Character Research - Miss Havisham

The Book:

From the book, we are able to get an idea of Miss Havisham's pain, cruelty and guilt. Miss Havisham is mad and spiteful lady who is decaying in her lavish mansion which is decaying with her. She remains in her bridal wear since the day her heart was broken as her husband-to-be deceived her for her wealth. From that moment forth, Miss Havisham seeks revenge on all of the male sex. In a very twisted mind set, she adopts a young girl, Estella, who she raises to break hearts in her manic and obsessive revenge. She encourages Pip to fall in love with Estella in her evil plot, "Love her, lover her, lover her!” She is completely blind to how destructive this plot is and is unaware of how it may effect Estella. After creating so much heartbreak between Estella and Pip, Miss Havisham eventually redeems herself by begging for Pip's forgiveness as she is finally understanding the pain she has inflicted on others.  


BBC TV series:

First impressions:
Miss Havisham's house is does not show resemblance of a home. It is ghostly, cold, deathly and fragile looking. She is completely white and looks like a ghost or angel. She remains in her bridal clothing, "ghost of a bride". Miss Havisham appears to be pale, decayed and cold, "everything turns to dust". She is nervous and mentally unstable. She has lost her sanity and has driven herself into a state of mental unstability. She only wears one shoe and looks unwashed. 
The dead butterflies are symbolically fragile. The fragility is also demonstrated through use of cobwebs. The house is dark and only lit by candlelight. The way she speaks to the children is patronising as she asks the children to play.  The people in her house, "the crows", all adore her yet she is rude to them.  Despite her weakened state, she is an independent woman. She makes her own decisions and has no man to dictate her, which is very strange for this era. But she isolates herself in her house where she slowly decays along with the rest of the house's furnishing and wedding cake.

From theses sources, I have built up an image of Miss Havisham in my head. 
I see here as:
- Fragile
- Depressed
- Decayed
- Mad
- Thin
- Large bushy, unbrushed hair
- Unwashed
- Dry skin