Miss Havisham In Charles Dickens Great Expectations

Another significant disorder that can be found in Miss Havisham is Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder. Miss Havisham showed us that she was OCD when we were able to see the was all of her items were meticulously set up. “One of the most common obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder includes the need to have things in a specific order and experiencing intense distress when confronted with the disorder” (Johnson 22). Pip was able to see this in his first encounter of her home as “He noticed that Miss Havisham put down the jewel exactly on the spot from which she had taken it up” (Dickens 46). Within this situation, people who have the obsession of putting items in the same exact spot that they were in. Since Miss Havisham has the tendency to

People who are depressed will have a sense of irritability as well as wanting to commit suicide more frequently than most people. “One of the main topics symptoms found if you are depressed is irritability and the thought of death” (National Institute of Mental Health 1). When at Miss Havisham's house one day, Pip explained to us that, “He looked into the room where he had left and saw her seated in the ragged chair upon the hearth close to the fire, with her back towards me. In the moment when I was withdrawing my head to go quietly away, I saw a great flaming light spring up. In that same moment, I saw her running at me”(Dickens 314). Most people who are depressed have suicidal thoughts or even attempts. Miss Havisham would fit this category as she is trying to kill herself by setting herself on fire. Another way that a person can tell if they are depressed is if there is no ability to concentrate. “ A diagnosis of major depression include four symptoms of the following: indecisiveness or the inability to concentrate, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and thoughts of death and suicide” (Depression 1). Within the week after Miss Havisham was burned, Pip explained to us that,”Towards midnight, she began to wander in her speech, and after that it gradually set in that she said innumerable times in a low solemn voice,”what have I done?””(Dickens 315). Most

Dickens was known for his meticulous habits when working because,” He demanded total silence in his house during his work hours, and required that his pens, ink and small bundle of statuettes be specially arranged on his desk to help him think” (Andrews 1). Based on how he loves his desk setup, it can be stated that he has OCD for the very fact that,” Compulsive Disorders can include doing things in a specific order every time, or a certain number of times” (What is OCD 1). Since Dickens has an issue with having his desk setup one specific way, with the addition that it affects the way he works, make it clearly show that he has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. This man also suffered from a lot of trauma that occurred throughout his childhood as,”John Dickens was arrested for debt in 1824. At the age of twelve, Charles Dickens had to give up the opportunity to go to school and work in a shoe factory” (Charles Dickens 1). Typically when traumatic occurs,”Problems such as: feeling alone, feeling angry, or the feeling to create angry outbursts will arise” (Post-Traumatic 1). With there being a substantial amount of trauma occurring throughout his childhood, this would affect the way that he would function as an adult. If he did not have all of these crazy issues arise throughout such an important time, then there