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Character analysis · Pip's tutor in London, Herbert's father

Mr. Pocket

in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Mr. Matthew Pocket is Pip's tutor in London and the father of Herbert Pocket. He is connected to Miss Havisham and is first mentioned by Mr. Jaggers in Chapter XVIII as a potential tutor, though Jaggers is careful to avoid the term "recommendation." Mr. Pocket studied at Harrow and Cambridge, where he gained some recognition. He married young, which hindered his opportunities, and worked as a private tutor, known as a "Grinder," as well as a literary compiler to provide for his family in Hammersmith. Despite his very grey hair, he appears youthful, with striking black eyebrows and a naturally down-to-earth demeanor that is charming without being silly. His most notable trait is a bewildered, distracted expression, illustrated by his habit of attempting to lift himself by his own hair whenever domestic chaos overwhelms him. As a tutor, he is always eager and honorable in fulfilling his agreement with Pip, offering clear, practical advice that earns him Pip's genuine respect. His home life is disordered, largely because his wife, lost in her aristocratic fantasies, struggles with household tasks, leaving the servants to effectively manage the home. Pip comes to view him as "serious, honest, and good" in all his interactions as a teacher. Ultimately, Miss Havisham leaves him four thousand pounds, specifically due to Pip's positive description of him, serving as a posthumous affirmation of his character.

About this character

Role
Pip's tutor in London, Herbert's father
Form
Novel
Author
Charles Dickens
First published
1861

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Mr. Pocket?

Mr. Matthew Pocket is a well-educated gentleman who attended Harrow and Cambridge, where he distinguished himself. However, he has never fully realized his early potential. After marrying young and compromising his future, he turned to tutoring ("grinding") to support his family. By the time Pip meets him, he makes a living through private tutoring and literary work, alongside "some very moderate private resources" (Chapter XXIII). Despite his often humorous and distracted demeanor, Pip insists he never found him ridiculous in their tutor-student relationship; instead, he regarded him as "serious, honest, and good" (Chapter XXIV).

02·Arc & motivation

What is Mr. Pocket's arc and motivation?

Mr. Pocket's story is one of quiet, unnoticed integrity. He married for love, going against his father-in-law's wishes, and sacrificed his career ambitions. Now, he lives in a household that constantly undermines him—servants who run the show, a wife lost in aristocratic dreams, and children who are not being brought up but rather tumbling through life. His recurring gesture of trying to pull himself up by his own hair perfectly illustrates his frustrated but fundamentally good-natured response to the chaos around him. As a tutor, his motivation is clear: he is committed and honorable in his dedication to Pip, who returns this respect (Chapter XXIV). By the end of the novel, Miss Havisham's gift of four thousand pounds—given specifically because of "Pip's account of him"—validates the worth that society has largely overlooked (Chapter LVII).

03·Key moments

What are Mr. Pocket's key moments?

  • Chapter XVIII: Mr. Jaggers mentions Mr. Pocket as Pip's potential tutor, carefully avoiding the term "recommendation," suggesting that while Mr. Pocket has a solid reputation, it lacks formal endorsement.
  • Chapter XXII–XXIII: When Pip arrives in Hammersmith, he finds the household in disarray: children tumbling about, neglectful nurses, Mrs. Pocket absorbed in her book of titles, and Mr. Pocket emerging with "a rather perplexed expression of face, and with his very grey hair disordered on his head." His hair-lifting gesture recurs throughout the visit, expressing his helpless frustration at the domestic chaos around him.
  • Chapter XXIII: The exchange about the baby and the nut-crackers reveals Mr. Pocket's moral depth breaking through his helplessness: "Babies are to be nut-crackered dead, for people's poor grandpapa's positions!"—a moment of genuine emotion amid comedic despair.
  • Chapter XXIV: The extended conversation where Mr. Pocket outlines Pip's studies establishes the mutual respect that defines their relationship; Pip acknowledges that Mr. Pocket "made me zealous and honourable in fulfilling mine with him."
  • Chapter XLIV: Pip stands up for Mr. Pocket and Herbert in front of Miss Havisham, describing them as "generous, upright, open, and incapable of anything designing or mean"—a direct result of the trust built in Chapter XXIV.
  • Chapter LVII: Miss Havisham's gift of four thousand pounds, linked to Pip's commendation of him, wraps up Mr. Pocket's story with a quiet moral reward.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Mr. Pocket's most important relationships?

With Pip, Mr. Pocket forms a rare bond in the novel: one of mutual respect and reciprocal obligation, free from the manipulation and self-interest that plague most of Pip's connections in London. His relationship with Herbert is affectionate but somewhat ineffective—he has little to offer his son and only occasionally realizes that Herbert is still searching for his direction. His connection with Mrs. Pocket drives the domestic comedy: she is helpless, obsessed with status, and oblivious, while he is insightful and caring yet powerless to bring order. His relationship with Miss Havisham is distant but ultimately significant—it is Pip's account of him that earns her material acknowledgment in the form of a bequest of four thousand pounds.

05·Connected characters

How is Mr. Pocket connected to the other characters?

Pip

Mr. Pocket is Pip's tutor, directing his studies and placing himself on confidential terms with him; Pip comes to regard him as wholly serious, honest, and good in that role, and later defends his character to Miss Havisham.

Herbert Pocket

Herbert is Mr. Pocket's son; Mr. Pocket acknowledges he has nothing to give Herbert financially, and Herbert earns his own way, though his father occasionally perceives that Herbert has not yet found his opening in life.

Miss Havisham

Mr. Pocket is a relation of Miss Havisham — the 'Matthew' whose place was to be at her head when she died — and she ultimately leaves him four thousand pounds on the strength of Pip's account of his character.

Mr. Jaggers

Mr. Jaggers names Mr. Pocket as a suitable tutor for Pip and oversees the financial arrangements of Pip's education, effectively placing Pip in Mr. Pocket's household.

Bentley Drummle

Bentley Drummle is one of Mr. Pocket's pupils, described as having come to him a head taller and far duller than most gentlemen, and to the relief of the whole house he eventually departs.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Mr. Pocket

What is Mr. Pocket's background and education?

He attended Harrow and Cambridge, where he excelled academically. After marrying at a young age, he faced setbacks in his career and began tutoring. He later moved to London, where he balanced private tutoring with literary compilation and editing, relying on a modest amount of private funds (Chapter XXIII).

Why does Mr. Pocket keep trying to lift himself up by his hair?

The gesture reflects his natural reaction to the frustration and despair of home life—it shows up whenever he feels overwhelmed by household chaos, like when the cook is discovered drunk or when Mrs. Pocket won’t shield the baby from the nut-crackers. Dickens portrays it as both humorous and indicative of a man unable to rise above his troubles on his own (Chapters XXIII–XXXIV).

Is Mr. Pocket a good tutor?

Pip mentions that Mr. Pocket is "zealous and honourable" in keeping his commitments, providing Pip with clear guidance and establishing a trusting relationship. Pip reflects that he always saw Mr. Pocket as nothing "but what was serious, honest, and good" in their role as tutor and student (Chapter XXIV).

How is Mr. Pocket related to Miss Havisham?

He is connected to Miss Havisham — particularly the "Matthew" referenced by other family members, who was supposed to be at her side when she passed away (Chapter XVIII). Camilla is the sister of Mr. Pocket, and Georgiana is a cousin.

What does Miss Havisham leave Mr. Pocket in her will?

She leaves him four thousand pounds and includes a note that says, "Pip's account of him, the said Matthew" — this is a direct result of Pip defending his character to her (Chapter LVII).

Why is the Pocket household so chaotic?

Mrs. Pocket, who was brought up to anticipate a husband with a title and kept away from practical household matters, struggles to manage her home effectively. The servants take control and look out for their own interests, while Mrs. Pocket is absorbed in her book of titles and Mr. Pocket is too preoccupied and unable to establish any sense of order (Chapter XXIII).

How do Mr. Pocket's relatives treat him?

His sister Camilla and cousin Georgiana look at him with "complacent forbearance," seeing him as a grown-up child who lacks awareness of his own interests, while they dote on Pip in his success (Chapter XXV).

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • The gap between education and achievement

    Mr. Pocket exemplifies the disconnect between genuine intellectual ability (Harrow, Cambridge) and actual success—explore what Dickens implies about the link between merit and social rewards.

  • Domestic comedy as social critique

    The chaos of the Pocket household—servants in charge, children tumbling, Mrs. Pocket engrossed in titles—can be interpreted as Dickens's satire on class pretension and the pitfalls of marrying for status rather than sense.

  • The hair-lifting gesture

    Analyze this repeated action as a symbol of Mr. Pocket's character: his desire to rise above his circumstances and the futility of doing so through his own efforts.

  • Integrity without recognition

    Compare Mr. Pocket to other honest yet marginalized figures in the novel; consider how Miss Havisham's posthumous gift serves as the narrative's delayed acknowledgment of unrecognized virtue.

  • Pip as reliable witness

    Pip's defense of Mr. Pocket to Miss Havisham, followed by the bequest, raises questions about how Pip's moral growth is reflected in his judgments of others.

Great Expectations

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