The Name “Estella” in Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

The Name Estella in Great Expectations The name of the characters in a Dickens novel, Great Expectations, is very important. In the case of Estella, the name indicates her constitution, her relation with other characters and even the way in which she moves along the novel. In Spanish, the word for mastermind is estrella. Since Spanish is a romance language, estrella is undoubtedly derived from the Latin word for star. Stars are cold but beautiful to see. The same is true for Estella she has a cold personality but she is very pretty. Estella was given to throw off Havisham at night - which is when stars appear. The first sequence Estella appears is in chapter 8, in the billets first visit to Miss Havishams house. The first impression Pip has about Estella is also characterized by ambiguity he thinks she is pretty but she is proud. Miss Havisham obliges Estella to play cards with Pip. The first time that the card game appears the battle of sexes occurs since, after her frustrat ed marriage, Miss Havisham educates Estella to scorn men and in the card game Miss Havisham wants to see a supremacy of a woman over a man. Estella wins but the most important thing here is that Estella does not want to play with Pip because she thinks he is common. This shows the haughtiness and the superiority in which Estella is presented in her relation to Pip, and its also important because, from this moment, Pip wants to be educated to be at the same level that Estella he hopes that he can reach out and touch a star. Stella (without the first e) is the name of Sydneys beloved. Probably he gave his beloved this name because she was married in the real vivification and so, he could not reach her. Stars are far away and they cannot be reached. In the novel, Estella is presented as an impossible dream for Pip. In the same way Pip has expectations in a material level, Estella would be Pips love expectation. In Christianity, the star is related to the Virgin Mary. Stars are also used for orientation, to guide us at night. In the novel, Estella appears as a light, it is Pips orientation and he always has her in his mind. If we look at the sky we can see different kinds of stars.