Class Mobility and Ambition

Davy's constant striving for status, money, and recognition, along with Bardie's potential rise from castaway to heiress, illustrate the possibilities and limits of social climbing in a stratified society.

Davy's fall from able-bodied seaman to a poor fisherman highlights themes of economic struggle and the need to work to survive.

Davy's determination to sell his fish at a good price and his pride in his salesmanship reflect his ambition to improve his station through cleverness and hard work.

Bardie's recitation of a polite greeting and her awareness of social rank hint at her upper-class background.

Davy's establishment of a fishing partnership for the children's money reflects his ambition to improve their fortunes through investment and industry.