She was an orphan like myself; like me, too, had been brought up by hand. She was most noticeable, I thought, in respect of her extremities; for, her hair always wanted brushing, her hands always wanted washing, and her shoes always wanted mending and pulling up at heel.
– Charles Dickens
Great Expectations, Chapter 7. From Pip’s description of Biddy, he doesn’t appear to have a very high regard for the girl who works in her grandmother’s store. He highlights the flaws in Biddy’s working class appearance, grooming and dress. Biddy goes on to become a good friend of Pip’s and later helps him with his education. Foreshadowed here is the boy Pip’s future obsession with social mobility and desire to escape his working class background.