Startop in Great Expectations

Who is Startop?

Startop is a gentle, studious young man who boards at Matthew Pocket’s house alongside Pip and Bentley Drummle. He is introduced as a contrast to Drummle’s boorishness and quickly becomes a close, amiable companion to Pip and Herbert. Startop participates in their studies, shares boating and social outings with them, and is described as devoted to his mother. When Pip, Herbert, and Provis (Abel Magwitch) plan a secret river escape, Startop is chosen as one of the two oarsmen because of his steadiness and physical strength. He rows through the Thames at dangerous hours, helps hide and ferry Magwitch toward a steamer, and is present at the violent confrontation with a pursuing galley. Startop also assists in the rescue at the sluice‑house when Orlick attacks Pip: he is part of the party that bursts in and interrupts the assault. Though not a central figure, Startop’s quiet competence and dependable loyalty materially aid Pip at two key moments, illustrating the value of steady friends amid Pip’s moral and social upheavals.

In the book: Startop is one of Pip’s fellow students at Matthew Pocket’s household, a polite and good‑natured contrast to the boorish Bentley Drummle. Though a relatively minor character, he becomes a loyal companion to Pip and Herbert and proves practically useful—especially with his strong rowing—at a key moment, highlighting themes of friendship and quiet competence.

Personality

polite

Chapter 23 presents Startop as a 'studious, gentle youth' at Mr. Pocket’s table, set against Drummle’s sulky behaviour.

good‑natured

In Chapter 25 Pip naturally prefers Startop and grows close to Herbert, noting Startop’s pleasant company during boating and visits.

loyal

Chapter 53 shows Startop among the rescuers who burst into the sluice‑house and interrupt Orlick’s attack on Pip.

physically competent

Chapter 54 highlights Startop’s strong rowing when Pip and Herbert recruit him as one of the two pulling oars to carry Magwitch downriver.

dutiful/filial

Chapter 25 notes Startop is 'devoted to his mother,' marking his steady, dutiful character even amid the Pockets’ domestic chaos.

Character arc

Startop’s presence is steady and largely unchanged across his appearances: he enters as a mild, studious boarder at Matthew Pocket’s house and immediately forms easy friendship with Pip and Herbert. Early chapters establish him as a contrast to Drummle—respectable, polite, and devoted to his mother—participating in studies and the household’s social life. As Pip drifts into new habits and social anxieties, Startop remains a reliable companion rather than an influencer of Pip’s vanity. This constancy becomes crucial when danger arrives: he answers Herbert’s call to assist in both rescue and escape. At the sluice‑house, he helps free Pip from Orlick’s attack; at the river he proves one of the two steady oarsmen carrying Provis toward freedom, enduring the cold and the peril of pursuit. He does not undergo a dramatic personal transformation but moves from agreeable student to active, practical ally—his modest courage and competence manifesting under pressure and validating the value of quiet, dependable friendship in the narrative.

Relationships

• Pip A close companion and fellow student who prefers Startop’s gentle company to Drummle’s; Startop rows with and rescues Pip.
• Herbert Pocket Boating partner and co‑conspirator in the plan to carry Magwitch downriver; Herbert recruits Startop for the escape.
• Bentley Drummle A foil to Startop: Drummle is sulky and boorish, while Startop is studious and good‑natured; Drummle nearly escalates violence at Jaggers’s dinner.
• Matthew Pocket Host at whose house Startop boards as one of the young men under Mr. Pocket’s distracted but kindly oversight.
• Abel Magwitch Startop helps in the practical task of ferrying Magwitch (Provis) downriver and is present during the dangerous attempt to get him to a steamer.

Why Startop matters

Startop embodies the theme that steady, ordinary virtues matter in moments of moral testing. Dickens uses him as a counterpoint to more flashy or aggressive characters (like Drummle) to show that politeness, reliability, and practical skill have real worth. In the plot he performs essential, physical tasks—rowing and rescuing—that enable Pip’s attempts at moral repair and aid Magwitch’s final actions, underscoring friendship and quiet competence as forces that support Pip’s conscience and the story’s humane values.

Chapters with Startop

• Chapter 17
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 26
• Chapter 34
• Chapter 38
• Chapter 40
• Chapter 52
• Chapter 53
• Chapter 54

More Great Expectations characters

• PipProtagonist
• Joe GargeryMajor character
• Miss HavishamMajor character
• Herbert PocketMajor character
• EstellaMajor character
• Mr. JaggersMajor character
• Mrs. Joe GargeryMinor character
• BiddyMajor character