CHAPTER 55 Practice Quiz — Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: CHAPTER 55
Why is Magwitch's trial delayed at the start of Chapter 55?
Compeyson, who was to testify to Magwitch's identity, is dead. An officer from the prison-ship must be sent for to provide the required identification.
What happens to Compeyson's body?
It is found many miles from where he drowned, so disfigured he can only be identified by the contents of his pockets, which include notes about Magwitch's assets.
What does Mr. Jaggers say about Magwitch's wealth?
He says the Crown will almost certainly forfeit it all. There are no legal circumstances to prevent seizure since Pip has no recognized tie to Magwitch.
What decision does Pip make about Magwitch's fortune?
He resolves never to pursue a claim on the money, deciding his heart should never be sickened with the hopeless task of attempting to establish one.
What does Herbert offer Pip?
A position as a clerk in his Cairo branch office, with the prospect of eventually expanding into a partner in the firm.
Why does Herbert hesitate before making his offer?
He is delicately trying to avoid the word "clerk" because it represents a step down from Pip's former status as a gentleman. Pip supplies the word himself.
What does Clara ask Herbert to tell Pip?
She asks, with tears in her eyes, that if Pip will live with them when they are married, she will do her best to make him happy and show him she is his friend too.
How does Pip respond to Herbert's offer?
He thanks Herbert warmly but cannot yet commit, asking for two or three months to decide. He hints at "a vague something lingering in my thoughts."
What is the status of Clara's father?
He is dying. Mrs. Whimple confirms he is "certainly going," and Clara holds dutifully to him as long as he lasts. Herbert plans to return for Clara after the father dies.
Why does Wemmick visit Pip's lodgings?
He comes in his private capacity to explain the failure of Magwitch's escape and reveal that Compeyson had infiltrated Jaggers's business network.
What does Wemmick say about Compeyson's intelligence work?
Compeyson had gradually learned the details of half the regular business Jaggers handled, and habitually deceived even his own associates as part of his policy.
What does Wemmick invite Pip to do?
He invites Pip on a Monday morning walk, claiming it is a holiday. In reality, it is a carefully planned excursion to his own wedding.
Who does Wemmick marry?
Miss Skiffins, in a ceremony at a church near Camberwell Green, with Pip as best man and the Aged P. giving the bride away.
How does Wemmick pretend the wedding is spontaneous?
He feigns surprise at each element — exclaiming "Halloa! Here's a church!" then discovering gloves, and finally "Halloa! Here's a ring!" as if by accident.
What comic difficulty arises with the Aged P. at the wedding?
He cannot get his gloves on and must be braced against a pillar while Wemmick pulls from behind and Pip holds the old man's waist.
What goes wrong when the clergyman asks "Who giveth this woman?"
The Aged P. does not realize they have reached that point and stands beaming at the Ten Commandments. Wemmick must shout to prompt him.
What simile does Dickens use to describe the new Mrs. Wemmick?
She sat "in a high-backed chair against the wall, like a violoncello in its case," submitting to Wemmick's embrace.
What does Wemmick mean by "a Walworth sentiment"?
He means the wedding belongs entirely to his private, domestic life and must not be mentioned at Jaggers's office in Little Britain, where he maintains a separate professional persona.
What theme does the forfeiture of Magwitch's wealth reinforce?
The futility of wealth as a basis for identity. The fortune meant to make Pip a gentleman is seized by the Crown, proving that his "great expectations" were always illusory.
How does Herbert's offer contrast with Pip's original expectations?
Pip's original expectations came from a secret benefactor and were based on inherited wealth. Herbert's offer is based on honest work, friendship, and merit — representing genuine opportunity.
What does Pip mean when he says he had "no home anywhere"?
With Herbert gone and Magwitch imprisoned, Pip feels utterly alone. His lodgings are empty of companionship, reflecting his loss of both wealth and human connection.
What literary device does Dickens use throughout the wedding scene?
Dramatic irony. Both Pip and the reader see through Wemmick's elaborate pretense of spontaneity, making his deadpan exclamations comic rather than deceptive.
What does the fishing rod symbolize in Chapter 55?
Wemmick carries it as part of his charade that the outing is a casual walk, not a wedding. It symbolizes his determination to disguise private sentiment behind everyday practicality.
What structural purpose does the wedding scene serve in the chapter?
It provides comic relief after the grim legal proceedings of Magwitch's trial, contrasting Pip's loneliness and loss with Wemmick's domestic joy and new beginning.