Miss Havisham Quotes

Charles Dickens is a brilliant novelist and gives great advice. In his book Great Expectations, he sprinkles words of wisdom in the form of a character’s quotes and thoughts. This is especially true on page 72 when Pip says, “Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day” (Dickens 72). This is a thought-provoking quote because it not only relates to the book Great Expectations but also to everyday life. Many characters in this novel encompass these wise words, especially Miss Havisham, Estella, and Pip. The day of Miss Havisham’s wedding changes her life forever, and through the bringing

When Miss Havisham is raising the exquisite Estella, she passes onto her everything she had learned and knew, which was composed solely of sorrow and melancholy. She bestows upon the young girl and teaches her to “have no softness there, no sympathy-sentiment-nonsense” (Dickens 222). Miss Havisham also uses Estella as a weapon against those who had previously wronged her- in this case, men. It is simple to see, but Pip admitting that he “loved her simply because I [he] found her irresistible” (Dickens 217), is only able to see so late in the novel saying, “I saw in this, that Estella was set to wreak Miss Havisham’s revenge on men… sending her out to attract and torment and do mischief… she was beyond the reach of all admirers” (Dickens 283). At last, Estella grows tired of being a piece in Miss Havisham’s game, and she realizes that she is not only Estella, but also Miss Havisham. She says, “I am what you have made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the failure; in short, take me” (Dickens 284). She knows that nothing will ever be reserved only for her, “The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me” (Dickens 286). During Estella’s childhood, Miss Havisham feeds her miserable ideal after miserable ideal until they become

Additionally, this same logic applies to Pip, only instead of a wedding day, it is the day he comes in contact with Estella. Time after time, Estella shuts down Pip’s kind words and feeling towards her. He openly expresses his feelings for her again and again without success. Everytime Pip tries to tell Estella about his undying love for her, she replies the same way saying, “I have no heart” (Dickens 222). While Pip is trying to cope with his unrequited feelings for Estella, he abruptly grows aware of the constant division of their social classes. Pip has never before been embarrassed or self conscious of his lifestyle, and his wanting to change from a blacksmith’s apprentice to a worldly gentleman sparks his new attitude and feelings towards himself. He becomes aware of his “coarse hands and my [his] common boots”, and his opinion of those “accessories was not favorable” (Dickens 64). Not only does Pip become frustrated with himself, but he also grows humiliated of other people like Joe. Pip establishes a new eye for Joe, and he now sees him as an Average Joe. All he can think about is how common Estella would think Joe is, and he slowly begins to distance himself from the only person who really loves him. As soon as Estella comes into Pip’s life, he changes in ways that were once thought of as unimaginable. Estella’s thoughts of Pip