Great Expectations

Pip contemplates how his “expectations” have affected his behavior, noting the change is not altogether positive. He spends lavishly and develops extravagant tastes, crowding Herbert’s sparsely furnished apartment with luxury items, accruing massive debt. He is uneasy in his treatment of Joe and sometimes wishes he never met Miss Havisham.

Startop urges Pip, Herbert, and Bentley to join a society club for young men called The Finches of The Grove. The Finches drink recklessly and spend their money foolishly, dining in an expensive hotel, running up large bills. Herbert can’t really afford to keep up with their habits, but he is too proud to admit otherwise and falls into a depression.

Occasionally, Herbert and Pip make a show of trying to tabulate their debts, but they always become overwhelmed by the task. Pip remarks that he sometimes finds it difficult to distinguish between the “edifying” process of sorting receipts paying them.  

One evening, Pip learns via a letter that his sister has died and the funeral will be held next Monday.

Though Pip is unable to think of Mrs. Joe with the “tenderness” typically associated with a sibling’s death, he feels shock at the knowledge of her absence, and rage toward her still-unidentified attacker.