The personal interactions in these chapters between Pip, Miss Havisham, and Estella define the characters’ personalities and motivations, and foreshadow a lot of the action in the novel. Miss Havisham is a hard-hearted woman who proudly wears her emotional wounds like a badge of honor. Time has no meaning for her as she has stopped all the clocks in her house at the exact time that her wedding was canceled. She does not want to know what day of the week it is and she has not seen the sun in many years. Her objective throughout the novel is to exact revenge on all men, and the first time Pip notes this is when Miss Havisham tells Estella to break his heart. He is surprised and thinks he has misunderstood her; however, as the novel progresses, he becomes very aware of what her agenda is. He does not or cannot stop trying for Estella’s attention, though. In spite of the many times he will be hurt by them both, Pip is drawn to Miss Havisham’s, and it is already evident, such as when he tells Miss Havisham that he wants to go home right now but does want to come back. He is hooked, admiring the unpossessable princess while she spurns him.
