Quotes (Great Expectations)

This section provides key quotes for GCSE English Literature.

Pip to Estella: “I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”

Estella about Pip: “Coarse and common”

Estella: “her light came along the long dark passage like a star.”

Estella’s final worlds: “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but -I hope -into a better shape.”

Pip confessing his love: “Out of my thoughts! You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read....”

Estella to Ms Havisham: “I am what you designed me to be. I am your blade. You cannot now complain if you also feel the hurt.”

Ms Havisham instructing Pip to Love Estella: “Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces –and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper –love her, love her, love her!”

Ms Havisham: “I have sick fancies”

Ms Havisham: “Break his heart”

Ms Havisham: “had been white long ago, had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow.”

Ms Havisham: “she was dressed in rich materials –satins, lace and silks –all of white”

Ms Havisham: “I stole her heart away and put ice in its place.”

The final line of the Novel: “I saw no shadow of another parting from her”

“Biddy," said I, after binding her to secrecy, "I want to be a gentleman."

“possessor of such great expectations”

Pip on first meeting Ms Havisham: “Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.”

“No varnish can hide the grain of the wood; and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will express itself.” (shows Pip cannot escape his past)

The end of volume 1: “And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me.”

“I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society.”

“And then I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude.”

Magwitch’s monologue: “In jail and out of jail; in jail and out of jail. That’s my life pretty much.”

First image of Magwitch: “Hold your noise!” cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves.”

On Magwitch: “My repugnance to him had melted away.”

“my convict”/ “my gentleman”

Mrs Joe “She’s got Tickler with her!”

Mrs Joe “brought up by hand”

Description of London: “the shameful place, being all a smear with filth and fat and blood and foam.”

Pip on his mistakes: “I could never, never, never undo what I had done.”