Great Expectations begins in the marshes of Kent, England. Pip is first introduced when he is sitting by his parents’ tombstones. Out of nowhere, a convict seizes Pip and demands him to bring back food and a file for his leg irons for him. Pip is narrating this novel, so he is really describing a much younger version of himself. Mrs. Joe, Pip’s sister, is a loud, angry woman that consistently reminds Pip about the hardships in her life. Pip soon meets a girl named Estella, who was around his age. He instantly falls in love, and describes her as pretty and proud. Pip soon becomes disappointed for himself for his manners and his dirty clothes. It is clear that Pip has taken a different view of himself and his social status. Pip meets two people who will have a great impact on his future: an escaped convict from a prison ship destined to Australia, and Estella, a young girl who lives with Miss Havisham in a dusty falling down old mansion. After a few years, Pip receives tremendous news that a secret benefactor has decided to fund his becoming a gentleman and Pip promptly moves to London where he shares rooms with Mr. Pocket and learns to become a man of great expectations, all on the 250 Euros per year he receives from his benefactor. During his time in London, Pip becomes sort of a snob, which is something he is ashamed of later. As Pip learns the identity of his secret benefactor, he also learns the true meaning of joy and life.
