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Pretend you’re Charles Dickens. Your magazine is about to go under, so you have to publish something—NOW—to get your audience rushing to buy the next issue. With Great Expectations, Dickens got them lining up at the newsstand to read about the latest exploits of Pip the striver, stuck-up Estella, and loony Miss Havisham. Here’s what you need to know to keep it all straight—in 60 seconds.

Video Transcription:

Be very, VERY afraid. It would take waaaay more than 60 seconds to list all the characters that pop up in Great Expectations.

No wait. Don’t be afraid. Because I’ll give you the highlights … coming up.

Dickens’ cast is all about connections. But before we go there, let’s begin with the basics.

Pip, the main character, starts with an intimate circle: His sister and her husband, Joe, a blacksmith. There’s scary Orlick who works at the forge with Joe. And Biddy, who comes to care for Pip’s sister, after she’s attacked.

Then there are the people of Pip’s expectations: Miss Havisham, the jilted bride, and her adopted daughter, the cold and proud Estella.

There’s also Herbert, Pip’s first friend in London, and two other gentlemen, Startop and Drummle.

Finally, we have the law-abiding and the law-less. Mr. Jaggers, a famous lawyer in London, and two convicts. Magwitch is the convict Pip helps as a child, and Compeyson is the other escapee. The man with the bloody face.
?Ready for the connections?

Orlick is Pip’s sister’s attacker, who pines after Biddy.
Magwitch is Pip’s benefactor, Estella’s father, and Compeyson’s former accomplice.
Compeyson helped Miss Havisham’s groom leave her at the altar. He’s also the one who turns Magwitch in.
Mr. Jaggers’ housekeeper is Estella’s mother.
Estella marries Drummle (which doesn’t last) and finally ends up marrying Pip.