The Symbolic Wedding Cake In Great Expectations

In Chapter XI of Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations', the reader is introduced to Miss Havisham's decaying wedding cake. The cake, ravaged by mice and spiders, is a symbol of the end of Miss Havisham's romantic dream of marriage, representing decay, death, and the past. The cake, along with other details in the room, such as the stopped clock and curtained windows, reflect Miss Havisham's attempt to freeze time, reflecting her refusal to move on from the day her wedding feast was called off.

Decay and death

In Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations", the wedding cake in Miss Havisham's room symbolises decay and death. The cake, a remnant of a wedding feast, has been ravaged by mice and spiders and is covered in mould and cobwebs. It is a stark representation of the end of Miss Havisham's romantic dream of marriage and her once "happy" life.

The cake, along with the stopped clocks, curtained windows, and dust-covered objects, symbolises the arrest of time—a life that has lost its meaning and is slowly decaying. The room, frozen in time, is a reflection of Miss Havisham herself, stuck in the moment her heart broke. The attempt to halt time has had destructive effects, evident in the decay and ruin that has befallen both the room and its owner.

The cake, once a symbol of celebration and joy, has become a morbid monument to a life that ended, mirroring the rotting soul of its would-be bride. The scene is a powerful image of decay and death, with the black fungus-like cobwebs and spiders with blotchy bodies running across the table, as if something of great importance had transpired in their community.

The wedding cake, in its state of ruin, symbolises not just the end of Miss Havisham's dreams but also the decay and death of her soul. It is a stark reminder of the passage of time, which she has tried to resist, and the inevitable deterioration that comes with it. The cake, in its insect-infested state, becomes a dark reflection of Miss Havisham's broken spirit and her inability to move forward.

The scene of the decaying cake is a powerful image that looms large in the imagination, revealing Dickens' ability to evoke strong emotions and leave an unforgettable impression on the reader.

End of Miss Havisham's romantic dream

In Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations", Miss Havisham is a wealthy woman who was left at the altar by her fiancé, who sent her a letter informing her that he would not be going through with the wedding. In response, Miss Havisham decides to stop time, or "quit moving through time", as described by one source. She stops all the clocks in her house, leaves out the food that had been prepared for the wedding feast, and never removes her wedding dress or dons the other shoe.

Miss Havisham's romantic dream ends with the receipt of this letter, and the rest of her life is spent in her cavernous mansion, her back crooked from wearing a single high heel for decades, the lavish dining room stinking of the rotten wedding cake buried under a thick coat of dust. The cake, a symbol of her "happy" life, now represents decay and death.

Miss Havisham's wedding cake was likely inspired by the royal cake of Queen Victoria, who married in 1840. Miss Havisham, being upper class, would have aspired to a similar wedding cake to showcase her status. However, by the time the protagonist, Pip, lays eyes on the cake, it has been sitting there for many years, infested with insects and decaying. This decaying mass mirrors the rotting soul of Miss Havisham, who is described as a harbinger of revenge, raising her adopted daughter, Estella, to break men's hearts as revenge for her own broken engagement.

Miss Havisham's romantic dream ends abruptly and is replaced by a desire for revenge, which shapes the rest of her life and the lives of those around her.

Social status

In Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations", the wedding cake of Miss Havisham symbolises social status, decay and death. The cake, also known as a "bride-cake", was a remnant of a lavish wedding feast that never took place due to Miss Havisham being jilted by her fiancé. The cake, which was once an opulent display, has since been ravaged by time, insects and mould, mirroring the decay and bitterness of its would-be bride.

The wedding cake, a traditional element of upper-class weddings, serves as a symbol of social status. In the Victorian era, the white icing of the cake symbolised purity and social standing. The more elaborate and grand the cake, the higher the social status of the bride and groom.

Miss Havisham, belonging to the upper class, would have aspired to have a wedding cake befitting her social position. In this context, the cake represents her desire to showcase her wealth and status through an extravagant display. The cake's deterioration over time reflects the decay of Miss Havisham's social standing and the end of her romantic dream of marriage.

Furthermore, the cake's original grandeur and subsequent decay can be seen as a commentary on the transience of social status and the fragility of the upper class. The cake, once a symbol of opulence, is reduced to a rotting, insect-infested mass, much like Miss Havisham herself, who is described as having a "decaying body" and a "rotting soul".

The wedding cake, in its decay, also symbolises the end of Miss Havisham's "happy" life. It represents the death of her romantic dreams and the bitterness that has consumed her. The cake, like Miss Havisham, is frozen in time, a reminder of a joyous life that has ended.

Overall, the wedding cake in "Great Expectations" serves as a powerful symbol of social status, decay, and death. It reflects the aspirations and eventual downfall of Miss Havisham, providing a memorable and evocative image that captures the themes of social class, disappointment, and the passage of time.

Purity

In Victorian times, the white icing of the wedding cake symbolised many things, including social status and purity. In Great Expectations, Miss Havisham's wedding cake is a "bride-cake", ravaged by mice and spiders, that represents the end of her romantic dream of marriage. The cake, along with the stopped clock and the curtained windows, symbolises the end of Miss Havisham's joyous life and her attempt to arrest the passage of time.

The cake is described as a "torrid, insect-infested, decaying mass that mirrors the rotting soul of its would-be bride". The room in which the cake is kept is described as airless and oppressive, with a fire that is more disposed to go out than to burn. The candles on the chimney-piece faintly light the chamber, and every object is covered with dust and mould. The table on which the cake sits is laid with a tablecloth, as if a feast had been in preparation when time stopped.

The cake, in its decay, symbolises purity lost. It is a stark contrast to the traditional Victorian wedding cake, which was an expensive and intricate creation. The bride cake was a single layer fruitcake covered in almond paste and hard white icing. The icing was made with double-refined sugar, musk, ambergrease and orange-flower water. It was beaten for two hours and then constantly watched to ensure it didn't colour.

In the novel, the cake has been sitting untouched for many years. It is a symbol of what might have been for Miss Havisham, a reminder of her broken dreams and unfulfilled desires. The decay of the cake reflects the decay of Miss Havisham's soul, and the room in which it is kept is a reflection of her character. The cake is a powerful symbol of purity, but also of its loss, and the destruction that comes with the passage of time.

Miss Havisham's character

In Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations," the wedding cake in Miss Havisham's room symbolises decay, death, and the end of her happy life. The cake, which has been ravaged by insects and mould, mirrors the rotting soul of its would-be bride, Miss Havisham, whose joyous life ended when her wedding feast was called to a halt.

Miss Havisham is a wealthy, upper-class woman, who wears a decaying wedding dress and lives in a Gothic setting, Satis House, filled with stopped clocks and curtained windows. The cake room, from which daylight is excluded, is described as airless and oppressive, with a fire that is more disposed to go out than to burn. The candles that faintly light the room are described as "wintry," and the smoke that hangs in the room is said to be colder than the clearer air. The most prominent object in the room is a long table with a tablecloth spread on it, as if a feast had been in preparation when time stopped. In the centre of the table sits Miss Havisham's wedding cake, now covered in cobwebs, with spiders running across it.

The cake room, with its decaying cake, reflects Miss Havisham's character. The room is frozen at the moment when Miss Havisham's heart broke, and her attempt to halt time has had destructive effects. The cake and the decaying feast upon the table symbolise the end of Miss Havisham's romantic dream of marriage, as well as her attempt to arrest the passage of time, which no longer has meaning for her. She tells Pip that when she dies, she wants her body to rest on the table, as her dead soul has been there for years.

Miss Havisham's wedding cake and the decaying feast are powerful symbols of the end of her happy life and her failed romantic dream of marriage. The cake room, with its oppressive atmosphere and decaying cake, reflects Miss Havisham's character and her attempt to freeze time, which has ultimately had destructive consequences.

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