Miss Havisham Quotes

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Recommended: Characterisation in Great Expectations

Power and money, when used well, can be good tools. Unfortunately, power and money often lead to greed and sorrow. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a novel about a young boy named Matt who is a clone of the powerful ruler of Opium named El Patrón. Matt is often around the greedy El Patrón and starts to crave money and power for himself. He soon realizes that power and money will not bring him happiness. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens tells the story of a boy named Pip, who lives a common life, but when he encounters the higher class, he wants to be a gentleman. Pip chases after the dream of being rich and prosperous all the while becoming sadder and more desperate. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer and Great Expectations …show more content…

One character who is lugubrious even with money is Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is a wealthy elite, but is constantly upset. Her fiance left her at the altar, and without this love in her life, she became depressed and vengeful. "Saving for the one weird smile at first, I should have felt almost sure that Miss Havisham's face could not smile. It had dropped into a watchful and brooding expression - most likely when all the things about her had become transfixed - and it looked as if nothing could ever lift it up again." (Dickens 47). This displays how Havisham does not appear that she could even smile if she tried to, proving her sorrow. This is significant because it shows despite being a wealthy elite, Havisham is still depressed. This proves that material things, such as money do not bring happiness. A second example of this theme could be shown by Joe. Joe, being a poor blacksmith does not care about money, and appears happy without it. When Joe is offered money as compensation for Pip going away, Joe is abhorred. “‘But if you think as Money can make compensation to me for the loss of the little child-what come to the forge- and ever the best of friends! (Dickens 110)”. Joe knows that no money can make up for the loss of Pip’s friendship and the happiness it brings him. This is key because this shows Joe understanding that this money will not bring him happiness. That the money is not a replacement for Pip, because Pip made him happy but money will not. This shows another character from Great Expectations showing the theme that material things do not bring happiness. Finally, Mr. Jaggers showed the theme. Mr. Jaggers is very cold, and mean lawyer. He takes personal items from other people, almost so he has power over them. Many of these objects are metal, and cold like Jaggers. “Mr. Jaggers suddenly became most irate. ‘Now I warned you before,’ said he, throwing his forefinger at the terrified

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