Estella's Transformation

This passage, which is towards the end of Volume II, shows Pip’s naivety towards his “love” for Estella, and Estella’s just plain cold-heartedness. Estella may have a physical heart, but she does not experience or feel love with her heart—it is just a muscle that pumps blood throughout her body. She is numb to the feelings of love. It becomes evident in this particular passage that Estella is even aware of her lack of feeling when she says “I have no softness there, no—sympathy—sentiment—nonsense. It almost seems like Estella either too obstinate to really face love, or...