Page 152 - DENG404_FICTION

Fiction

Notes About a year into his indenture, Pip revisits Miss. Havisham at the Satis House ostensibly to
thank her for paying for his indenture. He is disappointed at the meeting: Miss Havisham
does see him for a few moments, but only to laugh at him when he looks around for Estella.
Estella has, in fact, been sent abroad to be educated as a lady.
Pip returns home to find nearly the whole of the village gathered around his house. Mrs. Joe
has been hit over the head, knocked senseless by some unknown assailant.

Analysis
Even while Pip dreams of an upper-class life, violence and crime continue to be events in his
life. In this chapter, Pip is witness to a fight between Orlick and Joe, apparently egged on by
Mrs. Joe, reminiscent of Estella complimenting with a kiss Pip’s fight with the pale young
gentleman. Violence comes quickly and rather unexpectedly throughout the novel and, as in
this case, does little to solve anything.

Chapter 16

Pip immediately suspects Orlick, though, strangely, his sister was hit with the shackles that
the convict filed off in the first chapter! Because of this connection, Pip also suspects the one-
eyed man that Joe and he had met in the pub, and who had demonstrated his own knowledge
of Pip’s past by stirring his drink with the file used to free those same shackles.
His sister has suffered some serious brain damage, having lost much of voice, her hearing, and
her memory. She communicates by writing letters and symbols on a slate. Furthermore, her
“temper was greatly improved, and she was patient.”
To help with the housework and to take care of Mrs. Joe, Biddy is employed and moves into
the house and becomes “a blessing to the household.”

Notes Strangely, Pip’s sister starts to treat Orlick extraordinarily well, inviting him to
have something to drink, and watching him with an “air of humble propitiation.”

Analysis

The seemingly distant episode of Pip helping the convict on the marshes continues to haunt
him, even as he tries to distance himself by becoming educated and he dreams of being
Estella’s gentleman. The shackles in this chapter remind Pip of the episode and bring back his
shame and guilt to the point where Pip feels like he is partly responsible for his sister’s injury.
Dickens subtly changes how we view Mrs. Joe by referring to her now as “my sister.” Before
the accident, the readers almost forget the blood relationship between Pip and Mrs. Joe, but
with the changing of Mrs. Joe’s attitude and temper, her position reverts to Pip’s sister.

Chapter 17

Pip notices that Biddy is turning into a woman, not very pretty, but very bright and wise.
They go for a walk and Pip confesses his desire to be a gentleman. He also admits that he
wants to be a gentleman so that he will be acceptable, and perhaps loved, by Estella. Biddy
wisely suggests that becoming a gentleman to “gain over” a woman who thinks him course
and common does not sound very logical.

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