Great Expectations Video Summary

Visit us at www.gradesaver... to read the full video transcript and our study guide for this classic novel, which includes a full list of characters, themes, and much more.
Written in 1860 and one of the most canonical Victorian novels, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations narrates the coming-of-age of Pip Pirrip, an orphan adopted by a poor family in England. Despite a hard childhood, Pip grows up to find happiness through friendship and love rather than money and social status.
The book opens with Pip as a young boy visiting his parents’ gravestones on Christmas Eve. A man in a prison uniform-a convict-startles Pip and threatens to kill him if he does not bring food and a file to cut the shackle off his leg.
Frightened, Pip runs home to his sister, Mrs. Joe Gragery, and his adoptive father, Joe Gragery. His sister is an abusive woman who resents both raising her orphaned brother and being the wife of an unambitious blacksmith. Pip finds solace from her rages in Joe’s kindness.
The next morning, Pip steals food from the pantry and a file from Joe's workshop for the convict, who is nonetheless caught by soldiers later that night. Pip feels guilty for stealing, but his act of kindness softens the convict's heart, leading him to confess to his crime.
Early in the novel, Pip is called to entertain Miss Havisham-a wealthy recluse living in a dilapidated mansion called the "Satis House." There, Pip meets the beautiful and cruel young girl, Estella and is instantly infatuated.
One day, Miss Havisham shows Pip a great banquet hall where a table is set with rotten food and a large wedding cake, untouched for years. He learns that years before, Miss Havisham’s groom abandoned her on their wedding day. Miss Havisham’s relatives still visit on that day every year, which is also her birthday. Estella toys with Pip, inviting him to give her a kiss before he leaves.
Pip dreams about becoming a wealthy gentleman and marrying Estella. But soon, Miss Havisham decides that Pip must begin his indenture as a blacksmith with Joe and ends Pip’s visits to the mansion. Pip is miserable, ashamed of his low class status.
Four years later, a lawyer named Jaggers finds Pip and tells him that an anonymous benefactor has granted him a large monthly stipend. He must move to London and learn to live as a gentleman. Although this is a dream come true for Pip, he will find London disenchanting and miss Joe terribly.
In London, Pip lives with Herbert Pocket, who becomes a good friend and mentor. Herbert tells Pip that Miss Havisham adopted Estella and raised her to exact revenge on boys and young men by cruelly breaking their hearts. But Miss Havisham also hints that she is Pip’s benefactor and Pip assumes that she wants him to ascend in class status so that he can marry Estella.
Soon, Pip is invited to dinner by Jaggers’ clerk Wemmick, who has a fantastical private life which is the opposite of his unimaginative professional demeanor at work. Although Wemmick lives in a small cottage, his home has been modified to look like an elaborate castle. Wemmick lives with an elderly, deaf relative, whom he calls “the Aged.” Pip finds Wemmick an entertaining host and he soon becomes a trusted friend.
Meanwhile, as the years pass, Estella becomes even colder and more beautiful and moves to London.
One day, Pip returns home to attend his sister’s funeral. He visits with Joe and Biddy, his close childhood friend. Biddy is disappointed in Pip and doesn’t believe he will ever return home as he promises. She sees through his pretentiousness. Back in London, Estella begins courting Bentley Drummle, the most repulsive of Pip’s acquaintances.
One stormy night, when Pip is 23, a rough man of sixty arrives at Pip’s London home. The man, Abel Magwitch, proudly reveals that he is Pip's benefactor and the same convict Pip helped years earlier. At that time, Magwitch swore to himself that would give all his future earnings to Pip. Magwitch tells Pip he had a daughter who died soon after birth. Pip is horrified, despondent that there is no grand design to usher him into marriage with Estella.
He returns to Satis House, angry with Miss Havisham for misleading him. He confesses his love to Estella, but she declares she will soon marry Drummle. Pip returns again to make peace with Miss Havisham who apologizes for hurting him. Then, she accidentally sets herself on fire and Pip saves her, but burns himself during the rescue.
Pip soon learns the secret that Estella is Magwitch’s daughter. Pip feels ashamed of Magwitch, he feels an obligation to help him escape the police. Wemmick sends Pip a secret note warning him that he should leave the country with Magwitch. Pip and Herbert hatch a plan to help Magwitch escape by river, but Magwitch's old enemy, Compeyson, pursues him by boat.

[@andrice2598]

I feel like everyone focuses on estella being a “terrible person” or who is the villain but if you look deeper you’ll see everyone’s actions were a result of the domino effect. It’s a cycle that goes on. Estella broke her’s, Pip realized that he was apart of, Miss H realized what she contributed to and so on.

[@purplesprigs]

Did you even read the book? Pip was "adopted by a poor family"? NO! He was raised by his older sister. May God forgive you (to quote Pip).

[@AYVYN]

Estella is the type of self-absorbed girl to give you just enough companionship to harbor hope with no intent of it leading anywhere.

[@Starscimitar]

All formulated by Miss Havisham

[@_parpadoscaidos5681]

She is hella more than that... She is a representation of how some people wish to be better ones and try so hard when they realize their childhood education is not their fault, because until getting that in mind, she was trapped in a narcissist personality bubble

[@HasufelyArod]

She was raised that way. To some extent you can't 100% blame her, while at the same time, yes you can blame her for it's her choice to break the cycle.

[@abhuing]

Am late to the conversation..but Estella is the female lead in '500 days of summer'

[@FULLtiltSENDER]

Just saved me about a week of reading 😂

[@arielestrada549]

Right 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

[@tikunago]

Its needs only one day, easy to read 🤓

[@marclock395]

same

[@teak343]

same hereeeeeeee

[@hsurachel4960]

Same here😭 We even need to read it for exam

[@Illuminati_214]

I just finished the story and after I finish books I usually watch some resumes to kinda remaind myself the whole plot. At the beginning I was pretty skeptical about the whole "crazy rich lady" thing, but oh god did I loved this book. I think that the thing that really stood out to me is how well Dickens shaped every individual character and how well the emotions are portrayed

[@loren4870]

My entire school probably came to this video 💀💀

[@Khairunnisa-jl7fd]

😂😂😂 right

[@terrius1432]

Entire school cumming to this video is wild bro!

[@dogchaser520]

This is legit great, so if you use this video to skim it for the class, come back a couple years from now and see what's up

[@Sh-oq2zg]

Wow! This is rly a GRADE SAVER. Thank you!

[@AKASKILLZ]

same

[@jenniferelliott7942]

Thank you for the quick summary on this book. Never had I remembered reading it before but I'm going to do a unit on it for my high school students this fall!

[@KingSlimjeezy]

gotta love common core theryre just going to watch this video too lmao education a joke trust me i have a phd

[@SkyFWWO]

The english teacher said this will be in the final exam this really saved me thank you so much :)

[@lXl_SkyNet_lXl]

Same here 😎

[@norealusername]

Nah Pip down bad fr 💀💀

[@shaahalmanger5928]

Beautiful explained thank you ma'am

[@Rahhhhboz0]

Watching this while reading the book feels illegal

[@nishathtabassuma3676]

I was searching for this from ages😍😍😍😍... This novel was a lesson in my 8th class english text book....

[@UnseenSpartan]

1:44 I could totally see this as an anime villain’s tragic backstory........ Lady’s supposed husband does not show up on wedding day. Afterwards, she keeps the banquet table completely untouched for years as a symbol??? Totally anime lol.

[@stephen9609]

Except this was written well before any anime was ever conceived... so if anything anime is simply copying Dickens.

[@KingSlimjeezy]

@@stephen9609 maybe you just dont have life experience for not seeing how a rich maiden who had everything handed to her was shafted in the world of love.

[@stephen9609]

@@KingSlimjeezy wtf are you honestly talking about?

[@acaptainnachoz2111]

"I love anime" ~Charles Dickens

[@nerdboi97]

Tysm bro this saved me alot of reading now im ready for tomorrows test on this u deserve subs

[@goodstorylover]

Interesting video, but I think you have omitted important character - Orlick, and also the reason Pip´s sister dies (the attack).

[@M.A.C.01]

I liked more the original ending where Pip and Estella don’t end up together

[@directiontonarnia]

This is the original ending, in fact. If you are referring to one of the movies, that is an adaptation. This is what Dickens himself wrote

[@harringt100]

@@directiontonarnia He originally crafted an ending in which, although Pip meets Estella again after her marriage and widowhood, she's remarried to someone else by that point. But...this was the ending that was published.

[@niniitread8691]

Love this story.... so many detailed parts.... Thanks I had forgot the name Great expectations

[@healthyfire]

this channel RULES

[@EvasKashabe]

So nice,I had to read the whole thing but this clue has added me something 🎉🎉🎉

[@iammituraj]

This is a looooong but beautiful book.

[@MMDKhersi]

Thank you man You really helped me through my class activity that i had

[@milhouse14]

I just saw the new (2023) BBC adaptation. It is so vastly different from the book. Pip actually ended up with Biddy instead of Estella.

[@PravinShenoy]

nope

[@ahmedkhedr699]

this story is what we study in english in the 12th garde here in egypt

[@tinyacookies108]

It give me lots of idea for my book review, thank u for this video😘

[@benjamingoldman3760]

I just don't see how in the world Pip could end up accepting Estellas apology after leading him on and treating him like shit for years lol...

[@MalevolentProphecies]

Pip the Simp

[@andrice2598]

Because he saw that Estella was a by product of a woman who was scorned because she didn’t want Estella to ever feel that way ever. But she didn’t realize that in order for estella to not be scorn, estella would be the person executing it. That’s why Miss H apologized to pip because she didn’t want anyone to feel like she did. The book is about maturing and views

[@victorianboywithpneumonia]

@@MalevolentProphecies LMFAO

[@harringt100]

Because, aside from the fact that Estella was raised to torment him by Miss Havisham, Pip realizes he is not much better than she. For example, when he's elevated to fortune, he's ashamed of Joe, who's never been anything but kind to him. He ignores Biddy but then feels fine about expecting her to just wait around to be his back-up wife. It's a story of two impressionable young people being corrupted by their benefactors (or at least the gifts of those benefactors), realizing they've become jerks through different kinds of misadventure, and maturing to the point that they might be able to have healthier relationships.

[@ytchannel9311]

nah fr f estella all my homies hate estella

[@txmo_9770]

Thank you very much 😊😊

[@_parpadoscaidos5681]

Everyone here for homework and I'm just a fan of the book because of South Park xd

[@jmanusmc2006]

😂

[@Keel_beel]

thank you! i’m on the 30th chapter and the book report is due tomorrow 😅

[@samenaalee347]

How beautifully you've explained each and every thing..... ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@KingSlimjeezy]

found happiness through love and friendship not money and status >tfw you have neither D'x

[@Dan-sc1gr]

Just watched the south park version of this so I just wanted to see if south park left anything out 😂😂

[@BeauJames59]

Estella is a person who some might see as deeply damaged. I couldn't see marrying such a woman.

[@TheShapingSickness]

She wasn't deeply damaged, not until the end. She was just raised to be a bitch.

[@KingSlimjeezy]

i did shes great actually

[@_parpadoscaidos5681]

@@KingSlimjeezy Same here, I love her

[@orlandolee4438]

Yeah if Miss Havisham chose to save Estella from the same fate as her, she could've wound up better

[@adam__mark]

Excellent work thank you!

[@korufei7035]

i came here only for pip pirrip.

[@nuclearprotocol]

4:35 exactly how i remember this scene looking in my head lol

[@BobBob-uv9fq]

What a great book

[@BluDinoGaming.2011]

Watched this in school teacher didn’t play the full video, now here I’am

[@OhlsonAnimation]

Great summary, but I think you missed the part with the robot monkeys and the genesis device? :)

[@alfiehind1061]

Thank you sooooo much

[@Ayaanzuhaib]

Who is narrating the events in the story? How does one see the events first through the eyes of a young boy and later through the eyes of an adult who has seen a great deal?

[@darthcannon07]

The older version of Pip is recalling his past experiences.

[@manenmanentzudir5011]

Thank you ❤

[@akhileshbhardwaj982]

Nicely Explained

[@bezhfezh]

I like how instead of "thank you" people said "thankee"

[@techshabby0001]

Poor Pip, always a day late.

[@hungrynunsnanny8344]

Thanks i needed it for a school activity

[@anonymoushuman8443]

High school would have been so easy if I had KZbin back then

[@bezhfezh]

Damn, startop didnt even get mentioned

[@So-Be-It_890]

Written in 1860. Human Nature has not changed much.

[@LenaWilson-pe5oo]

what about orlick?

[@Alfaizmuhammed]

Thanku

[@jiaqianglinji8940]

Los que tienen examen de inglés mañana xd

[@Ziizali_2022]

Кто-нибудь напишите про что это видео😭 Someone write about what this video is about😭

[@techshabby0001]

I know you wrote this 4 months ago, but in case someone else needs a written summary... Search Great expectations in brittanica website for a nice written summary.

[@lovelysmiles5051]

What is this file ??

[@whiteranger79]

Imagine a eight inch version of a nail file.

[@noahkoech4248]

Guys how can i create an intetest of reading this books can someone please help....😢

[@jayasurya-gs6cy]

Tq so much love from india❤❤❤❤❤

[@faewarriors761]

Came to create theories for chain if gold. Iykyk

[@infiniteoaths]

Lmao I just read the infernal devices 2 days ago and i've been reading chain of gold from yesterday... ever since then i've always wanted to know more about great expectations so here I am too lmao

[@chiefswan111]

Saved my 4 hrs homework

[@StudyTime-ly1vr]

Everyone is dead in 1st and 2nd page like what the hell

[@kanishkachaandwal]

There are many gothic elements in the first and second page.

[@R.J811]

Tq u ✨

[@WERENoNo412]

Convict #1 kinda resembles Solid Snake

[@tubegirl]

Loudly pls

[@aswathykm3441]

Is this is the real story.. In some videos i dont know the videos are differnt

[@kiwi5351]

I can't be the only one who came here after the south park ep lol

[@sushmita9269]

Joe marrying Biddy was very creepy.

[@KeonLennedy24]

Life saver

[@robertc5325]

this is great

[@keunas5022]

so what happens to biddy????

[@DeanithForeverYoung]

She married Joe

[@FLOP095]

​@@DeanithForeverYoungdoesn't that make him a p4do

[@durgashands]

Not audible

[@sumanrao1568]

sound is horrible

[@scottysatpanalysis]

Just raise the volume 😂

[@545wei]

Would you rather it not exist

[@dackische4243]

What a great book 🇩🇿❤️

[@beefburger_burger]

but stella is a single mother... wheres the kid

[@professordaggz4455]

I'm here bc of south park

[@elizabethcarver5151]

Not 'Graggery'! Gar - ger - y !

[@tylerhamme1009]

Southpark

[@techshabby0001]

And Family Guy too. I remember seeing Stewie calling himself Pip at one time

[@Bonkiepoo]

Life of a symp

[@kanishkachaandwal]

Why did joe and biddy marry ¿¿¿

[@BarryRatter]

You really do need to use a pop filter!

[@kamasemegane7497]

i came here from south park

[@securityscorpion8687]

You spoiled the ENTIRE BOOK.

[@DoveIvy]

It's literally a summary why did u click this if u didn't want spoilers?

[@mariakaram1555]

❤❤

[@samikshasharma5988]

Oh god I hated this Estella character

[@BRO-xp8gx]

i hate this book sorry

[@johnnyreality]

This book sucked. That's all I remember.