Great Expectations Chapter Fifty-Seven Summary

Pip realizes that he is now completely alone and that he has a heap of debts, and no money.
He puts his bills in the windows, and lets his landlord know that he’ll be heading out soon.
But then he gets sick. Really sick. Feverishly sick. He starts hallucinating and sleepwalking. He finds himself grappling for a boat by the river, lighting a lamp for Magwitch. He thinks Miss Havisham is roasting in a furnace in the corner of his room. He talks to himself.
His creditors show up one day, but Pip only vaguely remembers them. They tell him he’s arrested and make him get up and get dressed, but Pip is so weak.
He can’t remember what happens next, but he soon realizes that people are trying to help him and to take care of him. These "people" become Joe. Pip discovers that Joe has come to take care of him.
Pip feels super guilty, because Joe is wonderful as ever and showers him with love.
It takes Pip a while to heal, but he soon gets better. He realizes that Biddy has taught Joe how to write.
Joe tells Pip that Miss Havisham has died and that she has divided up her wealth appropriately, not forgetting Mr. Pocket or Herbert.
Joe tells Pip that Orlick robbed Mr. Pumblechook, tied him to a bedpost, slapped him around, and stuffed flowers in his mouth. Orlick is now in jail. Finally.
Joe and Pip go on a field trip into the country one Sunday, just like old times. Pip is eternally grateful to Joe. He tries to tell Joe about Magwitch and about the last few years, but Joe stops him, saying that what’s in the past is in the past.
Joe apologizes to Pip for never having been able to stop Mrs. Joe from beating him as a little boy. He tells Pip that he always felt that when he did try to stop her, she beat Pip more severely. Thus, Joe tried to keep himself from intervening so that Pip would not get as badly hurt.
Pip gets healthier and healthier, stronger and stronger, and, as he does so, Joe starts to act differently around him. Joe starts to call Pip, "sir" again which basically rips Pip’s heart out.
One Sunday night before bed, Joe asks Pip how he is feeling. Pip replies that he’s feeling quite nice. When he wakes up the next morning, he finds a note from Joe saying goodbye. Joe includes a receipt to show that all of Pip’s debts have been paid off.
Pip is devastated. So are we.
Pip cooks up a plan. He decides he will follow Joe home, he will propose to Biddy, and he will work side by side with Joe in the forge.
He waits three days, drinks lots of orange juice, and goes home.

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