Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, a young orphan raised by his harsh sister and kind blacksmith brother-in-law Joe in rural Kent. Early encounters with an escaped convict named Magwitch and the reclusive, jilted bride Miss Havisham—along with her beautiful but aloof ward Estella—spark Pip’s longing for a grander life beyond his humble roots. As mysterious great expectations elevate him to wealth and London society, Pip grapples with class ambition, unrequited love, fractured loyalties, and moral growth, ultimately learning that true worth lies in compassion over status. The novel blends humor, mystery, and tragedy to critique Victorian social hierarchies while tracing Pip’s path to self-awareness.