Miss Havisham was the original victim. Like many abusers, she based her abuse onto those in her control.
Miss Havisham was jilted on her wedding day. This had a profound effect on her. The conman, Compeyson, led her on and made her think he was going to marry her when he really only wanted her money. What made his betrayal worse was that his partner was her brother.
Miss Havisham took in Estella, and immediately began molding her as a weapon to be used against men. She taught her to be cold and unfeeling, and victimize others. However, Estella never had a say in the matter and she was a victim of Miss Havisham’s grief. Estella knows this.
“You should know,” said Estella. “I am what you have made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the failure; in short, take me.” (chapter 38, enotes etext p. 206).
Pip is also a victim of Miss Havisham. She arranges to take him in as a toy to teach Estella how to treat men. She lets him assume that she is his benefactor and he is being molded to marry Estella. Instead, she is molding him to have a broken heart.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.