# Class and Respectability in The Lodger

> Theme guide for The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.

The Buntings, as former servants, cling to middle-class markers like good furniture and cleanliness, while the lodger is identified as a 'gentleman' by his manner, yet class distinctions blur as both the respectable and the criminal inhabit the same domestic space.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/i): Their former lives in service and their efforts to maintain a respectable front highlight the importance of class standing and the fear of falling into the 'submerged multitude.'
- [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/xxiv): Bunting's primary fear is that involvement with the police will ruin his and Ellen's chance at a 'good joint situation,' reflecting the precarious social standing of their class.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/themes/class_and_respectability
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/themes