In a churchyard, a grizzled convict springs upon a poor orphan boy named Pip and threatens to kill him unless Pip helps further his escape. Later, Pip meets the wealthy and crazy Miss Havisham and her foster child, Estella, with whom he falls in love. After a secret benefactor gives him a fortune, Pip moves to London, where he has great expectations for a life that would allow him to become a gentleman. During this transformation, he learns the truth about himself, his illusions, and his benefactor. All the while, he is tormented endlessly by the beautiful Estella. Although richly comic, "Great Expectations reveals Dickens's dark attitudes toward Victorian society. Immensely readable, "Great Expectations is a tapestry woven of vividly drawn characters, moral maelstroms, and the sorrow and pity of love. Radhika Jones is a doctoral candidate in English and comparative literature at Columbia University and the managing editor of Grand Street magazine.