The world famous philosopher Buddha once said, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” In this quote, he wisely teaches us that the present moment is a gift. The past is something that cannot be changed, and the future cannot be determined; the only time that can be controlled is the present. However, only few actually follow this mantra. In Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Pip and Miss Havisham are two perfect examples of people who completely ignore this mantra. Pip focuses his entire life on the future, while Miss Havisham constantly dwells on one moment in her past. Because Pip and Miss Havisham place emphasis on the past and future instead of focusing on their present relationships,
…show more content…
After Miss Havisham is left at the altar by Compeyson, she presumes to “[stop her clocks] at twenty minutes to nine” the exact time when she is getting married (68; ch.8). Even though she can choose to move on from that moment in her life when her fiancée leaves her, she does not. She is driven crazy by this one one man, and obsesses with seeking revenge for what he does to her–switching her out for her wealthy possessions. Her lack of letting go of past moments gets in the way of her happiness, because she does not feel any emotion but pain, and the desire for vengeance. Miss Havisham is ready to live happily ever after with the man she loves. “The marriage day [is] fixed… He [writes] a letter” (198; ch.22). When Compeyson leaves her at the altar, Miss Havisham, metaphorically, dies. She feels betrayal and loneliness, and wants all men to feel the same way she does. By wearing the wedding dress that “[has] lost its lustre, and [is] faded and yellow”, she symbolizes the walking dead (67; ch.8). The walking dead are people who wear the same clothes, and live life with no true meaning, like Miss Havisham. Her life goal is to ruin men, and because she is old and does not possess the capability she needs to do so, she adopts Estella and molds her into a woman who must do the job for her. She raises Estella with only one goal in mind: wreak havoc on men, and do not pity them. Miss Havisham is living vicariously through Estella, by making her take revenge in a war that has nothing to do with her. Instead of leaving her alone and appreciating the joy that can be found in Estella, she fixates herself on Compeyson, and her wedding day. In doing this, she not only harms herself, but also Estella, and the men that Estella encounters. She does not let Estella be her true self. Instead, she designs her into a mini version of the person that Miss Havisham is–a
After Miss Havisham is left at the altar by Compeyson, she presumes to “[stop her clocks] at twenty minutes to nine” the exact time when she is getting married (68; ch.8). Even though she can choose to move on from that moment in her life when her fiancée leaves her, she does not. She is driven crazy by this one one man, and obsesses with seeking revenge for what he does to her–switching her out for her wealthy possessions. Her lack of letting go of past moments gets in the way of her happiness, because she does not feel any emotion but pain, and the desire for vengeance. Miss Havisham is ready to live happily ever after with the man she loves. “The marriage day [is] fixed… He [writes] a letter” (198; ch.22). When Compeyson leaves her at the altar, Miss Havisham, metaphorically, dies. She feels betrayal and loneliness, and wants all men to feel the same way she does. By wearing the wedding dress that “[has] lost its lustre, and [is] faded and yellow”, she symbolizes the walking dead (67; ch.8). The walking dead are people who wear the same clothes, and live life with no true meaning, like Miss Havisham. Her life goal is to ruin men, and because she is old and does not possess the capability she needs to do so, she adopts Estella and molds her into a woman who must do the job for her. She raises Estella with only one goal in mind: wreak havoc on men, and do not pity them. Miss Havisham is living vicariously through Estella, by making her take revenge in a war that has nothing to do with her. Instead of leaving her alone and appreciating the joy that can be found in Estella, she fixates herself on Compeyson, and her wedding day. In doing this, she not only harms herself, but also Estella, and the men that Estella encounters. She does not let Estella be her true self. Instead, she designs her into a mini version of the person that Miss Havisham is–a