hrough Mrs. and Pumblechook, who are obviously ecstatic at the idea of Pip Joe befriending the wealthy old woman. This is the first hint in the novel of the theme of social class and social improvement, which will quickly become the dominant idea Because he spends the first several chapters of the book exclusively among those of his own social station, the theme of social class is not particularly important in this section. But Pip's low social standing makes itself felt in subtle ways in the colloquial dialect spoken by Joe and his sister, the mean ambition of Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook, and the ineffective rigor of his country school (where he is taught by Mr. Wopsle's great aunt), for example By describing Pip's early education, Dickens continues to emphasize the idea of self-improvement Just as Pip's behavior indicates a desire for moral improvement and Mrs. Joe's ambition indicates a desire for social improvement, Pip's struggle to learn to read indicates a desire for intellectual and educational improvement. To emphasize this point, Dickens contrasts