# Social Class and Aspiration in Mary, Mary

> Theme guide for Mary, Mary by James Stephens.

The narrative explores class consciousness through Mary's shame at her mother being a charwoman, her lies about her mother's occupation, and the mother's fierce pride and resentment toward employers and authority figures like the policeman.

## Where it surfaces

- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/iii): The mother's scorn for 'mean, ugly days' and her detailed fantasies of wealth highlight the desperate aspiration to escape poverty.
- [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/x): The policeman's learned conversation and Mary's awe reflect class and educational differences, as well as her aspiration to appear proper.
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xii): Mrs. Makebelieve's dreams of wealth through Patrick and emigration reflect aspirations to escape poverty.
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xiii): Mary's lie about her mother being a dressmaker reflects her desire to appear higher in social class.
- [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xviii): Mary's lowly position as a maid is contrasted with the middle-class respectability of Mrs. O'Connor's household and the policeman's status.
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxi): The discussion of women's conversation ranging from 'attic to scullery' implies a class-bound domestic sphere, yet suggests these extremes encompass universal human concerns.
- [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxii): The shopping strategies of Mrs. Cafferty versus Mrs. Makebelieve illustrate different economic struggles and aspirations.
- [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxiv): The policeman's respect for Mary withers after he sees her cleaning a hall, highlighting how poverty and menial work degrade social standing.
- [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxv): The chapter contrasts the limited horizon of the poor with the expansive possibilities of the well-to-do, emphasizing the systemic barriers to upward mobility.
- [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxviii): Mary's perceived social inferiority complicates the policeman's desire, as he cannot marry her yet cannot let her go.
- [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxix): The young man's denunciation of landlords and employers reflects class resentment and a desire for a fairer society.
- [The Proposal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxx): Mrs. Makebelieve rejects the policeman partly because of his connection to Mrs. O'Connor, viewing him as irredeemably tainted by his aunt's lower status.
- [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/chapters/xxxii): Mary and her mother immediately begin planning purchases and gifts, reflecting their aspirations and the social mobility enabled by the inheritance.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/themes/social_class_and_aspiration
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/mary_mary_se/themes