Great Expectations, Chapter 22 summary
Chapter 22 of 59 · 20 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 22, Pip befriends Herbert Pocket, who teaches him table manners and explains how Miss Havisham’s intended husband takes her money and abandons their wedding. Herbert respects the secrecy surrounding Pip’s fortune, while Pip feels increasingly distant from home and arrives at Mr. Pocket’s house to find a distracted mother and tumbling children.
What happens
- Pip recognizes Herbert Pocket as his former opponent, and their friendly reunion leads to an exchange of confidences.
- Herbert calls Pip Handel and gently corrects his table manners during dinner.
- Herbert explains Miss Havisham’s broken engagement and reports suspected cooperation between her suitor and her half-brother.
- Herbert promises not to question Pip’s benefactor, then reveals that his ambitious business plans bring him no income.
- After spending Sunday with Herbert, Pip feels the growing distance between his London life and Joe and Biddy.
- On Monday, Herbert accompanies Pip to Hammersmith, where distracted Mrs. Pocket leaves much of the childcare to nurses before Mr. Pocket appears.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Herbert connects Estella’s harshness with Miss Havisham’s purpose. His account of the abandoned wedding supplies the personal history behind that purpose.
Quick check
What does Herbert actually earn at the countinghouse?
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