Who Estella is
Estella meets Pip at the gate of Satis House and leads him inside by candlelight. She is about his age, but she treats him with open contempt when they play cards. Her remarks about his hands and boots make him see his ordinary life as something shameful.
Estella and the others in the story
Miss Havisham raises Estella to wound others, and she watches Pip's growing attachment with satisfaction. Estella's coldness is therefore more than personal pride, it also reflects the training she receives. The novel presents her as someone shaped by another person's wishes, rather than simply someone who enjoys causing pain.
Pip believes that becoming a gentleman will make him worthy of Estella and end her contempt. His longing for her helps turn him away from the forge and from Joe's kindness.
How Estella changes
After an education abroad, Estella lives with a lady in Richmond and seems more distant to Pip. She tells him plainly that she has no heart and that he should not love her. Pip continues to hope, leaving a painful distance between what she says and what he wants to hear.
Questions
Who raises Estella?
Miss Havisham raises Estella at Satis House and trains her to hurt others.
Does Estella love Pip?
Estella tells Pip that she cannot love him and warns him against loving her.
Is Estella good or bad?
Estella treats Pip cruelly, but the novel also shows how Miss Havisham shapes her coldness. Her upbringing complicates any simple judgment of her behavior.