Class and Social Mobility

Where it surfaces

• VI

  The social hierarchy is evident in the Careys' interactions with tradesmen, the churchwarden, and the wealthy Mr. Wilson, who married his cook.

• XV

  The appointment of Perkins, son of a linendraper, as headmaster challenges the school's rigid class distinctions; the masters' disdain highlights the tension between inherited status and merit.

• Chapter XVI

  Mr. Perkins' plan to attract boys from London reflects tensions between traditional provincial values and the desire for social and educational advancement.

• XXV

  The contrast between Philip's comfortable life and Monsieur Ducroz's destitution highlights class disparities.

• XXVII

  Philip's attempt to define a 'gentleman' reveals the class assumptions of English society, and Weeks' American perspective challenges them.

• XXXIII

  Philip's decision to become a chartered accountant reflects the shifting professional landscape and his need to secure a respectable place in society.

• XXXVI

  Philip's discomfort with his shabby clothes and Watson's condescension highlight class distinctions and Philip's uncertain social position.

• XXXVIII

  The tension between Philip as an articled clerk and lower clerks like Thompson highlights class divisions and the struggle for advancement.

• XLIX

  Albert Price's petty concerns and the sordid lives of the dancers illustrate the constraints of class and the struggle for dignity.

• LI

  Foinet's discourse on money and dignity underscores the class anxieties and economic pressures that shape Philip's choices.

• LVII

  Philip is acutely aware of Mildred's commonness and vulgarity, highlighting the class differences between them and his discomfort with her social manners.

• LVIII

  Mildred's pretensions about her family's gentility and her disdain for shop work reflect class anxieties.

• LXIII

  Mildred's decision to marry Miller for financial security reflects the social pressures and limited options for women of her class.

• LXVIII

  Philip's financial worries and desire to make money through stock tips reflect his precarious social position and aspirations.

• Chapter LXIX

  Mildred's concern with appearing respectable (claiming her husband is an officer in India) and Philip's financial struggles highlight class anxieties and the precariousness of social standing.

• LXXVI

  Mildred's financial dependence on Philip and her inability to secure work highlight the limited social mobility for women of her class.

• LXXXVI

  Athelny, a well-educated man, is a charity patient in the hospital, illustrating the fluidity and contradictions of social class.

• LXXXVII

  Athelny's eccentric lifestyle and claims of aristocratic lineage contrast with his modest, shabby home.

• LXXXIX

  Athelny's varied and unsuccessful occupations and his current job as a press-representative highlight the precariousness of social mobility.

• XCI

  Mildred's shame about service and Philip's insistence on a business arrangement reflect class tensions and social mobility struggles.

• XCII

  Mildred's lie to the landlady about being married to Philip underscores her concern with social respectability and the precariousness of her class position.

• XCV

  Mildred's reluctance to work for low wages and Philip's financial anxieties highlight the precariousness of their lower-middle-class existence, with the stock market seen as a risky path to improvement.

• XCVI

  Mildred's concern with being a 'lady' and her contempt for Philip's refinement underscore class tensions and her own social aspirations.

• XCVIII

  Philip's fall from a comfortable inheritance to near poverty underscores the precariousness of social mobility and the impact of financial loss on his aspirations.

• XCIX

  Philip's fall from relative comfort to near-destitution highlights the precariousness of social standing and the shame associated with poverty.

• C

  Philip's middle-class prejudices make the prospect of shop work feel degrading, highlighting the rigid class boundaries of the era.

• CII

  Philip, an educated man with artistic training, must start at the bottom of the retail ladder, illustrating the harsh realities of class and economic necessity.

• CIII

  Philip's fall from gentleman to shop assistant highlights the rigid class structure and the humiliation of menial labor.

• CIV

  Philip's discomfort and the condescension of other staff ('sidey') reflect the class tensions within the department store hierarchy.

• CV

  Philip's fall from gentleman to shop assistant is highlighted by his coworkers' comments and his own shame at dressing the window.

• CVII

  Philip's rise from shop-walker to designer reflects his precarious social mobility, yet he remains trapped by low wages and fear of unemployment.

• CVIII

  Philip's low wages and hope for his uncle's death to fund his return to medicine highlight the constraints of class and the struggle for upward mobility.

• CXIII

  Philip observes the vast divide between the poor and the middle classes, noting that the poor do not envy their betters but view them as exploitable.

• CXIV

  The stark contrast between the squalid room and the stately buildings across the river highlights the chasm between the poor and the secure.

• CXV

  Sally's potential marriage to an electrical engineer represents a chance for upward mobility, contrasting with her family's financial struggles and her mother's emphasis on security.

• CXVIII

  The chapter depicts the rural working-class life of hop-pickers, with Philip participating in their labor and simple pleasures.