Serra 1

Jacquelyn Serra
Dr. Riley
English Novel
24 November 2014
All About That Class, Social Class
Throughout English novels there are many themes that develop and reoccur. One
reoccurring theme that arises is social class, more specifically how different the higher and lower
class think that they are, but ultimately they arent. In these novels covered in class thus far;

Commented [JES1]: English Dept Outcomes 3. To

produce graduates who are effective writers.
This is a paper that I wrote my last semester taking class at
Bloomsburg University, so if this doesnt demonstrate that I
am an effective writer I dont know what will. Looking back
at past writing and then looking at this really shows my
strength as a writer. My goal for this paper was for the
reader to see that themes reoccur all over novels and I think
that I have done this successfully.

Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations this theme evolves tremendously. Although they
may be present differently throughout all of these novels, somewhere in them, this theme is
present. The higher class may believe that they are completely different than the lower class, but
in the end they truly want the same things and act in the same manner; on the other side the
lower class believes that they are completely different just because of the amount of money that
they have; but in the end they are all acting the same and want the same things out of life.
From the very beginning of Pride and Prejudice the reader could see the difference
between the higher and lower class. Elizabeth and the rest of the Bennet girls are trying to be
married off by their pushy, overbearing mother because as a family, they dont have enough
money to support all of their children if they dont get married. It looks like this is definitely a
problem that only the lower class has trouble with because although they work extremely hard
for their money, it still isnt enough to support a family that has all daughters, especially if they
dont marry. This is exactly the reason that Mrs. Bennet comes off as a pushy, overbearing
mother. Mrs. Bennet sends Jane off to see Bingley, but she doesnt do it in a way that is

Commented [JES2]: NCTE Standard 2.6 demonstrate

role of arts/humanities in learning.
I believe that this is showing arts and humanities in my own
learning. Not only because I am talking about two certain
books, but because I am showing how important they are to
Americans today and why people should still read them
today. So this is showing that arts and humanities are an
important part of learning in my life and should be in my
students as well.

Serra 2

expected. She sends Jane, because it seems likely to rain and then you must stay all night (31);
although this may seem like a mother that doesnt care very much, its really exactly the
opposite. She is sending Jane because she cares about her and wants her to marry so her husband
can give her a better life than Mr. and Mrs. Bennet ever could. All she wants is for her children
to live a better life than what her and her husband can provide for them, the easiest way to do this
is to ensure that they all get married to someone that has money. Austen states about Mrs. Bennet
that, The business of her life was to get her daughters married (7). Mrs. Bennet made this the
business of her life because she wanted to ensure that her daughters were going to get married
and live a better life then if her and Mr. Bennet were to try and take care of them because
realistically the Bennets wouldnt be able to take care of all their daughters if they didnt marry.
This is something that only the less wealthy had to worry about. However, marriage was on the
minds on the higher class as well.
Clearly the higher class doesnt have to marry for money, but they still have marriage on
the mind just as much as the lower class does, if not more. The first line of the book is, It is a
truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in
want of a wife (5). So in fact from the first sentence of the novel it shows that not only women
have marriage on the mind, but also the ruling class men have marriage on their mind just as
much. Along with higher class men thinking about marriage, the women do as well. Lady
Catherine confronts Elizabeth about the possible engagement to Mr. Darcy, and to put in frankly,
this doesnt fly with Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine states, This match, to which you have the
presumption to aspire, can never take place . Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter (335).
The thing is, Lady Catherines daughter isnt engaged to Mr. Darcy, she just wants to ensure that
her daughter doesnt marry below her so she can still have the higher class status. So much like

Commented [JES3]: NCTE Standard 3.4 Know different

composing processes.
One thing that I started doing my senior year was using
Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Pages. Although this may
seem like everyone knows, the truth of the matter is, its
important that teachers can use multiple composing
processes because students may not have the same one as
you. This paper alone I used in Google Docs and in Microsoft
Word.

Serra 3

how Mrs. Bennet is a pushy mother trying to marry off her daughters, Lady Catherine is doing
the exact same thing, if not worse, but for totally different reasons. Mrs. Bennet wants to make
sure that her daughter marry so they will be able to lead a life where they arent always worried
about money. Whereas Lady Catherine is trying to have her daughter have an arranged marriage
with Mr. Darcy because she doesnt want her to marry below her, and also because she knows
that Mr. Darcy has the money to support her daughter. She is trying to break up a relationship
because she feels her daughter is more fit of the position of being Mr. Darcys wife. Shes a tad
insane and overbearing much like Mrs. Bennet is, if not worse. This is just one example of how
the higher class and the lower class arent that different after all and how ultimately they want
the same things, and in this case, its marriage of their daughters so they could have a fulfilling
life.
When reading Pride and Prejudice the reader tends to look at the differences of the
higher and lower class, but barely realizes how much they actually have in common. The
characters in general have similar traits even though they are from different classes. Although
Lady Catherine is a widow she is the woman in the book who is the most independent, this is
something that Elizabeth, who is from the lower class, aspires to be as well. She doesnt want to
have to rely on her family or her future husband to have to support her, she wants to be able to do
that on her own. Although the reader may not be able to see the parallel between these two
characters in the very beginning, it is definitely there when you look at both of them together.
Bloom states in Blooms Guide to Pride and Prejudice, that class issues come to forefront in
Pride and Prejudice we can read the history of the growth of the middle class and the rise of
domestic tourism (90). This is showing that because tourism is growing and more people are
starting to be in the middle class there is starting to be a line that is blurred between social

Commented [JES4]: NCTE Standard 4.1 Examine and

select resources for instruction.
Although this isnt for instruction, I believe that I chose
sources that I would be able to use in the future if I were
teaching this subject in my classroom. Its important to find
resources, carefully examine them, and select the ones that
make the most sense for your work or instruction.

Serra 4

classes. Although there is always going to be certain difference in classes and they will never be
completely gone, blurring the lines shows equality between all the social classes. It is very
uncommon for a wife to get the money that is left behind by her late husband, and Lady
Catherine was able to do that. When Lady Catherine approaches Elizabeth about the potential
engagement to Mr. Darcy, she has the same kind of spunk that Elizabeth has with Mr. Darcy and
when just talking about him to someone else. While everyone is so intrigued by Mr. Darcy,
Elizabeth states things like, I believe, maam, I may safely promise you never to dance with
him (21) when all the other women would take the opportunity to marry him because they know
that he has money. Having this parallel between two characters that are from the higher and
lower class really shows that they arent that different after all. Although Lady Catherine is a
crazy, pushy mother like Mrs. Bennet, her personality is one just like Elizabeth. They are both
someone who wants to be completely independent and doesnt really care about what people
think about them.
Much like in Pride and Prejudice, Dickens has conflicts between the higher and lower
class in Great Expectations. From the very beginning of the book the reader gets a look into
Pips life and how much he has gone through. Pip is obsessed with trying to get in with the
higher class and while he is doing this the reader can see how alike the higher and lower really
are. In this novel the reader can really see the higher and lower class starting to mesh together
and how similar they are starting to become. Although it may seem like Estella and Pip have
nothing in common, I believe that there are similarities there that show that the higher and lower
class arent that different after all. Pip and Estella have both had a rough upbringing, they may be
from different social classes, but their childhood was not a good one. Pip was raised by Mrs. Joe,
who isnt actually his mother, it is his sister. Mrs. Joe comes into the house saying the following

Commented [JES5]: English Dept Outcomes 2. Produce

graduates who know elements of literature and can
interpret complex works with attention to detail and
context.
I think that this paper also address this outcome because
looking deeper into these works wasnt as easy as I thought,
thus showing that I can interpret complex works while
addressing the detail and context within the book.

Serra 5

to Pip, Where have you been, you young monkey? Tell me directly what youve been doing to
wear me away with fret and worry (9). Although the end of that may seem like she really cares,
Dickens explains her coming into the house be throwing the door wide open so it doesnt leave
a good picture in the readers eyes about how good of a mother figure she really is. Mrs. Joe is
someone that always needs to be in charge, in charge of Joe and of Pip, and this is much like
Miss. Havisham.
Much like Pips upbringing, Estella was raised by Miss. Havisham, who adopted her at a
young age. Miss. Havishams plan for Estella is to make her break the heart of men, because a
man broke Miss. Havishams heart. She is using her adopted daughter to get revenge on all of
mankind. From the very beginning the reader doesnt understand why Miss. Havisham even has
a child because she isnt that great of a mother. When she first meets Pip, you could also tell that
she is very strange. She says to Pip, sometimes I have sick fancies and I have a sick fancy that I
want to see some play. There, there! Play, play, play! (59). When one is reading this, it is often
difficult to understand what is even going on. Miss. Havisham is just an old woman, who
adopted a child to get back at every man in the world. She wants to raise someone who is broken
and boss them around and thats exactly what she is doing with Estella and she is dragging Pip
along for the ride as well. This is much like how Mrs. Joe feels the need to always be in charge,
so Joe steps back and lets her have her way, much like of Miss. Havisham always has her way.
Pip and Estella both had a mother figure who wasnt their actual mother and didnt bring them
up in the best of ways and they were people that needed to have all the power, when in reality
that wasnt the best option for anyone that was living with them. Pip hated his upbringing so
much that he didnt want to be home, and Estella didnt realize how cruel her upbringing was
until much later in her life.

Commented [JES6]: NCTE Standard 3.1 know skills of

English Language.
Something as simple as an in-text citation shows that I have
certain skills of ELA. Being a part of the ELA community
means that you have an understanding for reading, writing,
etc. and this is one thing that shows that I would be able to
teach students ELA. Who knew something as simple as an
in-text citation could show this!

Serra 6

In the book Miss Havishams dress ends up bursting into flames and I think that this is
showing the blurring of the two classes. Pips main reason for wanting to be a part of the higher
class is because he wants to be the perfect fit for Estella because he is in love with her. The fact
that it is somewhat easier for him to try and be a part of the higher class, just by having someone
give him money shows that being in the higher class wasnt all that hard to do, and literally
anyone can accomplish it. This is also showing the blurring of the two classes because if Pip and
Magwitch can become part of the higher class, whats stopping everyone else from doing that?
Magwitch goes from being a dirty convict that is doing nothing with his life, to become someone
who can fully support himself and give Pip the life that he thinks he deserves. This goes to show
that no one is stuck in any social class because there is wiggle room for anyone. Pip had
expectations that Miss. Havisham is the one that was giving the money so he was able to learn
how to become a gentleman. When in reality, Miss. Havisham was the one trying to bring him
down and Magwitch was blurring the lines of social class by being able to give Pip this money so
he can become the person that he always wanted to be. Lelchuk explains Magwitch as Pips
benefactor and surrogate father to Pip (411), and I think this statement to be correct. He gave
Pip everything that he wanted and supported him with everything that he wanted to do. Although
Joe was a good father figure to Pip, Magwitch was someone that I believe Pip had a deeper

Commented [JES7]: NCTE Standard 3.5 Know/use

extensive range of literature.
This was a paper that was a different type for Dr. Riley.
Usually we just need to analyze the text and write a paper
about that. However, this time he wanted us to include
some research within the paper. This shows that I can use a
range of literature. Whether it be the books we read in
class, articles I found online, or the books that I found
online.

connection with.
One may think that social classes arent in our society anymore, but realistically, they are
everywhere that we turn. This is exactly why these books are still relevant to Americans today.
However, just because this class difference in still in society, doesnt mean that people from a
lower class and completely different then people form a higher class. Much like Lady Catherine
and Miss. Havisham think that they are completely different from Elizabeth and Pip, they really

Commented [JES8]: NCTE Standard 2.5 connect to

sociocultural/educational developments
This is something that is showing students they need to
connect their reading to why it is important today, which in
turn shows students developments in their education
because they dont usually look at their reading in this way.

Serra 7

arent. This is much like how celebrities today think that they are completely different from the
everyday American, but in reality we are all the same. To quote Diane Von Furstenberg, a
famous fashion designer, we eat, we sleep, we make love, we all do the same thing. What
makes us different is how we do it. This quote directly relates to how we all are alike in some
way, some people may have more money than others, but in the end we all do the same things,
just a little differently. I may go to the store and buy my own groceries and make my own food,
but Kim Kardashian has someone go to the store for her and has a chef to make her food. In the
end we both eat that food and we arent completely different after all. This is why this book is
still relevant today, we believe that as a country we have come so far in eliminating social
classes, but we havent we have just blurred the lines somewhat. However, it makes us realize
that people from the higher and lower class are somewhat the same. These books are something
that allow us to realize that these things, such as social class, are still relevant to today. Pride and
Prejudice and Great Expectations are relevant to Americans today because it brings awareness to
the fact that although social classes are still in our society, we arent that different after all.

Commented [JES9]: NCTE Standard 4.8 Help students

make meaning through personal responses.
This is a quote that I found when I was watching a show.
This shows that you can find content for a paper anywhere.
It is also a more personal response in my paper compared to
all the others where it is usually just quotes pulled from
books and scholarly articles.

Serra 8

Works Cited
Austen, J. (2003). Pride and Prejudice. England: Penguin Group.
Bloom's Guide. Harold Bloom, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://books.google.com/
books?id=nTeT92MEkFEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false>.
Dickens, C. (2003). Great Expectations. England: Penguin Group.
Self, Family, and Society in "Great Expectations." Johns Hopkins UP, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/27541822>.

Commented [JES10]: NCTE Standard 3.6 know

print/non-print media and tech.
Within this works cited alone it shows that I understand
non-print media and tech. These sources were all found on
the internet and thus shows that I can fine credible, reliable
sources online. Although they are books that I found online,
within them being online I probably would have never been
able to find them. This is something that I want to teach my
students. If it can be found in the library, there is something
with technology that can help them find their source.