The House of Adoption

Mr. Jaggers’s handling of Molly and Estella’s adoption links criminal defense, maternal concealment, and Miss Havisham’s search for a child.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Molly’s Trial

Molly’s Trial A murder accusation Molly is tried for the death of a stronger woman after a jealous struggle. Her hands are scrutinized as possible evidence of violence. A successful defense Mr. Jaggers argues that the injuries may have come from brambles and that the missing child could account for scratches. Molly is acquitted, though the full truth remains hidden from the public.

A Child Hidden

A Child Hidden A legal arrangement Mr. Jaggers knows that Molly has a young child and has power over her because of the facts of the case. He arranges for the child to be placed beyond immediate danger. A parent’s grief Abel Magwitch believes his daughter has been destroyed and never learns that she survived. Molly enters Mr. Jaggers’s service after her acquittal, and her life becomes bound to the secret.

The Adoption at Satis House

The Adoption at Satis House A child delivered asleep Mr. Jaggers brings the orphaned child to Miss Havisham after she asks him to find a girl to raise. Miss Havisham names her Estella. Origins concealed Estella is told that she is an orphan and does not know her parents. The arrangement protects her from immediate exposure but leaves her identity hidden for decades.

The Mother Recognized

The Mother Recognized A remembered gesture Pip recognizes Molly’s hands and eyes in Mr. Jaggers’s housekeeper. The resemblance links her knitting gestures to the expression he has seen in Estella. A private explanation Mr. Wemmick tells Pip about Molly’s trial and acquittal. Pip understands that the woman he has seen is Estella’s mother, though Mr. Jaggers does not openly state the connection.

The Parentage Confirmed

The Parentage Confirmed Magwitch’s story Herbert tells Pip that Magwitch once lost a young daughter after the child’s mother threatened to destroy her. Pip connects this account with Estella’s age and the facts he has learned. The secret made whole Pip confirms Estella’s parentage with Mr. Jaggers, who explains his role hypothetically. The truth arrives too late to reunite the family in ordinary life, but Pip can tell Magwitch that his daughter lived.

about twenty years before Pip learns Estella’s parentage

after Molly’s acquittal

when Estella is about two or three

after Pip dines at Mr. Jaggers’s house

after Miss Havisham’s fire