The Little White Bird · Question
How does The Little White Bird develop the theme of Social Class and Ambition?
Answer
The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie develops Social Class and Ambition across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Social class is subtly examined through Mary's humble origins as a nursery governess, her marriage to a struggling painter, and her efforts to create a beautiful home from meager means, reflecting aspirations and societal constraints.
Mary's marriage and her efforts to create a genteel home from meager resources highlight the struggle for upward mobility and the performance of respectability.
Mary's secret pawnshop visit underscores the financial struggles beneath a respectable exterior.
The narrator's discomfort with William's familiarity and his efforts to maintain social distance while secretly helping.
Evidence in the book
- III: Her Marriage, Her Clothes, Her Appetite, and an Inventory of Her Furniture
Mary's marriage and her efforts to create a genteel home from meager resources highlight the struggle for upward mobility and the performance of respectability.
- A Shock
Mary's secret pawnshop visit underscores the financial struggles beneath a respectable exterior.
- The Inconsiderate Waiter
The narrator's discomfort with William's familiarity and his efforts to maintain social distance while secretly helping.
- XII: The Pleasantest Club in London
Irene, a Drury Lane child, tells the Cinderella story with a longing to become a lady, revealing her secret ambition and the class barriers she faces.
