Great Expectations, Chapter 20 summary
Chapter 20 of 59 · 13 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 20, Pip reaches London, waits for Mr. Jaggers, and encounters the dirt, punishment, and anxious clients surrounding his guardian’s office. Jaggers’s forceful handling of clients and a dubious witness reveals his authority, while his arrangements for lodging, credit, and an allowance begin to shape Pip’s new life.
What happens
- Pip arrives in London and takes a very short coach ride to Mr. Jaggers’s office, where Wemmick tells him to wait.
- Disturbed by the office, Pip explores Smithfield and the prison area, where an officer shows him places connected with punishment.
- Pip watches anxious clients seek Jaggers’s help, then sees his guardian dismiss their pleas and insist on payment through Wemmick.
- Mike presents a possible witness, but Jaggers rejects the visibly disreputable man after inspecting him through the office window.
- Jaggers explains Pip’s lodging, allowance, and purchasing arrangements, then sends him toward Barnard’s Inn with Wemmick.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Jaggers refuses to let his clients direct their own cases. The line captures the authority and dependence Pip observes around his guardian.
Quick check
How does Jaggers arrange to monitor Pip’s spending?
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