Money Does Not Buy Happiness

Throughout the novel, Pip is convinced that Estella is “out of his league.” Dickens eventually reveals to both Pip and the reader that this is not the case: she is the daughter of Magwitch, a convict. While she has been fortunate enough to have been raised by an individual with money – Miss Havisham – and eventually marries a man with money – Drummle – neither of these individuals have a positive impact on her life. In fact, she goes through life very unhappy despite her circumstance. The case could be made that had she been raised by her father and permitted to marry Pip, she would have been poor financially but rich in other ways.

EDIT: This is yet another example of Dickens' use of understated social commentary throughout the novel. Without ever directly saying it, he uses Pip as a warning to many who strive to follow a similar path: just because the wealthy appear to have the best lives does not mean this is exactly the case. This is a "be careful what you wish for" style warning, as getting the social standing that everyone wishes for obviously does not always have a positive impact on the quality of life for the individual.