Classic Stories: Great Expectations
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Hello, welcome to Classic Stories. Today's story is about a boy who starts life off poor and then has a taste of greatness. I hope you enjoy it. Our story is all about a boy called Pip. Pip is an orphan who lives with his sister and her husband, a kind blacksmith called Joe. One night,

Pip visits his parents' graves and meets a convict called Magwitch who is trying to escape. Pip helps Magwitch with food and a tool to break his shackles, but Magwitch is captured and sent to Australia. A little while later, Pip is taken to a great big house to spend time with Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is a strange and rich old lady who

She wears an old wedding dress and has shut herself away ever since she was left at the altar as a young woman. Miss Havisham lives with a young girl she has adopted called Estella. Pip falls in love with Estella and returns to the house often. He goes to great lengths to impress Miss Havisham and hopes that she may give him the money to pursue a career in London and become part of the great and the good, the upper classes.

But Miss Havisham only gives him the money to become Joe's apprentice, which disappoints him. Pip's sister is attacked and becomes unable to care for the family. Pip's friend Biddy moves in to help out and also helps Pip with his studies.

One day, Pip is visited by a lawyer from London, Mr Jaggers, who says he has inherited a great deal of money. Pip believes the money has come from Miss Havisham and hopes this means she wants him to marry Estella when they are older. Pip moves to London and becomes friends with Herbert Pocket, who teaches him how to behave like upper-class people. He wears expensive clothes and begins to speak more formally.

He also meets up with Estella and falls more in love with her. Pip's money has given him status and power, but with great power comes great responsibility. As time goes by, Pip becomes a bit of a snob. He forgets his family and finds talking to Joe uncomfortable when he returns home for his sister's funeral. One night, Pip gets a visit from a man from his past.

It is Magwitch who tells Pip that when he got to Australia, he made a lot of money, which he sent to Pip for his education to thank him for his help all those years ago. He has secretly returned from Australia to thank Pip in person, though if the police catch him, he will be punished. Pip is horrified to learn where his money has come from and disappointed that it is not from Miss Havisham as he assumed.

In fact, Pip discovers that Miss Havisham never wanted Pip to marry Estella. She had raised Estella to break men's hearts, and Pip was just a boy for Estella to practice on. Pip comes to see the good in Magwitch and decides to help him escape England again. Estella marries someone else, and Pip visits Miss Havisham, who asks for his forgiveness.

But after his visit, her old wedding dress catches fire and she is badly burned. Pip and his friends carry out their plan to help Magwitch escape, but they're caught by the police. Magwitch is sentenced to death and Pip loses his fortune. Pip has worked out that Estella is Magwitch's long-lost daughter and he tells her he will always love her.

Pip becomes ill, and Joe comes to look after him. Pip realises he's been wrong to forget his family and decides to go home and marry Biddy. But when he gets there, he realises she has already married Joe. So, Pip decides to go and work abroad with his friend Herbert.

When he returns many years later, he runs into Estella in the old gardens at Miss Havisham's house. Her husband has died and it seems like maybe Pip may have a chance with her again. Well, I hope you enjoyed that story. What would you do if you were given a great deal of money? I'll be back again soon with another story. You can find lots more stories and dramas on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Bye for now.