Final answer:
In 'Great Expectations,' the cobweb-covered bride-cake symbolizes lost love, reflecting Miss Havisham's jilted past and stagnant life. The correct answer is option D. Lost love.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the bride-cake covered in cobwebs symbolizes lost love. It indicates the decay of what once was, or could have been, a celebratory symbol of union and happiness. Instead, the abandoned, cobweb-covered cake serves as a poignant reminder of Miss Havisham's jilted past and her inability to move on from her broken engagement. The cake’s condition suggests that, like the cake, Miss Havisham's life has become stagnant and overrun by the passage of time without renewal or fulfillment.