CHAPTER 29

Summary
When Pip arrives at Miss Havishams, he discovers that Joes
employee Orlick, is now the old ladys watchman. Estella is even
more beautiful than she was and greets Pip with a pronouncement
that he has changed much for the better. She warns him that his
choice of company must necessarily change from what it once was,
and Pip is convinced this means he must not associate with Joe.
Estella recollects the day she watched Pip fight. Pip reminds her
that she used to make him cry. She then turns to him and warns
him that she has no heart. Pip tries to argue, but she is gravely
serious. She warns him again that she has no tenderness or
sympathy, and she never has.

Later, in the house, Miss Havisham implores Pip to love Estella,

which he already does. Then she faints into his arms. Jaggers
comes for dinner. Pip resolves in his heart to love Estella as the old
lady has commanded, no matter what.

He closes the chapter with a retrospective lament that he felt no

shame or sorrow over his decision to abandon Joe. At the time, he
was so caught up with Estella he did not even question his choice.

Notes
This chapter reveals how deeply mired Pip has become in Miss
Havishams trap. Estella is lovely and even more appealing, and
Pip fawns over her like a puppy. Even though she warns him that
she can never love him, he proceeds to finalize his plan to abandon
Joe because he thinks it will please Estella. Pip as narrator is able to
step outside these events for a moment and wonder how it was he
could make such a choice without regret.

CHAPTER 30

Summary
Pip approaches Jaggers with his concern over the employment of
Orlick at Satis House. He tells the lawyer of Orlicks past and
reputation, and Jaggers fires the man. When Pip returns to London,
he sends a generous amount of food to Joe to assuage his own
guilt. Then he proceeds to tell Herbert about Estella. Herbert
already knows, however, and tries to persuade Pip to give up that
foolishness. Herbert tells Pip about his girlfriend, Clara.

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Notes
This chapter has a significant plot twist in that Pip is responsible for
the firing of Orlick. Out of revenge, Orlick will eventually pose a
threat to Pips life. For the most part, the rest of the chapter serves
mainly to establish a pattern of denial and stubbornness on the part
of Pip, leading to his continued downward fall. Even Herbert tries to
warn Pip against loving Estella, but the boy with great expectations
is resolute. The futility of loving Estella is obvious to all but Pip; that
tragic love story is contrasted to the simple and sweet love between
Herbert and Clara.

CHAPTER 31

Summary
Pip and Herbert go to the theater to see Wopsles performance in
Hamlet. The play is amusing mostly for its lack of sophistication.
Still, Herbert and Pip have a good time and after the play, they take
Wopsle home for dinner.

Notes
Wopsles ascent to the theater is a comic parallel to the story of
Pips ascent to high society. Joe had referred to Wopsles decision to
leave the church as taking a fall, since the old mans dream of
being a famous actor seemed an aspiration destined to fail. And
Wopsle made it to the big city, which could have been a sign of his
success. Nevertheless, the audience reception of the play was
exactly as Joe had predicted. The dreamers illusion of greatness is
shattered by the reality of comic mediocrity. Like Wopsle, Pips
dreams will never come true exactly as he had imagined. But his
fall will be tragic where the older mans is comic.
CHAPTER 32

Summary
Pip receives a letter from Estella saying that she is arriving in
London very soon and would like him to meet her. Pip is so excited
he can hardly contain himself. He arrives early, so to kill time he
visits the Newgate Prison with Wemmick. He is horrified to see filthy
conditions of the prison. Wemmick, strangely, is completely at ease.
He even introduces Pip to a prisoner who is to be hanged.

Pip greets Estella hours later, and takes her to the house where she
will be staying. Estella tells him she will be staying with a lady of
good report, but that Pip is allowed to visit as liberally as he would
like.

Notes
Aside from the dramatic endeavor of portraying Pips anxiety, this
chapter also serves to comment in part on the conditions of
Londons prisons. The Newgate Prison in London was actually known
as one of the worst prisons in all of Europe, at the time the novel
was written. Pip is horrified by what he sees, and also moved but
the plight of the prisoners.

Pip returns to his world of ambitions and expectations as soon as he

steps out of the prison and literally shakes off all the dust of crime
and criminals that has collected on his clothes. He sees his great
hope Estella waving at him from a coach and is filled with urgency
to hide his visit from her. The irony is that prison will later be
revealed as an important part of Estellas past, as well as Pips.