After growing up in London with a long history of social, legal, and economic struggles, Charles Dickens has a lot to say about it. He insinuates his opinions regarding London and its aspects by taking taking shots at the subjects he has problems with. The social classes, legal system, and money problems Dickens grew up with have greatly influenced his views and they show in one of his many novels, Great Expectations. Three paramount issues transpire quite regularly throughout the novel. Dickens is particularly fond of mocking London’s social conditions thanks to economic standing of the residents and the criminal justice system that comes with it.
“If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.” Charles Dickens once said this in one of his novels. If one quote could summarize Jaggers, this would be it. This quote wasn’t from Great Expectations, but sounds like it’s what he had in mind when he constructed the soapy smelling man young Pip met one day in a stairwell. Regardless of if a crime had been committed or not, if you could manage to get Jaggers on your side, you basically won your case. The people of Pip’s time paid Jaggers to make their lies into the truth. If Wemmick received the money, in return Jaggers would supply the false witnesses needed to win the case. Dickens repeatedly writes on how the court system is based on money and influence, not on guilt or innocence. Pip’s first encounter with Newgate is not one to brag about, either. Upon walking up to the prison, Pip is offered a spectacular view of the courtroom, for just a small fee. This is offered to him by the very drunk minister of justice whom Pip makes the inference that his clothing had just been bought from the executioner right off a dead man….
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…at they are in fact in debt. They don’t actually solve anything, they just total their debts to see how much it is they owe. Pip himself almost gets sent off to Debtor’s jail, and would have had he not gotten ill. Wemmick tries to teach Pip about portable property and the importance of it, but Pip is off buying boats. Magwitch turned out the way he did, simply because of wealth. Even from his first memory all he ever knew was how to stay alive on his own. He was pushed into a life a crime with no parents, home, or schooling. He had no money and did not know what else to do. He stole and did odd jobs here and there that were not totally legal, but only to see his next day. As Estella told us, “quote about statis house being enough” Except this doesn’t seem to be the case for the residents. The house itself means enough, but the inhabitants are discontent and empty.
