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The Hoosier Schoolmaster · Theme
Social Class and Mobility
How The Hoosier Schoolmaster develops Social Class and Mobility.
Characters like Ralph Hartsook and Squire Hawkins rise through education and marriage, while others like the Means family and bound girl Hannah are trapped by poverty and lack of opportunity, highlighting the rigid social hierarchies of rural Indiana.
Where it surfaces
- IV: Spelling Down the Master
Hannah, a bound girl, defeats the educated master, highlighting the fluidity of social status in the community.
- V: The Walk Home
Hannah's position as a 'drudge' in the Means household contrasts with Ralph's status as a schoolmaster, highlighting class differences.
- A Letter and Its Consequences
Bud's despair reflects the rigid class boundaries between Flat Crickers and those considered above them, as he feels he can never rise above his origins.