In Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations (1861), the protagonist, an orphan named Pip, begins spending considerable amounts of time with the wealthy, though unstable, Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter that he is in love with: fellow orphan Estella.
Pip becomes disappointed with Miss Havisham for a number of reasons. He is dismayed at the fact that Miss Havisham essentially allowed him to believe that she was his benefactor to whom he should be grateful, despite this not being the case. Perhaps more notably, in the years after adopting Estella as an infant, Miss Havisham had made it her mission to raise her daughter to be a cold heartbreaker in order to enact her revenge towards men after being left at the altar.
However, after seeing how Estella has truly broken Pip's heart in such a way that Miss Havisham can relate to, she begins to feel and express terrible remorse for her actions. Pip is disappointed by Miss Havisham because he feels that she has been manipulative, selfish, and uncaring in her treatment of both him and Estella.
Pip still manages to find some sympathy for Miss Havisham. He even tries to save her life, injuring himself in the process, shortly after their final confrontation. Though Miss Havisham ends up dying from her injuries, her treatment and betrayal of Pip allows him an opportunity to reflect upon the nature of wealth, property, status, and expectations.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
How is Pip disappointed with Miss Havisham in Great Expectations?
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