Women and Property in Great ExpectationsWomen and property are one of the central themes of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Dickens wrote this novel in the mid-19th century, a period when women's property rights were the subject of intense debate in England. Her depiction of property-owning women in the novel reflects Victorian England's beliefs about women's inability to own and manage their own property responsibly. Miss Havisham is presented as the embodiment of women's inability to properly manage their wealth and property. Mr Havisham's transfer of most of his estate to his daughter, despite the existence of a male heir, is unconventional, as the property system operated on a patrilineal basis. Estella's economic tragedy illustrates the consequences of the transfer of property for the benefit of women who will inevitably marry. She suffers the loss of her property at the hands of an unscrupulous husband who abuses her fortune. The most recent analysis of the Great Expectations timeline shows that the main action took place between 1812 and 1829 (Carlisle 5). Dickens is clearly interested in wealthy women who own property and are susceptible to abuse. The social and historical context of the novel's writing and the period in which it takes place suggest a critique of women's property rights. Despite the existence of a male heir, Mr. Havisham rejects the patrilineal system of property distribution and wants the bulk of his estate to go to his daughter, Miss Havisham. Mr. Havisham is a wealthy brewer whose first wife died when Miss Havisham was little. Later, Mr. Havisham “privately” takes his cook as his second wife and she bears him a son (176; ch. 22). After the death of his second wife, Mr. Havi...... middle of paper ...... his family is in economic recovery and reestablishing the patrilineal system of the family. She helps Herbert financially to secure his investment in a profitable business. She also wants “four thousand fees” from Mathew Pocket (423; ch. 57). By investing in her male relatives, Miss Havisham plays a vital role in preserving the patrilineal system. The end of the novel eliminates women as an economic force and repositions them in their rightful place in Victorian society. Works Cited Carlisle, Janice. “Introduction: biographical and historical context. »Charles Dickens. Great expectations. Ed. Janice Carlisle. Boston: Bedford 1996. 3-21. Dabney, Ross. Love and Property in Dickens' Novels. Berkeley: U of California P, 1967.Walsh, Susan. “Body of capital: great expectations and the climacteric economy. » Victorian Studies 37 (1993): 73-98.