Provis' (Magwitch's) life can be summed up in a nutshell as he himself remarks: "In jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail."
Magwitch's life is that of an anonymous, orpahaned juvenile offender who from the time he became aware of himself till now has been a life of crime. In the course of his life of crime he was introduced to Compeyson a suave conman. Compeyson's accomplice was Arthur Havisham, the disinherited stepbrother of Miss Havisham. Arthur alongwith Compeyson had cheated Miss Havisham of her money and most importantly Compeyson had cheated Miss Havisham of her money by pretending to be in love with her and promising to marry her. Arthur who was staying at the top of Compeyson's house was now dying and soon Magwitch becomes Compeyson's partner in crime. Shortly Arthur dies screaming that the ghost of Miss Havisham is killing him.
On one occasion both Compeyson and Magwitch are arrested but Compeyson manages to escape with a lighter sentence than Magwitch because of his fine clothes and superior manner and by turning approver against Magwitch. Magwitch in turn vows to kill Compeyson for betraying him, and that is what he attempts to do in Ch.5.
In Ch.22 Herbert tells Pip the life story of Miss Havisham: but he does not know the names of the two men who cheated Miss Havisham. Only after listening to Magwitch's account of his life in Ch.42 he is able to identify Arthur Havisham and Compeyson.
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