Great Expectations (Adaptation) characters

Also known as Pip

Appears from the start

An orphan being raised in the Kent marshes by his older sister and her husband Joe. Frightened and imaginative, he tells his own story from adulthood, beginning with a childhood encounter that tests his fear, pity, and conscience.

Appears from the start

A desperate escaped prisoner whom Pip meets in a churchyard. He threatens the boy into bringing food and a file, yet his hunger and exposure also awaken Pip's sympathy.

Appears from the start

Pip's brother-in-law, a village blacksmith of great physical strength and exceptional gentleness. He treats Pip as a companion rather than a burden and quietly protects him from the severity of their home.

Also known as Mrs Joe

Appears from the start

Pip's much older sister and guardian. Proud of having raised him, she maintains the household through anger, punishment, and constant reminders of his dependence.

First appears in chapter 4

Joe's pompous uncle, a grain merchant who claims credit for arranging Pip's first visit to Miss Havisham. He habitually treats Pip as ungrateful and inferior.

First appears in chapter 7

A kind, practical girl connected with Pip's village school. She helps Pip learn and later assists in the Gargery household, becoming a friend who sees his ambitions more clearly than he does.

First appears in chapter 8

A wealthy recluse who receives Pip in a decaying mansion where the clocks have been stopped and the remains of her wedding day are preserved. Still dressed as a bride, she makes the bewildered boy play for her amusement.

First appears in chapter 8

A beautiful, proud girl raised in Miss Havisham's house. She openly mocks Pip's coarse hands and speech, making him painfully conscious of class and eager to become someone she might respect.

First appears in chapter 18

A formidable London lawyer whose abrupt manner and command of other people impress Pip. He arrives at the forge with news that an unnamed benefactor will finance Pip's transformation into a gentleman.

First appears in chapter 21

A cheerful young Londoner who helps Pip settle into his new rooms and becomes his closest friend. Pip then recognizes him as the boy he once fought at Satis House.

First appears in chapter 21

Jaggers's dry, methodical clerk. At the office he appears guarded and mechanical, but he takes a friendly interest in Pip and offers practical guidance about London life.

First appears in chapter 22

A wealthy, sullen young man studying with the Pocket household. Proud of his social position and physically powerful, he treats those around him with contempt.

First appears in chapter 15

A resentful journeyman at Joe's forge. He dislikes Pip, quarrels readily, and carries a grievance against anyone he thinks has been favored above him.

First appears in chapter 42

Another transported criminal whose history is closely entangled with that of Pip's benefactor. His polished appearance once allowed him to present himself very differently from his rougher associate.