Introducing Miss Havisham: A Comparative Analysis of Different Adaptations of Great Expectations.

This paper compares the different introductions of Miss Havisham’s character across prominent adaptations of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, including films by David Lean (1946), Alfonso Cuarón (1998), and Mike Newell (2012), as well as multiple recent television miniseries. While the adaptations differ, sometimes greatly, an integral moment in each story is the protagonist Pip’s introduction to Miss Havisham and, by extension, to her ward Estella. This scene, depicting Pip’s entrance into a new setting, often showcases each adaptation’s main themes and concepts. By focusing on this introductory scene, we compare framing, lighting, costuming, dialogue, and blocking to explore how various filmmakers have reinterpreted Miss Havisham’s character and what those choices reveal about shifting perspectives. By analyzing these various film and television adaptations from different eras and directors, this study examines how each portrayal reflects the cinematic trends and socio-cultural concerns of its time.