Mary smiled. “Pip’s in love with Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter, Estella, who, as it turns out, is really the escaped convict Magwitch’s daughter, but we don’t find that out until much later.” She warmed to the topic. “For most of the book, Estella treats Pip badly. She looks down on him. Then she marries Bentley Drummle, even though Pip doesn’t want her to, but he dies and she becomes a widow. Pip meets her again after Bentley dies.” Mary began to pace in front of the teacher’s desk.

“This is where it gets confusing. In the version we read, Dickens gives the impression that Pip is going to get the girl. But when he first wrote Great Expectations, he made it clear that Estella remarries someone else, leaving Pip in the lurch. Dickens rewrote the ending and changed it to a ‘hopefully ever after’ kind of thing after he got guff for writing such a miserably unhappy conclusion. Personally, I think the first ending was more appropriate, considering how unhappy the first two-thirds of the book are. I mean, the change in tone in the newer ending kind of doesn’t fit with the rest of the book and waters down the moral of the story.”

When Mary came to a stop, the room was so quiet that the only sound was the second hand marking time on the wall clock. Mrs. Platt stared at her, open-mouthed. “D-did I say something wrong?”

Mrs. Platt blinked. “No. No, Mary, you said everything exactly right. In fact, you answered the question in a more detailed and nuanced fashion than most college students.”

“Oh.”

For several moments, Mrs. Platt stared out the classroom window.  More than once, she shook her head and tutted. Finally, she placed Mary’s exam paper on the desk and took out her red pen. With a single slash mark, she put a diagonal line through the “F.” Then she wrote in big, bold strokes at the top of the page.

I have given this student a follow-up oral exam. From this exam, it is clear that Mary has a full and above-average understanding of the themes and concepts in this novel. As a result, I have re-evaluated and re-graded this exam. This student deserves an “A.” She signed the note and beamed at Mary.

“Gosh. Thank you, Mrs. Platt. Thank you. Thank you.” Mary ran behind the desk and hugged her around the neck.

“Now, now. That’s enough of that.” She pushed her glasses farther up onto the bridge of her nose. “I’m still going to need the principal’s approval to make such a drastic change to a grade.”

“Oh.” Mary felt the air rush out of her lungs.

“Don’t worry. Principal Wegman has always trusted my judgment before. I doubt this time will be any different.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you so much.”