Great ExpectationsBy Charles Dickens

Miss Havisham

Satis HouseGreat Expectations

Key Facts

SETTING (TIME) • Mid-nineteenth century

SETTINGS (PLACE) • Kent and London, England

POINT OF VIEW • First person

TENSE • Past

TONE • Comic, cheerful, satirical, wry, critical, sentimental, dark, dramatic, foreboding, Gothic, sympathetic

THEMES • Ambition and the desire for self-improvement (social, economic, educational, and moral); guilt,

criminality, and innocence; maturation and the growth

FULL TITLE • Great Expectations

AUTHOR • Charles Dickens

TYPE OF WORK • Novel

GENRES • Bildungsroman, social criticism, autobiographical fiction

TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN • London, 1860-1861

NARRATOR • Pip

CLIMAX • A sequence of climactic events occurs from

Information from http://www.sparknotes.com

Great Expectations

Synopsis

SETTING (TIME) • Mid-nineteenth century

SETTINGS (PLACE) • Kent and London, England

POINT OF VIEW • First person

TENSE • Past

TONE • Comic, cheerful, satirical, wry, critical, sentimental, dark, dramatic, foreboding, Gothic, sympathetic

THEMES • Ambition and the desire for self-improvement (social, economic, educational, and moral); guilt,

criminality, and innocence; maturation and the growth

FULL TITLE • Great Expectations

AUTHOR • Charles Dickens

TYPE OF WORK • Novel

GENRES • Bildungsroman, social criticism, autobiographical fiction

TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN • London, 1860-1861

NARRATOR • Pip

CLIMAX • A sequence of climactic events occurs from

On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, 6 years old, encounters an escaped convict, who scares Pip into stealing food for him and a file to grind away his shackles, from the home he shares with his abusive older sister and her kind, passive husband Joe Gargery. The next day, soldiers recapture the convict and he is

returned to the prison ships.

Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster, who wears an old wedding dress and lives in the dilapidated Satis House, asks Pip's "Uncle" to find a boy to play with her adopted daughter Estella. Pip begins to visit Miss Havisham and Estella, with whom he falls in love, with Miss Havisham's encouragement.

Later, as a young apprentice at Joe Gargery's blacksmith shop, Pip is approached by a lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, who tells him he is to receive a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor and must leave for London immediately where he is to become a gentleman. Concluding that Miss Havisham is his

benefactress, he visits her and Estella.

Years later, Pip has reached adulthood and is now heavily in debt. His benefactor is revealed to be Abel Magwitch, the convict he helped, who was transported to New South Wales where he eventually became wealthy. There is a warrant for Magwitch's arrest in England and he will be hanged if he is caught. A plan is

therefore hatched for him to flee by boat. It is also revealed that Estella is the daughter of Magwitch.

Pip confronts Miss Havisham with Estella's history. Miss Havisham stands too close to the fire which ignites her dress. Pip is burned while saving her, but she eventually dies from her injuries, lamenting her manipulation of Estella and Pip.

A few days before the escape, Pip is attacked by Joe's journeyman, Orlick, who was responsible for the attack on Mrs. Joe. Pip is saved, and prepares for the escape. During the escape, Magwitch kills his enemy Compeyson. Magwitch is captured and sent to jail, where he dies shortly before his scheduled execution,

while being told Estella is alive. Pip is about to be arrested for unpaid debts when he falls ill. Joe nurses him back to health and pays off his debts.

Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations

Miss Havisham

Character Analysis

On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, 6 years old, encounters an escaped convict, who scares Pip into stealing food for him and a file to grind away his shackles, from the home he shares with his abusive older sister and her kind, passive husband Joe Gargery. The next day, soldiers recapture the convict and he is

returned to the prison ships.

Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster, who wears an old wedding dress and lives in the dilapidated Satis House, asks Pip's "Uncle" to find a boy to play with her adopted daughter Estella. Pip begins to visit Miss Havisham and Estella, with whom he falls in love, with Miss Havisham's encouragement.

Later, as a young apprentice at Joe Gargery's blacksmith shop, Pip is approached by a lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, who tells him he is to receive a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor and must leave for London immediately where he is to become a gentleman. Concluding that Miss Havisham is his

benefactress, he visits her and Estella.

Years later, Pip has reached adulthood and is now heavily in debt. His benefactor is revealed to be Abel Magwitch, the convict he helped, who was transported to New South Wales where he eventually became wealthy. There is a warrant for Magwitch's arrest in England and he will be hanged if he is caught. A plan is

therefore hatched for him to flee by boat. It is also revealed that Estella is the daughter of Magwitch.

Pip confronts Miss Havisham with Estella's history. Miss Havisham stands too close to the fire which ignites her dress. Pip is burned while saving her, but she eventually dies from her injuries, lamenting her manipulation of Estella and Pip.

A few days before the escape, Pip is attacked by Joe's journeyman, Orlick, who was responsible for the attack on Mrs. Joe. Pip is saved, and prepares for the escape. During the escape, Magwitch kills his enemy Compeyson. Magwitch is captured and sent to jail, where he dies shortly before his scheduled execution,

while being told Estella is alive. Pip is about to be arrested for unpaid debts when he falls ill. Joe nurses him back to health and pays off his debts.

Miss Havisham is a wealthy spinster who lives in a decaying mansion and wears her wedding dress. Her whole life is defined by a single tragic event, of being jilted by her would-be groom on what was to have been their wedding day. From that moment

forth, Miss Havisham is unable to move beyond her heartbreak and in doing so freezes her house and her clothes in time. Stopping all the clocks in Satis House at twenty minutes to nine symbolizes the moment when she had her heart broken and

first learned that she was not to be a married. She also wears only one shoe, as when she received the message that the wedding would not go ahead she was in the middle of dressing. Later within the novel Miss Havisham adopts a child, Estella,

and raises her to break the hearts of men in order to achieve her own revenge. Her single-minded vengeance is pursued destructively and as a result both Miss Havisham and the people in her life suffer greatly because of her resolve. Initially, Miss

Havisham is blind to the reality of the hurt she is causing Pip, and even to Estella. Miss Havisham is redeemed by the end of the novel when she realises that she has caused Pip’s heart to be broken in the same manner as her own, instead of seeking her revenge, she has only caused more pain. Miss Havisham begs for Pip’s forgiveness, reinforcing the theme that bad behaviour can be redeemed by penitence and empathy. At the end of the novel Miss Havisham’s dress catches on fire and she suffers severe burns, which she later dies from – Pip attempts to save her. Miss Havisham appears to be a mother-figure to Pip, but does taunt and abuse him – an imperfect fairy god-mother. Key words to describe Miss Havisham: vengeful, heartbroken,

determined, mad, bewitching, an ‘unreal’ character, psychologically damaged, cruel, misunderstood.

Quote from Miss Havisham about Estella on realisation of the pain and heart-break she has caused in seeking revenge:

“...I stole her heart away and put ice in its place.”

Miss Havisham

Satis House

Miss Havisham is a wealthy spinster who lives in a decaying mansion and wears her wedding dress. Her whole life is defined by a single tragic event, of being jilted by her would-be groom on what was to have been their wedding day. From that moment

forth, Miss Havisham is unable to move beyond her heartbreak and in doing so freezes her house and her clothes in time. Stopping all the clocks in Satis House at twenty minutes to nine symbolizes the moment when she had her heart broken and

first learned that she was not to be a married. She also wears only one shoe, as when she received the message that the wedding would not go ahead she was in the middle of dressing. Later within the novel Miss Havisham adopts a child, Estella,

and raises her to break the hearts of men in order to achieve her own revenge. Her single-minded vengeance is pursued destructively and as a result both Miss Havisham and the people in her life suffer greatly because of her resolve. Initially, Miss

Havisham is blind to the reality of the hurt she is causing Pip, and even to Estella. Miss Havisham is redeemed by the end of the novel when she realises that she has caused Pip’s heart to be broken in the same manner as her own, instead of seeking her revenge, she has only caused more pain. Miss Havisham begs for Pip’s forgiveness, reinforcing the theme that bad behaviour can be redeemed by penitence and empathy. At the end of the novel Miss Havisham’s dress catches on fire and she suffers severe burns, which she later dies from – Pip attempts to save her. Miss Havisham appears to be a mother-figure to Pip, but does taunt and abuse him – an imperfect fairy god-mother. Key words to describe Miss Havisham: vengeful, heartbroken,

determined, mad, bewitching, an ‘unreal’ character, psychologically damaged, cruel, misunderstood.

Quote from Miss Havisham about Estella on realisation of the pain and heart-break she has caused in seeking revenge:

“...I stole her heart away and put ice in its place.”

Below are key quotations that describe Satis House; in particular Miss Havisham’s bedroom and the dining room - where she was to have her wedding. breakfast.

Quotations from Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 of Great Expectations

The Entrance and Bedroom

“We went into the house by a side door - the great front entrance had two chains across it outside - and the first thing I noticed was, that the passages were all dark, and

that she had left a candle burning there … I entered, therefore, and found myself in a pretty large room, well

lighted with wax candles. No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it. It was a dressing-room, as I supposed from the furniture, though much of it was of forms and uses then quite unknown to me. But prominent in it was a draped table with a gilded looking-glass, and that I made out at first sight to be a fine lady's dressing-table. Whether I should have made out this object so soon, if there had been no fine lady sitting at it, I cannot say. In an arm-chair, with an elbow resting on the table and her head

leaning on that hand, sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see.”

Miss Havisham’s Appearance

– Although not part of the room her appearance and clothing is what is reflected within the decaying house

“... dressed in rich materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay

sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished

dressing, for she had but one shoe on - the other was on the table near her hand - her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on,

and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a prayer-book, all

confusedly heaped about the looking-glass.”

“... which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress

had withered like the dress, and like the flowers”

Miss Havisham’s Appearance and Clothing

- Comparing the room to the clothing

“It was then I began to understand that everything in the room had stopped, like the

watch and the clock, a long time ago. I noticed that Miss Havisham put down the jewel exactly on the spot from which she had taken it up. As

Estella dealt the cards, I glanced at the dressing-table again, and saw that the shoe

upon it, once white, now yellow, had never been

Dining Room - The Wedding Breakfast

(Including the wedding cake)

“I crossed the staircase landing, and entered the room she indicated. From that room, too, the daylight was completely excluded, and it had an airless smell that was oppressive. A fire had been lately kindled in the damp old-fashioned grate, and it was more disposed to go out than to burn up, and the reluctant smoke

which hung in the room seemed colder than the clearer air - like our own marsh mist. Certain wintry branches of candles on the high chimneypiece faintly lighted the chamber: or, it would be more expressive to say, faintly troubled its darkness.

It was spacious, and I dare say had once been handsome, but every discernible thing in it was covered with dust and mould, and dropping to pieces. The most

prominent object was a long table with a tablecloth spread on it, as if a feast had been in preparation when the house and the clocks all stopped together. An

epergne or centrepiece of some kind was in the middle of this cloth; it was so

Miss Havisham’s Appearance and Clothing

- Comparing the room to the clothing

“It was then I began to understand that everything in the room had stopped, like the

watch and the clock, a long time ago. I noticed that Miss Havisham put down the jewel exactly on the spot from which she had taken it up. As

Estella dealt the cards, I glanced at the dressing-table again, and saw that the shoe

upon it, once white, now yellow, had never been

Dining Room - The Wedding Breakfast

(Including the wedding cake)

“I crossed the staircase landing, and entered the room she indicated. From that room, too, the daylight was completely excluded, and it had an airless smell that was oppressive. A fire had been lately kindled in the damp old-fashioned grate, and it was more disposed to go out than to burn up, and the reluctant smoke

which hung in the room seemed colder than the clearer air - like our own marsh mist. Certain wintry branches of candles on the high chimneypiece faintly lighted the chamber: or, it would be more expressive to say, faintly troubled its darkness.

It was spacious, and I dare say had once been handsome, but every discernible thing in it was covered with dust and mould, and dropping to pieces. The most

prominent object was a long table with a tablecloth spread on it, as if a feast had been in preparation when the house and the clocks all stopped together. An

epergne or centrepiece of some kind was in the middle of this cloth; it was so

Ideas and DirectionsDining Room, Bedroom and Main Staircase

At the moment there are 3 separate environments I could design; the bedroom, dining room and the passages that connects the room with the decaying staircase. As much as I’d like to design all three I think it would be more beneficial focusing on

just one of these environments. Considering what set design would be more representative of the character, Miss Havisham, I think the dining room set up ready for the wedding breakfast is a stronger portrayal. Clearly the room will be covered in veils of cobwebs and decaying yellow, but what I am keen to highlight is the fact the clocks have stopped at that specific time, hence placing more time pieces throughout the environment. Colour and style wise is still a little hazy – I’m keen to

make this uncanny and be very atmospheric, yet I don’t want it to be a cliché, hence style and experimentation will be vital. I want to keep Miss Havisham’s character and accentuate it with my own twist. At the moment I’m considering a 2D

illustration style and mixing it with 3D elements. I’m adamant that all of the textures are to be hand painted/sketched and that there will be a huge amount of detailing within the modelling and textures. Below are a few illustrations and

photographs that I could use as inspiration.