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Bewildering Stories

Miss Havisham

by Richard Ong

Miss Havisham is the name of a prominent character in Charles Dickens’ famous novel Great Expectations. She had a sad background that was only barely mentioned in the novel in the form of a narration by Herbert Pocket to Pip. Miss Havisham was a wealthy young woman who gave her heart to a swindler that took a great deal of money from her and left her on their wedding day with nothing more than a piece of a letter explaining his departure.

Miss Havisham grew old as the bitter and tragic spinster that we’ve come to know in the novel. In my painting, I wanted to capture the image of a lonely young bride standing at the foot of the grand staircase of Satis House, her family mansion, while holding the letter that broke her heart.

Copyright © 2025 by Richard Ong

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