Analysis: Suffering In Great Expectations

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Great Expectations-Suffering Suffering has shaped the lives of several of the influential characters in “Great Expectations.” Although each of these characters had to overcome different types of adversities, what they had in common was how each one’s misfortunes had taught them life lessons that adapted their dispositions. While walking in the gardens, Estella tells Pip that, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching,” (page 380) it becomes clear that through their sufferings they had learned many lessons. These influential characters include Pip, Miss. Havisham, and Estella. Pip struggles not only physically as a child, but spends most of the time feeling unworthy and dreaming of a better life as a gentleman instead of the one…show more content…
Havisham, her remorse was not grasped until almost the end of her life. She was a victim of her brother and her fiancé’s conspiracy to steal from her and was left on her wedding day. She became an old recluse with a broken heart. Miss. Havisham soon became insane, always dressed in her wedding gown and stopped the clocks the moment she found out her wedding was off. The depth of her madness was indicated by an untouched table that once hosted her bridal feast. Miss. Havisham wasted her life being miserable. She raises Estella to be cold and express her revenge towards men by teaching her to be incapable of being in a loving relationship with them. Miss. Havisham’s revenge back-fired on her as Estella’s frozen heart made her incapable of loving Miss. Havisham. She realizes that she had done wrong and that there can be no revenge against love. Once she realized she had lost Estella, she regrets her actions. Miss. Havisham whispered to herself over and over again, “What have I done! When she first came I meant to save her from misery like mine.” (Page 316) But it was too late to help Estella. Miss. Havisham shows her remorse by asking Pip for his forgiveness and giving money to his friend Herbert Pocket for his
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