# Chapter XLVIII explained — Great Expectations

> Chapter companion for Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

Pip dines with Mr. Jaggers and Wemmick, where he receives a note from Miss Havisham requesting a visit. During dinner, Jaggers discusses Bentley Drummle's marriage to Estella and suggests he may be abusive. Pip notices the housekeeper Molly's hands and eyes, realizing she is Estella's mother. Wemmick later tells Pip the story of Molly's trial for murder, where Jaggers defended her and secured her acquittal.

## Themes in this chapter

### Crime and Injustice

Wemmick recounts Molly's trial for murder, highlighting Jaggers' skillful defense and the questionable justice of her acquittal.

### Identity and Self-Discovery

Pip discovers Molly is Estella's mother, linking past observations and deepening his understanding of Estella's origins.

## Character check-ins

### Pip

Dines with Jaggers and Wemmick, receives Miss Havisham's note, and realizes Molly is Estella's mother.

### Jaggers

Invites Pip to dinner, discusses Drummle's marriage to Estella, and reveals his past defense of Molly in a murder trial.

### Wemmick

Dines with Pip and Jaggers, behaves formally, and later tells Pip the story of Molly's trial and acquittal.

### Molly

The housekeeper; Pip notices her hands and eyes, identifying her as Estella's mother.

### Estella

Mentioned as Mrs. Bentley Drummle; Pip connects her features to Molly's.

## Key lines

> I felt absolutely certain that this woman was Estella's mother.

Pip becomes convinced that the housekeeper Molly is Estella's biological mother.

_This realization connects Estella's identity to Molly's past and Jaggers' involvement._

> A score or so of years ago, that woman was tried at the Old Bailey for murder, and was acquitted.

About twenty years earlier, Molly was tried for murder at the Old Bailey but found not guilty.

_Wemmick reveals Molly's criminal history, explaining her presence in Jaggers' household._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/great_expectations_se/chapters/xlviii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/great_expectations_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/great_expectations_se/chapters