The Crippling Effects Of Obsession In Charles Dickens Great Expectations

The Crippling Effects of Obsession In the U.S. alone, around 3.3 million people suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (UOCD: Facts & Statistics on OCD). Millions of people’s lives are affected daily by just one disease involving obsession. Obsession can worm its way into one’s mind and consume it from within, destroying their relationships, morales, and life. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations has a multitude of characters who are at various points of the spectrum. Miss Havisham is a wealthy woman who was jilted and could never let it go. Orlick is a man who believes he has done no wrong, and goes to extremes to seek vengeance for those who destroyed his reputation. Biddy and Joe are on the other end of the spectrum, lacking obsession, living happily, yet poor. Herbert fits somewhere in between, having the drive for success to become wealthy, but without the destructive obsession. Dickens’ characters reveal how an excessive obsession can cripple one and harm innocent bystanders, and how just the right amount of obsession turns an individual into a driven and motivated success. Miss Havisham is the most obvious character poorly affected by obsession. Her heartbreak results in devastating effects to herself, Estella, and Pip. She is so overwhelmed from being jilted that she becomes obsessed with breaking hearts to try and achieve her revenge. She first reveals this …show more content…
The novel’s characters have various amounts of obsessive properties, and they showcase how the most successful are those with some obsession, but not in excess. This is true for the real world as well. Those who dwell upon the past and cannot move beyond an experience get stuck and sink to horrible deeds. Those without motivation rot on the streets in masses. The best place to be is somewhere in between, providing the best chances for a successful and happy