Joe calls Pip sir in recognition of his ‘gentleman’ status. It also suggests the disconnect between Joe and Pip that now exists because Pip has become a snob.

Pip’s snobbish nature is horrible. He has become disdainful towards people who he now deems beneath him. He sucks up to most people who are above him. He has a strange attitude that has developed from his fear of ‘being found out’ as his money is new money and he is not an established gentleman nor has he been brought up as one.

Biddy finds the phrase ‘what larks’ confusing as she has never heard the expression before. The phrase is one special to Joe and Pip, and it was used between them to refer to them having a good time.

Joe has come to London to see Wopsle and to tell Pip that Miss Havisham wishes to see him as Estella has returned home.

Pip is embarrassed for Joe to see how he has spent his wealth. He acknowledges that he has bought a lot of frivolous, unnecessary things. He is
also embarrassed about the boy he employs as a house servant for their small set of rooms.

Joe tells Pip that Wopsle has left the church to become an actor. It is debateable whether he will be any good as his speech is broken all the time with him saying ‘Amen’.

The metaphor ‘life is made of ever so many partings welded together’ is in reference to the fact that life is shaped by the relationships we have
with the people we meet. The idea of different smiths – black, white, gold, – refers to the different ways relationships are formed. Joe acknowledges that not all relationships last forever, and that we have to accept this.

Pip is unable to recognise Joe’s intelligence at this point because he doesn’t see the common sense in Joe’s words. He only wants to recognise ‘book smartness’ at this point.

Mr Pumblechook is often seen as comical. However, he does have a darker side to him. For example he always tries to take the glory when something works out well. He is also very interested in making money and networking to better himself, even if it means letting others down or abusing others.

When Pip says ‘all other swindlers on earth are nothing to the self-swindlers’ he is really saying that those who cheat or lie to themselves are the worst because they can’t see what they are doing to themselves. Pip is referring to himself here because he cannot see that he is lying ot himself about Estella’s love for him, or Miss Havisham’s involvement in his money. He is also lying to himself about his connection and love for Joe and his enjoyment of London.

On Pip’s way back to Kent he is put in a coach with two convicts. One of the convicts turns out to be the one who gave Joe the money in the pub all those years ago. Pip overhears him tell the other convict that Pip’s convict from the start of the book gave him the money in Australia to give to Pip.

Pip becomes close friends with Herbert, and they share a house and a boat together.

Pip goes to visit Wemmick for dinner. Wemmick treats the butcher with politeness as he collects meat for dinner. As Pip and WEmmick walk home, Wemmick’s mood lightens and he becomes less stiff and professional and more friendly.

Walworth reflects WEmmick’s personanlity because from the front it is closed off and defensive with its maze and its gun. However, once you get inside the property you realise how cosy and homely and friendly it is – just like WEmmick.

Jagger’s home makes clear that he is a workaholic. The house is a good one in Soho, but it is need of a paintjob. Inside is similar, in that the finish is of a high quality, but it has not been kept up. The house is large but Jaggers only uses three rooms and Pip reports that he brings work home with him. All the books are law/criminality books.

Jaggers’ housekeeper, Molly, is a quiet but strong woman. She seems wary of Jaggers, as if waiting for his disapproval. She has deep scars cutting across her wrists, and Jaggers tells the boys that she has stronger wrists than any other woman or man.

Jaggers refers to Drummle as ‘the spider’. It makes us think that he is someone to be aware of as he might try and trick people.

The narrator says that the servants have the real power in the Pocket’s house as the two adult Pockets are so inept at structuring anything. In the relationship, Mr Pocket probably has more sway as he has been brought up to think for himself whereas Mrs Pocket has always been cosseted.

Mrs Coiler is the Pocket’s neighbour. She is elderly and asks questions all the time. She is very similar to Miss Havisham in her vulnerability and questioning.

The dinner scene at the Pockets house is funny because everyone seems to be there, including the Pocket children. However, the Pocket children seem to be the sensible ones, with one of the daughters taking the baby from Mrs Pocket as she is holding it upside-down.

Mr Pocket is to give Pip lessons in how to be a gentleman – manners and knowledge he should have.

Drummle and Startop are two other young men who are being ‘taught’ by Mr Pocket. Drummle is big and bullyish and the rumbling thunderous-ness of his name matches this. Startop is much brighter in his personality, and he suits the lightness of his name.

Wemiick talks about ‘portable property’. He is referring to his gold and silver jewellery. He can carry it with him, and sell it when he needs to in order to get ready money.

Wemmick respects Jaggers because he is very clever. He describes him as being deep and says he often looks like he has ‘set a trap from a man and is waiting’

Herbert and Pip get on very well. Herbert is very generous and welcoming towards Pip.

Herbert wants to give Pip a nickname to show their affection for one another. He dislikes Philip (Pip’s real name) as it sounds stuffy. He settles on Handel because the composer wrote a piece titled after blacksmiths (Pip’s trade).

Herbert works in the Counting House (a Victorian stocks and shares job). Ultimately he would like to insure merchant ships.

Pip isn’t bothered when Herbert corrects his manners as he wants to be a gentleman.

Miss Havisham turned Mathew Pocket out her house because he was the only one warning her against her fiancé Compeyson. It turned out that Compeyson was working with Miss Havisham’s younger half-brother to steal her fortune or ruin her. Mathew tried to tell her this but she wouldn’t listen. Instead, on the morning of her wedding Compeyson never turned up, having sent a letter saying he wouldn’t be coming.

The Pocket household is warm and loving if chaotic. Mrs Pocket is a caring mother but she does little n terms of disciplining her children or seeing to their hurts.

Jaggers thinks Pip will not make anything of his fortune because he does not know how to manage it properly. Jaggers believes Pip will blow all the money.

Jaggers is very much focused on the money. He won’t work unless he has that. He will then present the truth in a way that suits his clients outcomes.

Jaggers’ office reveals that he is a well-to-do man from his work. He likes to intimidate his clients so that they know he holds the power in the work relationship.

Wemmick is compared to wood to begin with. He presents a tough exterior, and seems very professional. However, he starts to warm up a little as we see him interact with Pip.

Barnard’s Inn, which becomes Pip’s lodging house, is not the nicest of places. It suffices as a home, but from the outside it is unclean and noisy.

Pip’s room-mate turns out to be the ‘pale young gentleman’ he fought at Satis House years ago. This was a surprise as the reader had forgotten about the boy. Pip and Herbert seem to get along. Herbert says Miss Havisham called him to Satis House to interview him, Herbert believed this interview was to potentially give him money so he could be engaged to Estella (who he doesn’t like). This is what strengthens Pip’s belief that Miss Havisham is his benefactor.

Pip promises he will come back to the village and do something special for everyone. His words seem sincere but he seems embarrassed by the village so it is difficult to know if he will keep his promise.

Pumblechook tells Pip his fortune is well-deserved because he still believes he is part of the reason it happened by taking Pip to Miss Havisham. He wants to keep in with Pip so he can feel the effects of Pip’s wealth.

Trabb is the town tailor. He is a reasonable man. Trabb treats Pip with great respect because Pip now has money and can pay Trabb for things.

Miss Havisham asks Pip questions which suggests she knows about Pip getting the money. She also does it in front of Sarah Pocket as if she is trying to show Sarah that she gave Pip money but not her own family.

Pip initially looks forward to leaving home, but he begins to get upset at the thought of leaving Joe and Biddy behind. The chapter ends quite sadly as Pip cries over leaving his home.

Pip’s expectations have been fulfilled as he always dreamed of being a gentleman and now this has become a possibility for him, with the small fortune coming into his possession.

Jaggers, a lawyer, turns up at the pub and tells Pip he is to be given a great fortune to become a gentleman. He will receive it on the condition that he always keeps the name Pip and that he never find out the name of his benefactor.

Pip believes Jaggers has been sent by Miss Havisham because he knows Jaggers is also Miss Havisham’s lawyer and that Miss Havisham wants to be anonymous.

Joe is clearly upset at the news. Pip is excited. They are juxtaposed as Pip is excited about leaving for London whereas Joe is sad at losing his best friend. In hindsight, Pip wishes that he had paid more attention to Joe as he knows now Joe was looking out for him from a place of love.

Pip still remains unhappy despite knowing he now has a fortune. He is sad at having to leave the forge, he feels lonely and he is scared about fitting in in London.

When Pip and Joe return from the town they find Mrs Joe has been attacked. She becomes disabled as a result of this assault. Biddy suspects her attacker is Orlick because Mrs Joe draws a hammer which she associates with Orlick. Also she behaves subserviently around him, as if she is frightened of him and wants to appease him.

The police seem a bit useless in their attempts to solve the crime on Mrs Joe.

To Pip, Estella and Biddy are totally different. They are opposites in class, character and appearance. Estella is a delicate lady who has a mean streak, Biddy is hardy and working class and kind. Despite Biddy being the nicer of the two, Pip still values Estella as she represents the life he aspires to. It shows that Pip is taken in by the glitz and glam of the upper classes, even though he can see that elements of it are dishonest.

Pip tells Biddy about his attraction to Estella because he needs to tell someone and he knows she will listen.

Pip does not like Orlick because he believes Biddy’s suspicions and also Orlick keeps trying to court Biddy.

Pip seems immature because of what he prizes in life – Estella and Miss Havisham’s life. He does not want an ‘honest’ working class life.

Pip is ashamed of his job in the forge. However, he doesn’t run away because i) he can’t afford to as he has no money of his own and ii) he respects Joe too much to leave him.

Pip goes to Satis House to say thank you for the apprenticeship bond money despite Joe telling him not to go because he hopes to see Estella.

Sarah Pocket treats Pip with contempt because she thinks he has a special bond with Miss Havisham that could lead to him receiving money from Miss Havisham. Earlier that day Joe and Orlick had gotten into an argument as Orlick felt he deserved a half-day holiday too, just like Pip.

Dickens made Joe a physically big man to parallel with the bigness of his heart. His size symbolises how kind and caring he is. It also means he is physically able to protect those around him.

When Pip visits Satis House to say thank you to Miss Havisham, he discovers that Estella isn’t there. She has been sent to a finishing school to learn how to be a ‘proper lady’.

At the end of Chapter 15 Mr Wopsle reads aloud a story about George Barnwell – an apprentice who murdered his uncle so he could finance a prostitute and was hung for it. Pip identifies with the fictional character because he is also an apprentice.

Pip thinks that he will be seriously punished for fighting the ‘young gentleman’ but nothing happens.

Miss Havisham asks to see Joe to discuss Pip’s future.

Pip feels uncomfortable at taking Joe into Satis House because Joe appears so ill-at-ease in his best clothes and interacts weirdly with his ‘betters’.

When Joe is questioned by Miss Havisham he directs the response at Pip. He seems to do this because he is overwhelmed by the weirdness of the situation – Miss Havisham’s oddness.

Miss Havisham tells Joe she no longer requires Pip to visit the house and pays Joe £25 for his service. Mr Pumblechook takes credit for this payment and Mrs Joe takes the money from Joe.

Pip says ‘I should never like Joe’s trade. I had liked it once, but once was not now.’ He means that before he’d gone to Satis House he’d accepted his future as his future. Now though, he knew there was other things he could do or be and didn’t want to be a blacksmith anymore.