In my opinion, love is an important theme in <Great Expectations>. It is shown in three main ways: Joe’s love to Pip; Pip’s love to Estella; Miss Havisham’s love to Estella.  
 
Firstly, Joe’s love to Pip is shown in the beginning of the book, which is warm and whole hearted. In Chapter 2, when Pip comes back home late and is chased by his sister, Joe is described as “Joe passed me on into the chimney and quietly fenced me up there with his great leg”. This shows Joe is constantly playing the role of protecting Pip, and the word “great leg” further indicates that being with Joe gives Pip the sense of safety. Apart from that, we can explore the love that Joe has to Pip more deeply when Pip is informed that he has the opportunity to become a gentleman. In Chapter 18, Mr. Jaggers tells Pip that “I think that the sooner you leave here – as you are to be a gentleman – the better”, and he asks Joe “what if it was in my instructions to make you a present, as compensation”, Joe objects the compensation and expresses his feeling wholeheartedly that “But if you think as money can make compensation to me for the loss of the little child – what come to the forge – and ever the best of friends! - ”. These all shows that the love that Joe gives to Pip is so pure and selfless, which Pip should cherish the most.  
 
Secondly, the love that Pip has to Estella is the main romantic love that is displayed by Dickens. This romantic love is explored through Pip’s desire to see Estella; Pip’s jealousy and rage when hearing that Estella is going to marry Drummle. In Chapter 33, Pip shows his desire to be with Estella all the time “And still I stood looking at the house, thinking how happy I should be if I lived there with her, and knowing that I never was happy with her, but always miserable”. From the above, we can say that Pip falls in love with Estella as wanting to be with somebody means that you like that one. Moreover, Pip is really fixated on the fact that Drummle is pursing Estella. And in Chapter 44, when Estella tells Pip that she is going to marry Drummle, Pip is hearbroken “I dropped my face into my hands, but was able to control myself better than I could have expected, considering what agony it gave me to hear her say those words”. 
 
Lastly, the distorted love that Miss Havisham gives to Estella is also an important theme in this book. In Chapter 38, Estella openly says her tiredness towards Miss Havisham “At least I was no party to the compact, for if I could walk and speak, when it was made, it was as much as I could do. But what would you have? You have been very good to me. And I owe everything to you. What would you have?”. Follwed by Miss Havisham’s angry reply “Did I never give her a burning love, inseparable from jealousy at all times, and from sharp pain, while she speaks thus to me!”. We can see from this conversation that what Miss Havisham were doing are what makes Estella stressful and painful. The ‘Love’ that Miss Havisham gives to Estella is not the ‘Love’ that makes people cheerful and warm. On the other hand, this ‘Love’ makes people depressive, nervous and dubious.