Great Expectations: Book 1, Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

Pip is getting too big for the village evening school and must stop going, reluctantly concluding his formal education. Pip, though, is still hungry to learn and studies independently. Meanwhile, he tries to share his education with Joe by giving him lessons on the marsh each Sunday, though Pip is discouraged that Joe never seems to remember lessons from one Sunday to the next. Pip admits that these lessons are not purely generous. Rather, he hopes to educate Joe so that Joe "might be worthier of my society and less vulnerable to Estella's reproach."

During one of these lessons, Pip proposes to Joe that he pay a visit to Miss Havisham. Joe is skeptical, thinking that Miss Havisham would assume Pip wanted something. When Pip suggests that he might visit her to thank her, Joe is concerned that Pip would not be able to make anything in the blacksmith forge that would be worthy of Miss Havisham. Eventually, Joe says that he supports the visit if Pip wants to do it and agrees to grant Pip a half-holiday the next day to go on his visit. He warns Pip, though, to be sure not to visit again if he is not received with cordiality the next day.

The next day at the forge, Joe's dour, lazy, hostile journeyman Orlick (who lies to the village and tells them his Christian name is "Dolge") hears about Pip's half-holiday and angrily demands one for himself. When Joe assents, Mrs. Joe (who has been spying on their conversation from the yard) protests that Joe is wasting wages. Orlick insults Mrs. Joe, calling her a "foul shrew" and, though Joe tells Orlick to leave her alone, the insults between them escalate and Joe and Orlick fight. Joe is stronger than Orlick and quickly triumphs. Later, Pip finds them peacefully sharing beer and cleaning up the forge together.

Pip anxiously walks to town to visit Miss Havisham and is lead upstairs by Sarah Pocket, who is suspicious of his presence. Upon seeing Pip, Miss Havisham immediately informs Pip that she will not give him anything, but softens when Pip assures her that there is no ulterior motive to his visit and she tells him he can visit her on his birthdays. Miss Havisham then intuits that Pip has come to see Estella and informs Pip that Estella has gone abroad to study. She asks Pip, with "a malignant enjoyment," if he feels he has lost her, then dismisses a flustered Pip.

In town, Pip runs into Mr. Wopsle who is on his way to Uncle Pumblechook's for a reading of the Tragedy of George Barnwell and convinces Pip to come. The three read the tragedy with Pip reading the role of Barnwell. Mr. Wopsle and Uncle Pumblechook chastise Pip as if the character's grizzly acts—including murdering his uncle—are Pip's own.

On the misty walk back to the village late that night, Mr. Wopsle and Pip discover Orlick under the turnpike house. He says he has spent his half-holiday in town and notes that the guns have been going off at the Hulks, signaling escaped convicts. He walks with Pip and Mr. Wopsle and, as the three pass the Three Jolly Bargemen, a riled up crowd informs Mr. Wopsle that people (the crowd suspects convicts) have broken into the forge while Joe was out. Upon returning home, the group find the forge swarmed with villagers. Joe and a surgeon are on the kitchen floor beside Mrs. Joe who has been knocked out by a strong blow to the back of her head.