Embittered Woman in Great Expectations, A Rose for Emily, and Sunset Boulevard

The Embittered Older Woman in Great Expectations, A Rose for Emily, and Sunset Boulevard

The character of the delusional, embittered older woman is prevalent in literature and movies. Since Dickens created the memorable Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, she has evolved with the times into many other well-known characters, including Miss Emily in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Norma Desmond in the film Sunset Boulevard. In each of these incarnations, the woman seeks revenge after a man's betrayal prevents her from meeting society's expectations of women, but finds no peace in her bitterness and ends up becoming a shriveled shell of the person she once was. By examining how the Miss Havisham archetype has been reinterpreted, one can see how society's expectations of women have changed and how these changes affect the character.

In Victorian times, a woman's identity and place in society were determined by who she married. The woman was the "angel in the house," bringing moral purity to the household, and often had free time to pursue lighthearted activities such as crocheting and entertaining guests. She was also responsible for raising the children and teaching them to be virtuous, as she was. Without marriage, however, a woman had few opportunities, and became a governess, an old maid, or a prostitute, none of which carried much if any social standing. Thus, a woman's greatest fear was to end up without a husband, especially as a result of some event that brought embarrassment or a stain on her character.

Miss Havisham has a Victorian woman's version of great expectations; she is about to become the epitome of the "angel in the house," a wealthy wife of high societal status, when her dreams...

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... like Estella, who are able to survive those prejudices, even a lifetime of negative experiences, and emerge with strength and hope. Though we pity Miss Havisham, Miss Emily, and Norma Desmond, they chose to lock themselves away from the world rather than trying to overcome their situations. Perhaps they could have done something more to help themselves, but it seems that they did not try. Perhaps what makes the difference between an Estella and a Miss Havisham is a rose, one person like Pip who cares enough to reach out and take her hand, and show her that there is hope.

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York, Penguin Books, 1996.

Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." The Story and Its Writer. Boston, Bedford/St. Martin's, 1996.

Great Expectations. Fox, 1998.

Sunset Boulevard. Paramount, 1949.