Satis House
Encyclopedia
Satis House is a fictional estate in the Charles Dickens
novel Great Expectations
.
Satis House is the home of Miss Havisham
, a rich woman, heiress to her father's fortune, who was abandoned by her intended husband on her wedding day. In rage and disappointment, she "lays waste" to the buildings and grounds, even stopping the clocks at the exact time she learned of her lover's betrayal.
The name Satis House comes from the Latin
for enough, and is the name of a real mansion in Rochester, Kent
, near where Dickens lived. It gained its name from a comment by Queen Elizabeth I who stayed there as a guest of the owner, Richard Watts
. As she left, Watts asked his queen if she had been comfortable during her stay. Offhandedly, she replied: "Satis". The building itself is based on the nearby Restoration House
.
The character Estella
, Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, describes the name to Pip, the protagonist, this way:
Satis House reflects the corruption, decay, and fate of its owner. In the novel, the building is destroyed after its owner's death, but its fate varies in the better known dramatic adaptations. In the most famous film production of Great Expectations
, the 1946 version, the building remains in its corrupted state to serve as a setting for the final scene. In the mini-series version of 1989, the estate survives until the last scene but is due to be torn down.
It is described by Pip (the main character) in chapter 8. He notes the iron bars in the windows of the house; also including some detail on the boarded-up window. There is also a large brewery on the side of the house connected to the house by lanes and an open wooden gate.
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novel Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
.
Satis House is the home of Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham is a significant character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations . She is a wealthy spinster, who lives in her ruined mansion with her adopted daughter, Estella, whom she has sent to France, while she herself is described as looking like "the witch of the place."Although she...
, a rich woman, heiress to her father's fortune, who was abandoned by her intended husband on her wedding day. In rage and disappointment, she "lays waste" to the buildings and grounds, even stopping the clocks at the exact time she learned of her lover's betrayal.
The name Satis House comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for enough, and is the name of a real mansion in Rochester, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, near where Dickens lived. It gained its name from a comment by Queen Elizabeth I who stayed there as a guest of the owner, Richard Watts
Richard Watts
Sir Richard Watts was a successful businessman and MP for Rochester, Kent in the 1570s. He supplied rations for the English Navy as deputy victualler and supervised the construction of Upnor Castle...
. As she left, Watts asked his queen if she had been comfortable during her stay. Offhandedly, she replied: "Satis". The building itself is based on the nearby Restoration House
Restoration house
Restoration House in Rochester, Kent, England, is a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion. It is so named because King Charles II stayed there in 1660 on his way to reclaim England's throne, an event known as the Restoration....
.
The character Estella
Estella Havisham
Estella Havisham is a significant character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations....
, Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, describes the name to Pip, the protagonist, this way:
- Pip: 'Is Manor House the name of this house, miss?'
- Est.: 'One of its names, boy.'
- Pip.: 'It has more than one, then, miss?'
- Est.: 'One more. Its other name was Satis; which is Greek, or Latin, or Hebrew, or all three—or all one to me—for enough.'
- Pip: 'Enough House,' said I; 'that's a curious name, miss.'
- Est.: 'Yes,' she replied; 'but it meant more than it said. It meant, when it was given, that whoever had this house, could want nothing else. They must have been easily satisfied in those days, I should think. [...]'
Satis House reflects the corruption, decay, and fate of its owner. In the novel, the building is destroyed after its owner's death, but its fate varies in the better known dramatic adaptations. In the most famous film production of Great Expectations
Great Expectations (1946 film)
Great Expectations is a 1946 British film which won two Academy Awards and was nominated for three others...
, the 1946 version, the building remains in its corrupted state to serve as a setting for the final scene. In the mini-series version of 1989, the estate survives until the last scene but is due to be torn down.
It is described by Pip (the main character) in chapter 8. He notes the iron bars in the windows of the house; also including some detail on the boarded-up window. There is also a large brewery on the side of the house connected to the house by lanes and an open wooden gate.