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Dickens' Use of Language - Miss Havisham

            
             How does Dickens use interesting language to present Miss Havisham?.
            
             The first introduction the reader receives to Miss Havisham is through the way in which Dickens presents Satis House. The first description of the house "which was of old brick, and dismal" instantly creates an unwelcoming atmosphere and instantly changes the tone in the novel. The use of dismal as an introduction foreshadows the dismal state of Miss Havisham and creates a sense of sadness like the pity which later the reader will feel for Miss Havisham. Furthermore, because the "windows had been walled up" on Satis house the reader begins to acknowledge the neglect and abandonment of the house. From this in conjunction to the "dismal" tone of the house and the "rustily barred" downstairs windows the reader imagines a jail that relates to the sense of imprisonment felt by Miss Havisham. .
             Miss Havisham is imprisoned not only in the house, but also in the past. This is corroborated by how everything in the house is stuck in the past. All the clocks "which had stopped at twenty to nine" further accentuate the idea of stopped time, as if everything has frozen and Miss Havisham has continued on living but is not living in the present which creates an unnerving atmosphere within the house and creates an element of mystery and suspense. The stopped time however has left Miss Havisham in a state of neglect as her dress has "faded" to "yellow white" with age. However, it is not only Miss Havisham, whom seems neglected, but also Satis House and its grounds. There is "no life" in the brewery or the gardens which suggests to the reader that Miss Havisham has control and influence over everything around her including Estella and her attitude towards Pip. Miss Havisham seems to be in control of everyone around her by the way she influences Estella and leads both Pip and the reader to believe that she is Pip's benefactor.


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