Great Expectations-Estella's Parentage?

Question

In chapter 51, what is Dicken's purpose in revealing Estella's parentage? And what purpose does Dickens achieve in Jagger's hypothetical description of the children with whom he typically came into contact?

Answer 1

Pip discovers that Estella is the daughter of a murderess who should have been hanged. But Jaggers took the mother in as his servant and farmed Estella out to Miss Favesham for a better life. In all this conversation, Jaggers never reveals anything. He calls his servant into his office. Pip has a look at her. Jaggers dismisses her. Jaggers says, "Put the case:" The case is that a certain lawyer might have seen children fall into awful circumstances and decided to do something with one child. He finally asks Pip, "Did that lawyer do wrong?" Pip replies, "That lawyer has a lot to answer for." Jaggers never says anything explicitly. Pip can never prove anything.