Estella Havisham: Most readers are appalled at the cold-hearted and cruel
             ways of Estella, but any criticism directed at her is largely undeserved. She
             was simply raised in a controlled environment where she was, in essence,
             brainwashed by Miss Havisham. Nonetheless, her demeanor might lead one
             to suspect that she was a girl with a heart of ice. Estella is scornful from the
             moment she is introduced, when she remarks on Pip's coarse hands and thick
             boots. However, her beauty soon captivates Pip and she is instilled as the
             focal point of his thoughts for much of the remainder of the novel. The fact
             that Pip becomes infatuated with her is also not Estella's fault. By no means is
             there any evidence that she loved him. She does not flirt with him in any way.
             Rather, she tortures Pip with her cruel treatment. Despite her abhorrent
             quality, Estella is extremely candid; because she seems to have no need for
             affection, she is able to tell things as she sees them without a thought of what
             someone else may think. This is in contrast to Pip's obsession of his every
             action being approved by Miss Havisham and Estella. Estella is also quite
             intelligent. She is very aware of the manner in which Miss Havisham raised
             her. She tells Miss Havisham, "I am what you have made me. Take all the
             praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the failure; in short,
             take me." (Chapter 38). Finally, by the end of the novel, Estella has changed.
             Through her marriage with Bentley Drummle, she has suffered to learn some
             valuable life lessons that have transformed her character. Pip remarks on the
             stark reversal of the once hard Estella, "...what I had never seen before, was
             the saddened softened light of the once prou...