Great Expectations - Key Quotes

"I stole her heart away and put ice in its place."

Miss Havisham (about Estella), Chapter 49. Links to themes of Parental Figures and Ambition.

"No varnish could hide the grain of wood; the more varnish you put on, the more it will express itself."

Herbert Pocket, Chapter 22. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Ambition and Social Class.

"His punishment was light, I was put in irons [...] and sent for life."

Magwitch (about Compeyson), Chapter 42. Links to themes of Justice and Crime & Punishment.

"I want to be a gentleman [...] I am not happy as I am [...] I have particular reason."

Pip (to Biddy), Chapter 17. Links to themes of Social Class and Integrity & Reputation.

"Disappointments, dangers, disgraces."

Pip (finds out Magwitch is his benefactor), Chapter 39. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Parental Figures and Ambition.

"Moths and all sorts of ugly creatures, hover about a lighted candle. Can the candle help it?"

Estella, Chapter 38. Links to themes of Social Class and Ambition.

"What coarse hands [...] thick boots!"

Estella (about Pip), Chapter 8. Links to themes of Social Class and Integrity & Reputation.

"I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."

Estella, Chapter 59. Links to theme of Self Improvement.

"I am what you have made me. Take all the praise [...] blame [...] success [...] failure. In short, take me."

Estella (to Miss Havisham), Chapter 38. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Ambition and Parental Figures.

"A burning love."

Miss Havisham, Chapter 38. Links to theme of Parental Figures.

"Limped and shivered, and glared, and growled."

Pip (about Magwitch), Chapter 1. Links to themes of Parental Figures and Social Class.

"You've been more comfortable alonger me, since I was under a dark cloud, than when the sun shone."

Magwitch (to Pip), Chapter 56. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Social Class and Parental Figures.

"The abhorrence in which I held the man, the dread [...] repugnance [...] could not have been exceeded if he had been some terrible beast."

Pip (about Magwitch), Chapter 39. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Social Class, Parental Figures and Ambition.

"The wall, especially opposite to Mr Jaggers' chair, being greasy with shoulders."

Pip, Chapter 20. Links to themes of Justice and Crime & Punishment.

"Who brought you up by hand?"

Mrs Joe (to Pip), Chapter 2. Links to themes of Parental Figures and Social Class.

"The man took strong, sharp, sudden bites, just like the dog."

Pip (about Magwitch), Chapter 3. Links to themes of Social Class, Parental Figures and Generosity.

"The stars were shining beyond the mist."

Pip, Chapter 59. Links to theme of Self Improvement (Estella's name meaning star).

"I saw no shadow of another parting from her."

Pip (about Estella), Chapter 59. Links to theme of Self Improvement (connects with moth and candle quote).

"Every drop it held, was a drop of my life [...] when I was changed into a part of the vapour that had crept towards me [...] like my own warning ghost."

Pip, Chapter 53. Links to theme of Ambition.

"She was dressed in rich materials - all of white [...] faded and yellow [...] waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me [...] stopped at twenty minutes to nine."

Pip (about Miss Havisham), Chapter 8. Links to theme of Social Class.

"A dry man [...] with a square wooden face [...] a post-office of a mouth [...] a mechanical appearance."

Pip (about Wemmick), Chapter 21. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation and Social Class.

"Wemmick walked among the prisoners much as a gardener might walk among the plants."

Pip, Chapter 32. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation and Justice.

"We came to Miss Havisham's house, which was of old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it."

Pip, Chapter 8. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation and Social Class.

"We went through [...] it was all dark, and only the candle lighted us."

Pip, Chapter 8. Links to theme of Ambition (connects with candle and moth quote).

"Here is my hand. Do we part on this, you visionary boy - or man?"

Estella (to Pip), Chapter 44. Links to theme of Integrity & Reputation.

"Our worst weaknesses [...] committed for the sake of the people whom we most despise."

Pip, Chapter 27. Links to themes of Integrity & Reputation, Social Class, Ambition and Self Improvement.

"Life is made of ever so many partings welded together [...] one man's a blacksmith [...] and one's a goldsmith [...] Diwisioins among such must come."

Joe (to Pip), Chapter 27. Links to themes of Social Class and Parental Figures.