They took up several obviously wrong people, and they ran their heads very hard against wrong ideas and persisted in trying to fit the circumstances to the ideas, instead of trying to extract ideas from the circumstances. Also, they stood about the door of the Jolly Bargemen, with knowing and reserved looks that filled the whole neighbourhood with admiration; and they had a mysterious manner of taking their drink, that was almost as good as taking the culprit. But not quite, for they never did it."

Question

How does Dickens characterize the police in Pip's description of the police attempting to solve Mrs. Joe's attack?
Question 12 options:

A)

Uninterested and incapable

B)

Unwilling to listen to Pip's opinion

C)

Reserved and hardworking

D)

Admirable

Answer 1

In the passage provided, Dickens characterizes the police as somewhat ineffectual and misguided in their approach to solving the attack on Mrs. Joe. They are described as having "obviously wrong people" and failing to adapt their ideas to the circumstances, which suggests a lack of competence. Additionally, their behavior while hanging out at the Jolly Bargemen adds to the impression that they are more concerned with their image than with actually solving the case.

Given these details, the best fit for how Dickens characterizes the police would be:

A) Uninterested and incapable