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Deep Analysis of Great Expectations, Part Three: Back to the Marshes (Chapters 39-59) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-12-30 11:12:13
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

We are now at the end of Great Expectations, and it has been a wild ride.

In this lecture, we're discussing overcoming false expectations, the two types of criminal, burning off our old self, transformation, and much more.

We are also comparing the revised ending and the original ending that remained unpublished during Dickens' lifetime.

Below the timestamps, we have some questions for you. Please do share your response to this novel with us!

Video Timestamps:

  • 0:00 your reading experience with Dickens
  • 2:00 a musical listening assignment to celebrate
  • 3:40 meeting Magwitch with Pip
  • 7:00 the meaning of the name Magwitch
  • 10:00 accepting our true self
  • 12:45 Provis vs Compeyson
  • 14:00 self-actualisation vs primal needs
  • 15:00 the invisible iron around our Convict legs
  • 16:55 when someone wears the wrong clothes 
  • 18:30 the revenge of Magwitch
  • 19:00 Great Expectations as Greek drama 
  • 22:00 our false expectations
  • 25:00 when our trust in another is destroyed
  • 28:00 Pip and Estella's true relationship
  • 32:00 Les Misérables as companion piece
  • 35:00 Estella's parentage 
  • 37:00 Miss Havisham, Pip, and anagnorisis 
  • 39:00 Miss Havisham catching fire
  • 43:00 the convict's son returns to the marshes
  • 46:30 the wedding of Wemmick
  • 47:20 the trial and death of Magwitch
  • 50:00 Pip returns home
  • 52:00 the revised ending of Great Expectations
  • 56:00 the original ending of Great Expectations
  • 1:00:00 which ending do you prefer?
  • 1:02:00 congratulations on reading this novel

Celebration Listening Assignment:

Take a moment to mark your accomplishment, and celebrate finishing Great Expectations by listening to the following piece of music:

As you listen to the music, think back over the novel. Try to summon the most significant parts of the story and what they meant to you.

Questions for You:

1) What was the most resonant "ending" in your life? Did that ending mark a new beginning? Did it involve painful character change? Do we write our own destiny?

2) Which ending did you prefer? The revised version or Dickens' original? And why?

3) Did you complete the reading assignments? If so, let us know your favourite chapters, favourite characters, Dickensian narrative devices that you like, and whether you shared/read any passage aloud.

Thank you and well done for bringing your self to our first Dickens Big Read! 

Files

Previews only

Deep Analysis of Great Expectations, Part Three: Back to the Marshes (Chapters 39-59)

0:00 your reading experience with Dickens 2:00 a musical listening assignment to celebrate 3:40 meeting Magwitch with Pip 7:00 the meaning of the name Magwitch 10:00 accepting our true self 12:45 Provis vs Compeyson 14:00 self-actualisation vs primal needs 15:00 the invisible iron around our Convict legs 16:55 when someone wears the wrong clothes 18:30 the revenge of Magwitch 19:00 Great Expectations as Greek drama 22:00 our false expectations 25:00 when our trust in another is destroyed 28:00 Pip and Estella's true relationship 32:00 Les Misérables as companion piece 35:00 Estella's parentage 37:00 Miss Havisham, Pip, and anagnorisis 39:00 Miss Havisham catching fire 43:00 the convict's son returns to the marshes 46:30 the wedding of Wemmick 47:20 the trial and death of Magwitch 50:00 Pip returns home 52:00 the revised ending of Great Expectations 56:00 the original ending of Great Expectations 1:00:00 which ending do you prefer? 1:02:00 congratulations on reading this novel

Comments

Gonzalo Broto

Pip’s maturing journey reaches its climax after a long and gradual development and most of our gripes with him are softened and even banished as he, one by one, acknowledges his own mistakes, his misjudgments and ingratitude, and tries to make amends and reconcile himself with the people who loved him and to whom he was not always good. True, it takes extreme circumstances for Pip to be moved to compassion and real repentance in some instances (Miss Havisham catching fire, Provis on his death bed), but his feelings are sincere nevertheless, and we cannot but to feel sympathy towards him and also to understand and to relate to his imperfections, doubts and internal contradictions. Pip has changed significantly throughout his life, and his motion has been a circular one, straying from his roots (chasing vane and lofty ideals) only to return back (highly changed, no doubt) at the end. Some lessons to be learned from his growth and his errors are the importance of keeping true to oneself, for better or worse, because nature is undisguisable and shines through pretense and fake appearances (Provis’ and Joe’s illustrates this clearly, for their real personalities and nature shine through their unnatural clothing, which does not match nor fake who they really are, while Pip forces himself to be what he is not), and the idea that change is not good in itself, since sometimes it is a product of vain, hollow ideals that stray us from our natural inclinations (that is precisely what separates Pip from Joe, who, on the contrary, is a stable man, unchanged throughout the years because he knows who he is, and he is content and satisfied with his station in life). One scene that very touchingly revealed to Pip himself (as much as to us) how dearly he missed and loved the marshes and his village, after years avoiding and despising them outwardly as a low and common place, is when Drummle (in ch. IV) scorned them, and Pip impulsively felt the need to defend them, which showed not only his hatred at Drummle but, most importantly, his long suppressed affection for his homeland. One aspect that I found very interesting was Pip’s fear of being misremembered, when confronted by Orlick’s death threats, which made me think that perhaps the whole novel is an attempt of old Pip to leave behind a comprehensive account of his own life not to be misunderstood or misrepresented by untrue narratives by others (let’s not forget Mr Pumblechook’s self-serving version of Pip’s life, for instance). I found the end very ambiguous and, curiously, instead of reading it the first time around as the hopeful ending that you explained, Ben, I saw it as a vision rather than a real encounter, similarly to how Pip had had other visions in the past (most notably of Miss Havisham hanging in that same spot), as if Pip himself was not entirely sure of the reality and the physicality of Estella, a meeting vague and ethereal without a shadow.

Haley Gibbs

I loved this book. I think it is my favorite of the past year. So thankful to have had these materials and resources to guide my journey.

Michelle Chun LeRoy

Oh my. I just finished GE. So many things to say! I found myself chuckling in places and then quickly second guessing my sense of humor because the narrator’s descriptions despite his clever asides were pretty grim. Nonetheless, Dickens has a wonderful sense of humor. That being said, this was a heartbreaking read in so many places. I actually sobbed out loud when Joe turns down a “gift” of cash from Mr. Jaggers for the “loss of Pip’s services.” When Joe explains that no amount can compensate for “the loss of the little child…and ever the best of friends (Vol.I chXVII), I had tears in my eyes. Ah, Joe! while he has heart, he’s not dynamic. He’s fine with his station—maybe that’s his saving grace? I hate to admit it, but I really related to his first wife, Mrs. Joe…okay, minus the overt child abuse (but disciplining children was very different in Dickens’s world, to condemn one according to modern standards is unfair and illogical). What I admired about her was that she was the perfect counterbalance to Joe. She took charge and got things done. Her baby brother was orphaned, she could have left him at a home for foundlings, rather she accepted her duty and raised him by hand. I’d love to imagine what her story would have been if she could tell it. Mrs. Havisham. Is there a sadder character ever written? Can you imagine having your heart so broken that your world crumbles as well? The clocks stopped at the time of her wedding, made me gasp when I imagined the pain that compelled her to stop time. Magwitch! Is there a more noble villain? He is my favorite character. I think like Joe, his saving grace is his self awareness. He is what he is…and! I think this is key, his center of gravity is outside of himself—his goal was to make a gentleman of the child who showed him kindness. Mrs. Havisham, Estella, and to a point, Pip are all focused on their egos. Even Pocket is focused on a world beyond himself, he has a career. This is a little tangent, but I kept thinking about Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina…focusing on the world around us brings happiness, solipsism brings misery. Levin was so great because he had a plethora of interests and passions, Kitty became realized as a character when she saw beyond her needs and nursed Levin’s brother. Anna was miserable because she was the center of her own tragedy…much like Mrs. Havisham, I think…

Angie

I doubt anyone sees this post, but I wanted to note that I finished the audiobook version yesterday and I found myself missing Pip and the story last night and earlier today. So much so, that I have not returned to Les Miserables yet! Funny thing - at the end of Part 2, like some others stated, I was finding Pip to be almost insufferable. I didn't start reading Part 3 for a couple of days, as I was dreading the continuation of those feelings. I'm not sure at what point the shift actually happened in Part 3, because I became so engrossed with it that I listened to it all in one day. My heart softened completely towards Pip and Magwitch, even a little bit for Estella. And oh, one of my favorites lines were uttered by her: "I have been bent & broken, but - I hope - into a better shape." I had heard that quote before, but assumed it was uttered by Pip - so imagine my surprise when it was her! This last part was so emotional - up and down - and I already want to read it again (well, "read" it instead of listening to it the next time). For whatever it's worth, the audio version I listened to was on Spotify, a leftover of when they ventured into some classic audiobooks a couple of years ago. I think it was superb and quite well done. Thank you for all the superb lectures, Ben. I still need to read all of the other comments as I find them invaluable as well. I am so thankful I read this book and forced myself to push through when it became a bit of a drudgery for a while.

hardcoreliterature
>>95261559

Nice one on finishing the audiobook, Angie! I know exactly what you mean about missing Pip - indeed, I end up sorely missing all of the characters (especially Joe), so I simply have to reread Great Expectations every year to spend time with them again :) Pip certainly is rather insufferable for much of the book, and then he grows and we soften towards him. It's such a beautiful experience. Thank you so much for reading the book with us, Angie, and for your kind words!