Great Expectations Group

Question:

sheflovesyou
sheflovesyou
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Name 2 conditions attached to Pip's expectations in Charles Dickens's book Great Expectations.

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Posted by sheflovesyou on Monday March 30, 2009 at 8:19 AM and tagged with characters, details, expectations, great expectations, pip, summary.

Answers:


  1. dymatsuoka

    eNotes Editor

    The first condition that is attached to Pip's expectations is that he "must always bear the name of Pip".  This is unquestionably an easy condition for Pip to accept. 

    The second condition attached to the expectations is that "the name of the person who is (Pip's) benefactor remains a profound secret, until the person chooses to reveal it".  On this subject, Mr. Jaggers is empowered to tell Pip that the identity of his benefactor will in time be revealed to him by the generous giver himself, although the time and place of disclosure is completely unknown; "it may be years hence".  At this point, only the benefactor and Mr. Jaggers know who the giver is.  Pip is not to try to find out the identity of his benefactor until the benefactor chooses to reveal himself.  He is not to question Mr. Jaggers nor anyone else about who the secret giver is, and if Pip should at some point have a suspicion as to his identity, he is to keep it to himself.  Mr. Jaggers says the reasons for the benefactor's desire to remain unidentified "may be the strongest or gravest reasons, or they may be a mere whim".  Either way, Pip is not to delve into the secret.

    The news of his "great expecations" is the answer to Pip's fondest dreams, and he has no trouble accepting the conditions which are attached, mysterious though they are.  He learns that he is to be taken from his present station in life immediately to be raised as a "gentleman", and he is excited and anxious for his "expectations" to begin (Chapter 18).

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/expectations/
    http://www.enotes.com/expectations/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/expectations/part-1-chapter-18-19-s...

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Monday March 30, 2009 at 11:53 AM


  2. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    When Mr. Jaggers first meets with Pip to offer him his "great expectations", Jaggers says that first Pip must never change his name:

    ". . .you always bear the name of Pip. You will have no objection, I dare say, to your great expectations being encumbered with that easy condition."

    Pip, of course, agrees to that condition. The second condition is that Pip may never inquire about the identity of his benefactor. Jaggers warns:

    Now, you are distinctly to understand that you are most positively prohibited from making any inquiry on this head, or any allusion or reference, however distant, to any individual whomsoever as the individual, in all the communications you may have with me. If you have a suspicion in your own breast, keep that suspicion in your own breast. It is not the least to the purpose what the reasons of this prohibition are; they may be the strongest and gravest reasons, or they may be mere whim. This is not for you to inquire into. The condition is laid down. Your observance of it as binding..."

    Pip, thinking that his benefactor must be Miss Havisham, agrees to this condition also. Later in the novel, he will discover if his suspicions are correct.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/expectations-text

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Monday March 30, 2009 at 11:56 AM