Abel Magwitch

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Abel Magwitch is a fictional character from Charles Dickens’s novel “Great Expectations."

[edit] Biography

Magwitch himself summons his life as such: "in jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail." He has been done pretty well everything to – being locked up, pushed about, put in stocks, being deported and whipped – except hanging. He knew his name to be Abel Magwitch much as he knew the names of the birds in the hedges. Magwitch doesn’t know where or when he was born (Pip estimates him to be around 60 when they meet in 1829, which would place his birth date around 1769).

The first thing he can remember was that he was stealing turnips in Essex for a living, having been abandoned by a tinker. He was imprisoned since his earliest childhood, never getting the chance to lead an honest life. Prison visitors were told he was a hardened one, they pitied him "and they measured my head – they had better measured my stomach – and others on ‘em giv me tracks what I couldn’t read, and made me speeches what I couldn’t unnerstand." He did a bit of everything, every honest job he could – "though it warn’t as often as you may think, till you put the question whether you (Pip and Herbert) would ha’ been overready to give me work yourselves". He was taught to read and write by a deserting soldier and a "travelling giant".

At the Epsom Races he met, around 1805, a man named Compeyson, a man brought up in a boarding school, good-looking and set up for a gentleman. He is a proficient con-man and uses his upbringing as an asset in their partnersip of swindling, forging and passing of stolen banknotes.

Compeyson had a partner called Arthur, with whom, he "had been in a bad thing with a rich lady some years afore and they’d made a pot of money by it". Arthur is going insane, driven to madness by the remembrance of this story, always seeing the rich lady coming to kill him. He eventually dies, though Compeyson doesn’t care. Magwitch thinks he should have taken Arthur as a warning, though he didn’t.

Magwitch was married to Molly for four or five years. Molly was tried for the murder of a rival for Magwitch's affections (an older stronger woman). Jaggers, Molly's attorney, managed to persuade the jury that she was too weak to have strangled the woman. Jaggers did well, Molly was acquitted and became (unknown to Magwitch) Jaggers’ maidservant.

Molly had born a child by Magwitch; the girl was two or three at the time of Molly's trial. Molly told Magwitch that she’d destroy the child. As far as Magwitch knows, his daughter died at that time.

Magwitch and Compeyson were accused of a felony (charged with putting stolen notes in circulation). Compeyson said they would have separate defences and no communication. At the trial, Compeyson appeared as a gentleman. Magwitch had to sell his clothes to be able to pay for Jaggers.

The prosecution placed most of the guilt on Magwitch who realised that Compeyson’s had always intended to scapegoat him should they be caught.

Compeyson's attorney hammers the point home:
"My lord and gentleman, here you has afore you, side by side, two persons as your eyes can separate wide; one, the younger, well brought up, who will be spoke to as such; one, the older, ill brought up, who will be spoke to as such; one, the younger, seldom if ever seen in these here transactions, and only suspected; t’other, the elder, always seen in ‘em and always with his guilt brought home. Can you doubt, if there is but one in it, which is the one, and if there is two in it, which is much the worst one?"
In the end, Magwitch is condemned to fourteen years imprisonment, while Compeyson receives seven.

Magwitch and Compeyson are imprisoned on the same prison-ship. Magwitch tries to kill Compeyson but is taken to the black-hole (solitary confinement cell) after landing his first punch. He escapes.

In the marshes ashore, he meets young Pip at a graveyard. He makes the seven-year-old boy believe that he has an accomplice who is a terrible young man who would tear out and eat Pip's heart and liver if Pip didn’t help them. Pip, terrified, steals a savoury pork pie, brandy and a file from his house and brings them to Magwitch the next morning (Christmas, 1812). On his way he encounters another convict, bruised in the face, who he initially thought was Magwitch and then believes to be the young man Magwitch had told him about. Magwitch, upon hearing about the other escapee realises that Compeyson has also escaped and, after having eaten, drunk and filed his leg iron off, he sets off to search for him. He finds him and decides, not caring for his own fate, to try and kill him. The pair are still struggling when soldiers find and seize them.

Compeyson argued his escape was due to being terrorised by Magwitch. Consequently, his punishment was light whereas Magwitch was put in irons, retried and deported to New South Wales for life.

He had a number of jobs in Australia including sheep farmer and stock breeder. He never forgot Pip’s kindness to him and decides to do something for the boy (maybe because he reminded him of his lost daughter, who was about the same age). He sends money to Jaggers who is to pass it to Pip and to seek to make the boy a gentleman. Jaggers is not permitted to let Pip know who his benefactor is.

When Pip is 23, in 1829, Magwitch secretly returns to England under the name of Provis. When he reveals himself to Pip, both have disappointment. Pip doesn’t feel gratitude towards Provis but rather disgust and repulsion as he discovers where his money came from (partly because he had thought Miss Havisham had been assisting him in wooing her protegee Estella) and his feelings are thinly veiled. However, Pip’s feelings towards Magwitch improve as he learns the history. He decides nonetheless that he doesn’t want to accept more money from Provis/Magwitch.

The situation grows dangerous: Magwitch as a deported criminal, would be without doubt sentenced to death if recognised by the authorities. Wemmick and Herbert (during one of Pip’s stays at the country) discover that they are being watched and lodge Magwitch (now Mr. Campbell) in the house of Herbert’s fiancée.

An escape for Magwitch from England is prepared. Magwitch is to be put aboard a steamer bound for Hamburg. As it is not possible to board at a port due to Magwitch's wanted status, they try to row to the steamer from the banks of the Thames in Essex after the steamer has left the port of London. Unusually, a well manned boat comes out to intercept them as they aim for the steamer. Magwitch recognizes Compeyson on this boat and goes for him. They both end up in the water where Compeyson is drowned. Magwitch is immediately arrested and clapped in irons having suffered a bad chest wound during these events.

Pip now considers Magwitch a friend. He makes frequent visits to the ailing Magwitch and holds his hand throughout Magwitch's new trial. Magwitch receives a death sentence.

Magwitch is declining in health and is being held in the infirmary when Pip at last tells him that his child, Estella, is alive. He also spills the beans that she’s a beautiful lady and that he, Pip, was in love with her (He has found this out, as Wemmick told him Molly’s story and he recognized her to be Estella’s mother.). With a last pressure of Pip’s hand, Magwitch dies.