Great Expectations · Chapter
XIX explained
Pip prepares to leave for London, burning his indentures and feeling emancipated.
What happens
Pip prepares to leave for London, burning his indentures and feeling emancipated. He visits the marshes, reflects on his past, and has a conversation with Joe and Biddy about his future. He orders a fashionable suit from Mr. Trabb, feeling the weight of his new social status.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Ambition
Pip's excitement about becoming a gentleman and his condescension toward Joe and Biddy highlight his internal conflict between ambition and loyalty.
Guilt and Redemption
Pip feels guilt about his past association with the convict and his treatment of Joe and Biddy, but he rationalizes it as he looks forward to his new life.
Identity and Self-Discovery
Pip struggles with his sense of self as he transitions from a blacksmith's apprentice to a gentleman, questioning his relationships and values.
Characters to notice
- Pip
Pip is excited about his new prospects but feels a sense of loneliness and guilt about leaving his old life behind.
- Joe Gargery
Joe is sympathetic and pleasant about Pip's departure, but his calm acceptance frustrates Pip, who wishes for more emotion.
- Biddy
Biddy gently challenges Pip's assumptions about Joe's pride and his own condescension, leading to a tense exchange.
- Mr. Trabb
Mr. Trabb is obsequious and eager to serve Pip once he learns of Pip's new wealth, measuring him for a fashionable suit.
Key passages
“Joe brought out my indentures from the press in the best parlor, and we put them in the fire, and I felt that I was free.”
Joe retrieved my apprenticeship papers from the cabinet, and we burned them, making me feel liberated.
This act symbolizes Pip's formal release from his trade and his entry into a new life as a gentleman.
“I promised myself that I would do something for them one of these days, and formed a plan in outline for bestowing a dinner of roast-beef and plum-pudding, a pint of ale, and a gallon of condescension, upon everybody in the village.”
I vowed to help the villagers someday, planning to give them a feast of roast beef and plum pudding, along with a generous dose of my patronizing attitude.
Pip's plan reveals his growing sense of superiority and his desire to display his new status through charity.
“Biddy, what do you mean? ... 'Have you never considered that he may be proud?'”
Biddy asked if I had ever thought that Joe might be too proud to accept help.
Biddy's question challenges Pip's assumption that Joe needs improvement, highlighting Pip's blindness to Joe's dignity.