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Great Expectations is beautifully tragic yet healing. I feel that Dickens was quite subtle in depicting the hardships of life. Miss Havisham, though not the protagonist, took the spotlight. I would have loved a separate novel about her life story, but I think there was just enough context to keep readers searching for answers throughout the novel. Her methods were cruel and vindictive, reflecting the seething bitterness in her heart. The scene with her old wedding cake, molded and covered in spiders yet preserved, along with her wedding dress remaining intact, was a powerful testament to how deeply she missed her lover. Estella eventually had to unlearn that toxic mindset to be with Pip, the protagonist, which speaks volumes about breaking generational cycles of trauma and pain, and choosing to free oneself from an outdated way of thinking. Miss Havisham wanted to protect Estella from getting hurt in her own way, but her methods were harmful and caused more damage than good. I can relate to this in my own life with my parents—though their methods may be misunderstood, their intentions are not wrong.