The answer to this question is subjective. Fantastic discussions can be created about what Dickens is trying to show about love and marriage through the various characters and their relationships in this book. To make things more complicated, Dickens was in the process of leaving his wife for a much younger woman; therefore, it has to be considered that he was letting his own relationships influence his writing.

A reader might be able to claim that Dickens is trying to show readers that marrying someone for purely financial reasons and/or the likelihood of statistical success is ludicrous. He shows readers this through Louisa and Bounderby; however, Stephen's marriage to his alcoholic wife is also shown to be a miserable agreement. The novel could be saying that marrying for love is a bad idea while at the same time saying that a marriage without love is an equally bad idea. A balance is needed.

The novel could also be saying something about love and divorce. Both Louisa and Stephen are falling in love with other people, yet they are not allowed to pursue those relationships because divorce is essentially impossible. It is possible to think that Dickens might be encouraging readers to always follow the path of love. When love runs out, get a divorce and move on to the next loving romance. Knowing that he was doing this with his personal life lends support to this notion.