FREE ESSAY ON GREAT EXPECTATIONS..JAGGARS

GREAT EXPECTATIONS..JAGGARS

Great Expectations Commentary
The well-known novel 'Great Expectations' was the last great work by Charles Dickens. It
is about an orphan, Pip, who is brought up in the early nineteenth century. 
Pip meets a girl named Estella who is of the upper class, this encounter leads him into
the dream of becoming a 'gentleman'. He is introduced to a lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, who
becomes his guardian while staying in London. When he reaches London and enters Mr.
Jaggers' office, his thoughts are revealed and the room is put into detailed description.
The use of diction, narrative voice, and setting help the readers learn more about
Jaggers, contributes in creating an interesting atmosphere, as well as foreshadowing
future incidents.
The passage (in chapter 20) where Pip reveals to us the inner qualities and setting of
Mr. Jaggers' room, the diction used is extremely significant. Throughout the majority of
the passage, Pip uses negative wording in order to express Mr. Jaggers' character. The
features described in the room link directly to Mr. Jaggers' personality. 'The room was
lighted by a skylight only and was a most dismal place'. The darkness expressed through
these words relate to Mr. Jaggers' occupation as a criminal defense lawyer. The dullness
and guilt involved in doing his job is also shown here. The mention of 'casts' and
'coffins' sets a mood of death within the setting and scene. These words create a creepy
atmosphere in which foreshadows that Mr. Jaggers' newfound involvement in Pip's life will
not necessarily be all good. This is contradictory to how Pip feels pursuing his dream
into becoming a gentleman. 'The distorted adjoining houses looking as if they had twisted
themselves to peep down at me.' Being that Mr. Jaggers' is a criminal defense lawyer and
deals with many underworld clients, it's as if he is also playing the bad guy. These
'adjoining buildings' act as if they are watching his every move. The place seems so
dirty, with the 'blacks and flies' everywhere and everything layered with 'dust and grit
that lay thick'. Pip, the narrator, repeatedly uses words such as 'twisted', 'distorted',
'dreadful', and 'twitchy' while describing the office. All these words create an eerie
atmosphere as well as a spooky image of Mr. Jaggers. Mr. Jaggers is a powerful character
that is harsh, and everything about him seems frightening and fierce. The diction used in
this passage just gives him an overall bad image.
Pip, the orphan, acts as the narrator throughout the whole novel. His tone of voice is
very important in contributing to the effect of the present scene. In this passage, Pip
stares in awe around the room, he talks of the accessories in Mr. Jaggers' room as if
they are real. 'I really could not bear the two casts on the shelf above Mr. Jaggers'
chair, and got up and went out.' Pip's own action of having to leave the room at such an
expense proves to the reader how awful the room is. As the room links to Mr. Jaggers'
character, this makes the reader in turn, become fearful of Mr. Jaggers. Pip's narrative
voice is also very confused. 'I wondered whether the two swollen faces where of Mr.
Jaggers' family.' His confusion is able to strike the reader as very observant with all
the questions that he has to ask. Pip's very detailed description of Mr. Jaggers' room
indicates to us the exact first impression that Pip must have of the lawyer: Mr. Jaggers'
is shown to be a frightening fellow. The narrative voice of Pip is useful in helping the
reader understand Mr. Jaggers' character more clearly in this passage.
The setting of Mr. Jaggers' room is essential in explaining to the reader, indirectly,
what the man's personality is like. 'Mr. Jaggers' own high- backed chair was of deadly
black horsehair, with rows of brass nails round it, like a coffin.' The 'high- backed
chair' acts as an instrument in expressing Mr. Jaggers' powerful character. It is ironic
how someone with so much power would use 'horsehair', killing an animal, to use as part
of his furniture. And yet, this hair is 'nailed' down onto the chair, as if the power
would run away. 'An old rusty pistol, a sword in a scabbard, several strange- looking
boxes and packages.' The objects that are lying around his room don't seem like things
that a real lawyer would have laying around in his office. There is 'not so many papers
about' which is also quite odd. 'Two dreadful casts on a shelf, of faces peculiarly
swollen, and twitchy about the nose.' These casts being 'twitching about the nose' might
act as the upper class why are once again watching Mr. Jaggers. Or maybe it is just a
symbol of his connection to the upper class society. The setting of Mr. Jaggers' office
is greatly significant in illustrating to us his character.
The passage where Mr. Jaggers' room is keenly described by Pip is valuable in giving the
reader a clearer perspective of the lawyer. Mr. Jaggers' business- like mannerism and
harsh qualities are shown through this passage. Pip's narrative voice was important as
well as the setting itself. The words that Pip used and his action of leaving the 'close
room' shows the frightening side of Mr. Jaggers' personality. The literary devices such
as diction, narrative voice, and setting are significant in developing Mr. Jaggers'
character.