Estella introduction

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Estella is Miss Havishams adopted daughter, raised by her from the age of three with the intention of making men fall in love with her and in return that she would break their hearts. This is why Miss Havisham had Pip sent over to play with Estella at the beginning, so that he would fall in love with her despite her being so spiteful and cruel to him. Estella was brought up to be unable to express normal and natural emotions and to be able to interact normally with people and in society, she comes across as cold and emotionless. Estella's upbringing with Miss Havisham meant she was very wealthy which is why she is always dressed so beautifully throughout all ages in all adaptations of the novel, however at the end we find out she is Magwitch's daughter we discover that at the very beginning of her life before Miss Havisham took her on she was born of even lower class than Pip which is ironic as at the beginning as a young girl she judged Pip for being poor. 
On Pips first visit to Satis House Miss Havisham asked him for his opinion of Estella, he answered with: ‘I think she is very proud, very pretty, very insulting.’

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As Estella grew up and moved away from Satis House she became more beautiful and even more stylish, I love the BBC's Great Expectations portrayal of Estella above, she is my favourite version so far. I think the clothes and hair are beautiful and down to the mannerisms and facial expressions you can feel the coldness of her heart and see the deep sadness within her. 
Miss Havisham described her at this point in her life as 'Prettier than ever; admired by all who see her'.

Estella was damaged by the rich twice in her life, first by Miss Havisham who made her unable to be loved and then by Drummle the horrible nobleman she chose to marry instead of Pip, who abused her and made her life a continued misery after leaving Satis House for a few years before he died. It is a lesson that money does not buy happiness and all along Estella would have been happier if she had allowed herself (or been allowed by Miss Havisham) to fall in love with Pip.

Although Estella treated Pip badly we still don't hate her, but feel sorry for her as this is the way she was brought up and manipulated into being. She couldn't even love Miss Havisham who adopted her and raised her as she had been taught not to love by Havisham herself. She hurts Pip over and over again but doesn't want to, she just can't help it, she warned him not to love her and to forget about her and told him she had no heart. At the end of the novel when Estella finally finds peace and tells Pip her true feelings this is her triumph, she finally learnt, trusted her own feelings and became her own woman and they have the happy ending they deserve. She said to Pip, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.”

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