Great Expectations Miss Havisham Character Analysis

The execution of revenge had always had an impact on our actions and behavior. In some cases, it could be a positive influence, but in others, it could be negative. This concept applies to specific characters in Great Expectations. In the novel, Charles Dickens sends a compelling message that seeking revenge is a worthless pursuit and that the outcome is never positive nor beneficial. Not only does it harm the people who are innocent, it harms the people who seek for revenge themselves. Throughout the story, the character who attempts to wreak revenge the most deeply is Miss Havisham. Her life revolves around one event, the jilting of her at the altar on her wedding day. This event causes her to be desperate for revenge which changes her …show more content…
She gains gratification and joy from the pain and agony of men; she has no problem hurting anyone’s hearts to execute her cruel revenge. Miss Havisham objectifies Estella into an attractive individual which leads to Estella being pursued by Pip. However, she trains Estella not to love anyone, eventually causing men to face adversity. “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.” (323) Miss Havisham has been a self-centered person and her selfish personality has dilapidated Estella and indirectly disheartens Pip. The method Miss Havisham used to raise Estella was unfortunately influenced by her desire for revenge. She raises Estella to be a cold-hearted and unfriendly human being which in turn brings down his hope and causes him to suffer mentally and emotionally. Miss Havisham’s childish hunger for retribution resulted in nothing but misery for herself and surrounding characters, such as Pip and Estella, who were completely …show more content…
Revenge affects the miscreant’s mindset and behavior and causes both the culprit and the victim to suffer. It is shown by Dickens in many occasions in Great Expectations. Miss Havisham’s thirst for vengeance causes lack of happiness for Pip and Estella’s freedom got taken away to an extent. Orlick and Magwitch both attempt to murder their targets, but are unsuccessful. These events prove that revenge is not beneficial and only causes more hardship and suffering. This notion also applies in reality. In the current world that we are living in, there are still people that don’t think things through and neglectfully jump to the conclusion that executing revenge is the only way to fix their problem, unaware that it could potentially make the situation worse. Instead, we should treat every complication maturely and try to solve it so that it’s a win-win situation and both sides learn from their mistakes that they have possibly