomes seriously ill, and is restored back to a healthy stage by his loving brother in law, Joe. Pip then joins a friend in business in India.

Years later, after Ms. Havisham had died, he again sees Estella. Ater all the pain she has put him through, they part as friends.

The main characters of the story were as follows:

Pip- The narrator and main character of the story. His driving ambition is to better his station in life.