Miss Havisham

Miss Havisham is one of the main characters in Great Expectations. She is a wealthy and eccentric older woman, who lives with her adopted daughter, Estella, in the ruins of her mansion, Satis House.

As a young woman, Miss Havisham was jilted by the love of her life, Compeyson. He was only interested in marrying her for her money and abandons her, via letter, on their wedding day. Overcome with the abandonment of her fiancé, Miss Havisham never leaves her mansion and lets very few people see her. She remains in her wedding dress, with just one shoe on and her wedding feast uneaten and let to decay.

After time alone, Miss Havisham adopts a little girl to love and be loved by. This child is called Estella. When Miss Havisham adopts Estella, she develops the intensions to protect her from experiencing the same heartache as she had to endure. However, as Estella grew incredibly beautiful, Miss Havisham realised she could seek her revenge on men by having Estella break the hearts of boys.

When Miss Havisham meets Pip, she intends to break his heart by having him fall in love with Estella of whom she’s raised to be cold and heartless. In keeping with her spiteful plans, she does not deny that she is Pip’s benefactor. Pip is therefore under the impression that Miss Havisham is funding his newfound life to make him an ideal match for Estella.

When Estella grows up to marry Bentley Drummle, Pip is left heartbroken and Miss Havisham realises she isn’t merely as satisfied as she’s imagined she would be. She feels bad for hurting Pip and begs him for his forgiveness.

Miss Havisham soon reaches her untimely passing when a lit candle falls onto her dress and sets her dusty, yellowed wedding gown alight and burning her to death.  

Miss Havisham with Estella and Pip. Art by H. M. Brock.