Why Is Miss Havisham Truly Satisfied With His Life

Societal stereotypes trick us into believing that people with abundant wealth are automatically more satisfied and content with their lives than people who are not as wealthy. This is not true because there are multiple factors besides wealth and status, such as friendships and family members that are crucial factors in determining how satisfied and content a person can be with their life. The novel Great Expectations demonstrates two situations, which are opposites of each other. Wemmick is low-class with a measly amount of wealth, but he is satisfied and pleased with his life. Miss Havisham is high-class and extremely wealthy but she is very discontent with her life. Wemmick is truly satisfied and pleased with his life because he has caring and compassionate relationships that Miss Havisham lacks,
Wemmick possesses little monetary wealth and is of low class, whereas upper class Miss Havisham has an abundance of wealth. Miss Havisham’s and Wemmick’s house accurately represent their money and status. When Pip first comes to Wemmick's house called the Walworth Castle he says, “Wemmick’s house was a little wooden cottage in the midst of plots...I think it was the smallest house I ever saw with the queerest gothic window, and a gothic door, almost too small to get in” (189). Pip expresses a dislike to the fact that Wemmick doesn’t reside in the heart of London, but rather off the grid and in the middle of nowhere. Pip points out that Wemmick’s residence is tiny and unusual. He says that the entrance was not grand and may not even be able to serve it purpose of letting people in. Wemmick’s house is not an elaborate mansion, and the value of his property is not very high. Even though Wemmick’s house means a lot to him, the physical house is not very impressive and lavish. We clearly see that Wemmick doesn’t have a large, high class home, but instead a house that is insufficient.