What happens in Chapter XXXV of Great Expectations?
The chapter begins with Pip reflecting on how his sister's death affects him psychologically—her absence lingers in his mind more than her presence ever did, and his grief is mixed with anger towards Orlick, whom he suspects caused her pain. On a beautiful summer morning, Pip makes his way to the forge, pausing at the Blue Boar, before arriving at the house. There, he finds the undertaker Trabb and his crew theatrically managing the funeral arrangements. Joe sits apart in a small black cloak as the chief mourner, while Biddy moves quietly and helpfully around the room. Pumblechook, along with Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, are also present. The procession to the churchyard is carried out with ridiculous formality—the coffin concealed under black velvet, with village children running ahead to watch—and Pip grows irritated by Pumblechook’s sycophantic behavior throughout. Mrs. Joe is laid to rest near Pip's parents' graves. After the burial, Pumblechook makes offensive comments, suggesting that Mrs. Joe would have considered her death a fair price for the honor of Pip's attendance. Once the guests leave, Pip, Joe, and Biddy share a quiet dinner together. Later that evening, Pip walks with Biddy in the garden, where she shares the details of Mrs. Joe's death: she emerged from a bad state, called for Joe, embraced him, uttered "Joe," "Pardon," and "Pip," then passed away. Biddy also mentions that Orlick has been seen lurking nearby, even that very evening. Pip vows to visit Joe often, but Biddy’s pointed silence suggests she isn’t convinced. Feeling offended, Pip maintains a cold distance during supper. The next morning, he says goodbye to Joe at the forge and to Biddy at the kitchen door, where she only asks that she, not he, take on any hurt. As he walks away, Pip senses that the mists hint he won’t be returning, and that Biddy’s doubts may be justified.
Analysis
The chapter centers on a series of ironies that deepen Pip's portrayal as a narrator who gains a clearer understanding of himself in hindsight than he did at the time. The funeral scenes are presented with a sharp, comic-satirical twist: Trabb's theatrical antics, the postboy warders, the coffin referred to as "a blind monster with twelve human legs," and Pumblechook's fawning sherry breath highlight the gap between true grief and social performance. Pip's sorrow is genuinely layered — he admits he "could scarcely have recalled my sister with much tenderness," yet feels shock and indignation, a psychologically accurate distinction.
The chapter's structural pivot occurs during the conversation in the garden with Biddy, shifting from elegy to moral comedy at Pip's expense. Biddy's gentle, repeated "Do you, Mr. Pip?" and her one sincere question — "Are you quite sure, then, that you WILL come to see him often?" — puncture Pip's self-satisfied promises without directly blaming him. The narrator's reflective admission in the final paragraph ("I suspect they did, that I should not come back, and that Biddy was quite right") affirms her insight.
Nature imagery frames both the procession and the burial: larks sing above the grave, clouds cast beautiful shadows, and the mists rise again at the chapter's conclusion, echoing the novel's ongoing theme of obscured vision and self-deception. The detail of Mrs. Joe's last words — "Joe," "Pardon," and "Pip" — imparts her death with a quiet dignity that sharply contrasts with the chapter's satirical funeral display. Biddy notes that Mrs. Joe had not spoken for a long time before these final words, making her last moments even more poignant.
Key quotes from Chapter XXXV
“I suppose there is a shock of regret which may exist without much tenderness.”
Pip reflects early in the chapter on the nature of his grief for his sister, distinguishing regret from affection.
“She made signs to me that she wanted him to sit down close to her, and wanted me to put her arms round his neck.”
Biddy describes to Pip the final moments of Mrs. Joe's life in the garden conversation.
““Are you quite sure, then, that you WILL come to see him often?””
Biddy asks Pip this pointed question in the garden, stopping in the narrow walk and looking at him under the stars.
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