Social Classes in 19th Century British Literature

Social Classes in 19th Century British Literature

During 19th century, social class played an important role in lives of people and determined their destiny and life opportunities. In their novels, Austen and Gaskell depict the role and importance of class, and describe attitudes and values of different social classes. Persuasion and North and South are based on a class conflict between poor and rich people, working and upper classes. Thesis Gaskell and Austen distinguish two main social classes, working and upper classes, and depict that class location plays a key role in destinies and life of people.

Social class and class struggle can be interpreted as distinctions between individuals in society caused by economic difference (Eitzen and Johnston, p. 34). These concepts are important because they help to explain social classes utilized in Persuasion and North and South, and explain attitudes and values of the main characters. In both novels, Austen and Gaskell depict two main social classes: working class and bourgeoisie. The similarity is that the main women characters belong to an upper class while their fiancées belong to a working class. Using the idea and theme of class, Austen and Gaskell unveil social morality and importance of class location for marriage.

Describing a working class, Gaskell and Austen underline that workers have interests, and class interests. In both novels the authors portray that if ownership is operationally separated from control of industrial enterprises, the question becomes which group of bureaucrats decides what will be regarded as social cost or welfare. In North and South the main characters ebonizing to a working class are Nicholas Higgins and Bessy, Nicholas Higgins’s daughter. In this novel, a working class is depicted through industrial relations between Mr. John Thornton, the owner of the mill and his workers. Gaskell depicts class location in terms of ownership because it tends to make the choice between alternative systems an all-or-none bargain. Rather, the issue is which property incomes are to be considered social costs. Gaskells writes: “have those others been working directly or indirectly? Have they been labouring to exhort, to enjoin, to act rightly for the sake of example, or have they been simple, true men, taking up their duty, and doing it unflinchingly, without a thought of how their actions were to make this man industrious” (Gaskell, 2000). This passage shows that working class reacts to the barbarous conditions of manufacture by agitating for a shorter workday, higher wages, and for the limitation of child and female labor. The returns to labor get closer to their social cost, although Marx would insist that any profit return to capital was socially unwarranted. The result is the replacement of living labor by constant capital (Eitzen and Johnston, p. 34).

Similar to Gaskell, Austen unveils hardship and grievances faced by working class men. The main characters belonging to working class are servants. Thus, Austen portrays low social classes and their problems caused by social prejudices and lack of money: Mrs. Clay, Captain Frederick Wentworth, etc. in general, naval officer, Captain Frederick Wentworth, does not belong to working or low class. It is possible to say that Austen depicts a navy and naval officers as a separate class, but this class is lower in comparison with middle and upper classes. Austen describes class relations and class conflict using the example of two families:

the Musgroves were in the first class of society in the country, the young Hayters would, from their parents’ inferior, retired, and unpolished way of living, and their own defective education, have been hardly in any class at all, but for their connexion with Uppercross, this eldest son of course excepted, who had chosen to be a scholar and a gentleman, and who was very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest” (Austen, 2000).

This passage shows that class differences cannot be eliminated caused by education, income and social differences.

The protagonists of both novel, Anne Elliot and Miss Margaret Hale represent high social class. The story conflict and conflict resolution depicted by Austin is not usual for 19th century class relations. The plot element in Persuasion lies in the marriage of Anne and Frederick at novel’s end. However, both the process of the couple’s getting there and a rather ambiguous ending create a substantial deviation from the happily-ever-after fairy tale. Anne’s mistake, her “over-anxious caution” (Austen, 2000) at being persuaded by her father and godmother, makes her appear more human and sympathetic, and it allows her room to grow: “She had be