What happens in Chapter XVII of Great Expectations?
Chapter XVII explores a period in Pip's apprenticeship, marked by his yearly birthday visits to Miss Havisham, who gives him a guinea each time and talks about Estella as she always has. The unchanged, stagnant atmosphere of her house intensifies Pip's embarrassment regarding his trade and background. He then notices that Biddy has quietly evolved — she is tidier, more vibrant, and unexpectedly well-educated — keeping up with everything he learns. One Sunday, while Joe stays home to look after Pip's injured sister, Pip and Biddy take a walk on the marshes. By the river, Pip confides in Biddy about his desire to become a gentleman, eventually admitting that it’s because of Estella, whom he admires despite knowing she would bring him unhappiness. Biddy gently reasons with him, asking if he wants to spite Estella or truly win her over, suggesting that she isn’t worth either effort. Pip sees the sense in her words but finds himself unable to act on them. As they walk home, they encounter Old Orlick near a sluice-gate, and he insists on following them. Biddy whispers that she doesn’t like him, revealing that he “dances” at her with his eyes. This makes Pip feel jealous, and he begins to keep a lookout to prevent Orlick from catching Biddy's attention. The chapter concludes with Pip expressing the mental turmoil of swinging between satisfaction with his honest life and fleeting, scattered daydreams about Miss Havisham making him wealthy.
Analysis
The chapter explores various themes—stasis versus growth, Estella versus Biddy, self-knowledge versus self-deception—through Pip's first-person retrospective narration, which often casts a critical light on his younger self with ironic remarks ("I have no doubt, now, that the little I knew was extremely dear at the price").
Miss Havisham's house sets the tone for the chapter as a symbol of halted time: "the stopping of the clocks had stopped Time in that mysterious place." This image of stagnation contrasts sharply with Biddy's quiet, almost unnoticed growth—she absorbs knowledge effortlessly, like "a cough"—making her a foil to the frozen world of Satis House.
The riverside scene acts as the emotional heart of the chapter. Dickens uses the flowing river and sailing ships to implicitly emphasize Pip's stagnation. When Pip tears up grass and pulls his own hair, it externalizes his inner turmoil in a way that is both comedic and poignant. Biddy remains consistently calm—she raises an eyebrow, gazes at the ships, and sighs softly—giving her a serene authority that Pip admires yet resists.
Orlick's sudden appearance at the sluice-gate shifts the tone from personal confession to something darker. His lurking presence, his wordless "dancing" around Biddy, and Pip's instinctive jealousy create a new social and emotional rivalry. The chapter wraps up with a sense of intentional ambiguity: Pip's mind is complicated fifty thousand-fold by fluctuating states between rational contentment and irrational fantasy, and the narrator notes that this confusion was cut short by an approaching event.
Key quotes from Chapter XVII
“I felt as if the stopping of the clocks had stopped Time in that mysterious place, and, while I and everything else outside it grew older, it stood still.”
Pip reflects on the unchanging atmosphere of Miss Havisham's house during his annual birthday visits.
“I suppose I must catch it like a cough,” said Biddy, quietly; and went on with her sewing.”
Biddy answers Pip's question about how she manages to keep pace with everything he learns.
“Till you’re a gentleman,” said Biddy.”
Biddy's quiet, ironic reply after Pip promises he will always tell her everything.
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