Chapter 18, 19 Great Expectations

The Entrance of Mr Jaggers

The group was not highly defensive of Mr Wopsle when confronted by Mr Jaggers. “we all took courage to unite in a confirmatory murmur.”  This was the only external response from the group. It does not encourage confidence in Wopsle though, but instead themselves. They had committed to the story and given the question, the response was more out of pride than defence. Wopsle is the only speaker but we begin to feel that he is very similar to the group as individuals they are without argument or identity, ultimately they all agree guilty with nothing more to add than the manipulation from the article. This is where we see a difference in Mr Jaggers though, not just from the group but from the response we expect. We see throughout the story that Jaggers is strong, assertive and intelligent in such a way that no consequence falls upon his head. Jaggers is in quite a threatening place to begin a conflict being in a bar with a group of working class men, yet the way he mocks Wopsle is without reserve, “repeated the gentleman bitterly” shows us that he is irrelevant of it.

This inspires awe and silence from the group as only Wopsle was “unfortunate” enough to have “gone too far.” From Pip we are told that “We all began to suspect that Mr Wopsle was not the man we had thought him” but this is only Pip’s perception in hindsight of his experiences with Jaggers. We can only assume this is reliable with supporting evidence of the silence of the group which rather suggests the same level of shock and dumbfounding as Wopsle, unparalleled to Pip’s assumptions about Wopsle’s intelligence.

Pip’s reaction to Mr Jaggers and his analysis of his purpose are automatic responses which only show the impact of Satis House on his life. “I am here!” I cried” is rather a dramatic response to a stranger and I perceive this only to be excitement. Pip seems to grasp onto the stranger so gleefully that we see his priorities clearly aligned. Pip unlike the others in the group stands out as he does not fit in their ideas and is more than eager to leave it. Even to leave with the stranger who had just crushed his friend on faith only of the connection to Miss Havisham. This lines up Pip’s path as a failure immediately as he forsakes the genuine characters to pursue a world which he does not understand. Pip’s mono mania for Estella allows the plot to take paths which others would not take for insecurity and lack of trust.

Pip appears quite excited about Jaggers and instantly links him to Miss Havisham which is foolish considering his many clients and the otherwise complications and mysteries of his character, always consistent. As the reader, the idea that Pip so immediately and absolutely connects this man's message with Miss Havisham only encourages us to reserve our own judgements as such mystery over the benefactor would be without use otherwise, and things are never quite that simple.