Character Analysis: Miss Havisham

Miss Havisham is an important character in the book. Without her, Pip never would have been able to get his apprenticeship, he never would have met Estella, and he never would have wanted to become a gentleman in the first place, because he wouldn’t see anything wrong with himself. Miss Havisham feels only hate towards men, and she wanted them all to suffer the way she suffered on her wedding day; the day she has never recovered from. On her wedding day, her fiancé never showed up, leaving her with just a letter. Since the time she received the note, the clocks have been stopped; her house is dark; the wedding table is still set; and Miss Havisham stays dressed in her gown. Miss Havisham is an older woman who lives with her adopted daughter, Estella. She is raising Estella to be a heart-breaker; Pip was her first test subject. She asked Mr. Pumblechook for a favor- she wants someone for Estella to play with- and he volunteers Pip. She sees him for the first time and continuously asks him what he thinks of Estella. She really wanted him to love her. She watched them play, and was proud of Estella for treating him with such cruelty. The last visit Pip makes to her house, she is very apologetic and feels guilty for the way she treated him. She was constantly out to ruin Pip’s life, wanting to make him miserable for someone else’s mistake. Once she realizes how she mistreated him, though, it’s too late.