Friday, August 26, 2011

In Chapter 12, Discuss Miss Havisham's character, noting how she treats Estella and Pip.

That Charles Dickens viewed the aristocracy of his
Victorian Age with disdain for their frivolity is apparent in Chapter XII of
Great Expectations. A woman rendered effete by her tragic
mistakes, Miss Havisham yet enjoys trifling with the feelings of both Estella and
Pip. Joining in the song of the blacksmith, "Old Clem," Miss Havisham has been intrigued
by Pip's singing "you were to hammer boys round!" for this line appeals to her motives
of exploiting Pip so that Estella can practice being cruel to the male gender, in order
to later wreaking revenge upon men in retaliation for Miss Havisham's having suffered
rejection at the altar on her wedding day.


Of particular
note is how Miss Havisham embraces Estella in an almost congratulatory manner whenever
Estella is cruel to Pip.  With a "miserly relish" in this cruelty of her ward, she
whispers greedily to Estella,


readability="7">

Break their hearts, my pride and hope, break
their hearts and have no
mercy!”



And, when Pip
confesses to Miss Havisham that he is taken with Estella and finds her prettier and
prettier, Miss Havisham seems "to enjoy it greedily."  Clearly, Miss Havisham's own
selfish intentions supercede any moral instruction to Estella as well as any concern for
the sensitive Pip's feelings.

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