What Is a Short Summary of “Great Expectations”?
“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens is about an abused orphan named Pip, his journey from poor orphan to power and wealth, the friends he gains and loses and his eventual humbling. “Great Expectations” is considered a “coming of age” novel and is narrated by the character Pip.
As the novel opens, Pip lives with his sister and her husband in Kent, England. After an episode involving escaped convicts, Pip is sent on daily visits to the estate of the wealthy Miss Havisham to entertain her adopted daughter Estella. Pip is apprenticed to the blacksmith Joe, his sister’s husband. After viewing Miss Havisham’s wealthy world, he does not wish to become a blacksmith.
Pip comes into a mysterious sum of money and eventually goes to London to learn to be a gentleman. While there, he learns to his dismay that his mysterious money came from one of the convicts he was involved with in the incident in Kent. Pip feels responsible for the man and tries to get him out of England. He discovers his love, Estella, is to be married and attempts to change her mind. After suffering tragedy, Pip flees to Cairo for 11 years. Upon his return, he sees Estella, now a widow, and it appears they may eventually be together.
