Social Class and Mobility

Where it surfaces

• I: The Pastor's Progress

  The Beechams' rise from a small-town chapel to a wealthy London congregation exemplifies social climbing and the pursuit of status through marriage and career.

• The Leading Member

  Mrs. Copperhead's transition from governess to wealthy wife highlights the precarious nature of social mobility, as she remains emotionally oppressed despite material comfort.

• Mr. Copperhead's Ball

  The ball showcases the tension between the nouveau riche Copperheads and the established but faded Dorsets, with Phoebe's eligibility questioned.

• IV: A Country Party

  The conversation at breakfast centers on Mrs. Copperhead's dramatic rise from governess to wealthy hostess, illustrating the precarious and transformative power of marriage across class lines.

• V: Self-Devotion

  Phoebe's decision to visit Carlingford forces her to confront the lowly origins of her family, highlighting the tension between her refined upbringing and the vulgar world of the Tozers.

• VI: A Morning Call

  Mr. Copperhead's boastfulness about his wealth and his patronizing attitude toward Sir Robert highlight the friction between inherited status and newly acquired riches.

• XI: Phoebe’s Preparations

  Phoebe's preparation for Carlingford highlights class anxieties: her mother outfits her to appear superior to the 'vulgar' Tozer household, while Phoebe herself feels confident in her own refinement regardless of surroundings.

• XII: Grange Lane

  Phoebe's refined upbringing clashes with her grandparents' humble lifestyle, highlighting the tensions of social mobility and family duty.

• XIII: The Tozer Family

  Phoebe grapples with her family's trade origins and her own aspirations, feeling torn between duty and her desire for a more refined life.

• XIV: Strangers

  Mrs. Hurst criticizes educating people out of their sphere and discusses the cost of rising in the world.

• XVI: The New Gentleman

  Phoebe's frank acknowledgment of her grandfather's low status and her determination to 'carry it with a high hand' highlight the tension between aspiration and origin.

• XVII: A Public Meeting

  Phoebe's grandmother urges her to dress in bright colors to outshine others, highlighting the importance of appearance and social standing in the community.

• XX: That Tozer Girl!

  The revelation that Miss Beecham is old Tozer's granddaughter highlights the precariousness of social standing and the threat of association with Dissenters.

• A New Friend

  Ursula's internal conflict over Phoebe's grandfather highlights the rigid class distinctions and the struggle to value personal merit over lineage.

• XXII: A Desperate Expedient

  Phoebe's conversation with Mr. May reveals the class divide between Dissenters and Anglicans, and her own navigation of her family's shopkeeping origins.

• XXIII: Tided Over

  Cotsdean's deference to Mr. May, a clergyman and gentleman, highlights the power dynamics between social classes. Cotsdean feels unable to resist Mr. May's authority despite his own financial risk.

• A Visit

  Phoebe criticizes Mr. Copperhead's 'great, ugly, staring wealth' and the ambition of Dissenters, highlighting class tensions between the established church and rising mercantile classes.

• Tea

  The encounter between Reginald May (Anglican chaplain) and Mr. Northcote (Dissenter) highlights class and religious divisions, with Phoebe navigating between them.

• XXVI: The Hall

  Clarence's sense of superiority over the 'parson' and his pleasure in being elevated among the gentry highlight the power of money and class distinctions.

• A Pair of Natural Enemies

  The debate over who deserves charity—the elderly poor versus the young—underscores class divisions and differing views on social mobility.

• XXVIII: The New Pupil

  Clarence's casual mention of Northcote's wealth as a marker of acceptability highlights how money can blur class and religious boundaries.

• Ursula's Entrées

  Reginald's internal conflict: he is drawn to Phoebe's intellect and freshness but recoils from the social suicide of marrying a butterman's granddaughter. The dinner itself is an attempt to elevate the Parsonage's social standing.

• XXXI: Society

  Phoebe Tozer, from a lower social class, navigates the genteel society of the Parsonage, while the Tozers' lack of concern for chaperons highlights class differences in social expectations.

• XXXII: Lovemaking

  Phoebe reflects on her grandfather's deference to wealth and her own origins in the butter-shop, recognizing the class barriers she would face if she married Clarence.

• The Millionaire

  Copperhead's disdain for the rural gentry and clergy highlights class tensions between the industrial rich and the traditional educated classes.

• Father and Son

  Mr. Copperhead's wealth and contempt for the Parsonage's society highlight class conflict and the precarious position of the clergy.

• The Conflict

  Tozer's worship of Clarence's wealth and Clarence's condescension highlight the class divide and Phoebe's uneasy position.

• XLIV: Phoebe’s Last Trial

  Mr. Copperhead's opposition stems from class prejudice; Phoebe's potential marriage to Clarence represents a rise in social status.

• XLV: The Last

  Phoebe's marriage elevates her into high society; Mr. Copperhead values brains and money; Tozer and his wife feel excluded from the wedding.