Joe’s dialect is an example of the working class poor in Victorian England. His rough grammar (e.g. “you and me, Pip”) displays his lack of education. With little formal grammar studies available for the poor, Joe picked up the language skills he has from his surroundings. Since the setting is a fictionalized Rochester in eastern England, Joe does not have the burrs in his speech that he would if he were from northern England or Scotland. The pronunciation has a bit of a twang, but does not drop the vowels as much as London Cockney. Interestingly, Pip does not have this dialect, even though he was brought up by Joe, and it is doubtful that there was much grammar taught in his school. Joe’s dialect presents a standard that Pip is trying to escape from in his quest to be a gentleman.
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