Second Stage

One of the many new characters in the second stage is Mr. Wemmick. He is one of the first people Pip meets in London, and is a colleague of Mr. Jaggers. Mr. Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers work as defensive attorneys, for people who are shady and don't have the best qualities or morals. When Pip goes to Mr. Wemmicks' castle with him, he washes his hands and says that he is washing away all the guilt from his job. He also doesn't mix his work like with his home life.

Mr. Wemmick washing his hands for the symbolic way of washing away the guilt from his job shows that he doesn't agree with his job, but it's what he does. This shows the motif of shame and guilt. He feels guilty about helping the bad guys, and him washing his hands shows his shame. Something that happened in the first stage similar to this was when Pip stole food and the file and gave it to the escaped convict. He felt guilty for stealing and helping a bad guy, and his shame showed when he never told anyone because he didn't want Joe thinking less of him, because he knew it was a shameful thing to do.