Thursday, June 9, 2011

In Chapter 58 of "Great Expectations", summarize the next eleven years of Pip’s life.

After taking his leave of Joe and Biddy, Pip sells all he has, puts aside as much as he can to pay off his creditors, and travels to Cairo to work for Herbert as a clerk at Clarriker & Company.  The company does well, and within a few months, Pip assumes his "first undivided responsibility".  Before long, he is left "in sole charge of the Eastern branch" of Clarriker's in the absence of Herbert, who has gone away to marry Clara.  Pip resides happily with Herbert and Clara for several years, and keeps in contact with Biddy and Joe by correspondence.  He is eventually made a partner in the business, lives frugally, and pays off all his debts.  Although the company is admittedly not "a great house", it has a good name and does quite well. 

Pip's experiences have left him wiser and more appreciative of people and things that he used to scorn.  He sees the goodness and industry in Herbert and wonders how he could have ever thought that his loyal friend was bumbling and inept.  With newfound clarity, Pip realizes finally that the deficiencies he used to perceive in his friend were not in Herbert at all, but within himself (Chapter 58).

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