Great Expectations Book Notes Summary

Pip is to be educated as a generalist, not in preparation for any profession. He is fond of Matthew Pocket, and the two seem to feel a mutual respect. Pip requests to keep his room in Herbert's place at Barnard's Inn, a request that Mr. Jaggers approves in his typically odd manner.

Jaggers has a boisterous, though not particularly happy manner, and it confuses Pip, who asks Wemmick for a little more color about his guardian. Wemmick calls Jaggers "deep," and says his odd manner is "not personal; it's professional."

Wemmick gives Pip a tour of the law office, leading him through the rooms of the three other law clerks and, inside Jaggers' office, explaining that two odd casts on the shelf are those of famous clients. Wemmick extends an invitation to Pip to come to his house for a meal some time, and says that if Pip ever goes to Jaggers' place, he should keep his eyes open for his housekeeper, who, Wemmick says is "a wild beast tamed" (234).

The two then go down to police court to watch Jaggers in action. Here Pip sees that the lawyer has an uncanny ability to make a shivering and intimidated mess out of anyone he examines on the witness stand.