Mr. Jaggers asks Pip to imagine that a woman who is being tried for murder has a child she has concealed from the world. She is obliged in her situation to tell her lawyer about the child, and the lawyer, coincidentally, knows a rich old lady who is searching for a child to raise as her own. The lawyer, pragmatic to the point of jadedness by his experiences, can see no better future for the child than that she be given up and put in the care of the old lady with means. The woman being tried follows the advice of her lawyer concerning the child, which turns out to be a fortuitous decision. The woman's mind is unhinged by her hardships and when she is acquitted she puts herself under the care of her lawyer; meanwhile, the child grows up and marries, never knowing that her real parents are alive.
The "imaginary" case that Jaggers "puts before" Pip is the true story of Magwitch, Molly, and Estella. Jaggers presents the case as hypothetical so that he will not have to admit to his part in the situation, even though he and Pip know very well about whom he is talking. Jaggers puts the case before Pip to emphasize his belief that no one would benefit from the secret being revealed now, and that things are better left alone (Chapter 51).
No comments:
Post a Comment