Class Mobility and Ambition

Where it surfaces

• Hunger Drives Him A-Fishing

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

• How to Sell Fish

  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.

• Confidential Intercourse

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

• Sound Investments

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

• A Visit to a Parson

  Davy's willingness to take on the spying job for money reflects his ambition and desire to improve his station, even if it involves morally questionable work.

• The Polite Ferryman

  Davy's entrepreneurial spirit in setting up a ferry and his aspirations for a better life for Bunny.

• Under Fairer Auspices

  Davy's interaction with Miss Carey shows his ambition to improve his station through service and integrity, while she offers him a salary and a gun.

• Notice to Quit

  Davy's dreams of owning a public house and training Bunny as a barmaid reflect his aspirations for upward mobility, which are dashed by the failure of his ferry business.

• XLI: The Right Man in the Right Place

  Davy's rise from fisherman to first gunnery instructor, driven by merit and ambition.

• The Little Maid, and the Midshipman

  Rodney's ambition to become a midshipman and Davy's role as an instructor show how naval service offered social advancement.

• XLIII: A Fine Price for Bardie

  Hezekiah's scheme to pass Bardie off as a wealthy heiress highlights the desire for social and financial advancement through deception.

• Provides for Education

  Davy's rise in the Royal Navy and his efforts to secure a good education for the children reflect aspirations for social advancement.

• XLV: Introduces a Real Hero

  Davy's rise from a common seaman to a position of responsibility, and his observations on Nelson's leadership and ambition.

• A Brave Man Runs Away

  Davy's exaggerated claims of landownership and patronage, and the servants' perception of him as a man of substance, reflect themes of social aspiration and the fluidity of class identity.

• Triple Education

  Bardie's education is seen as necessary because of her 'birth and nature,' suggesting that learning can elevate her station despite her lack of family.

• Beating Up for the Navy

  Davy rises from a fisherman to Master aboard a seventy-four, entrusted with a key recruiting mission, reflecting his social ascent through naval service.

• Taming of the Savages

  The wild boy Harry is groomed and elevated from a savage state to a potential midshipman, illustrating themes of social transformation and ambition.

• LVIII: More Haste, Less Speed

  Davy's decision to decline a lieutenant's commission due to age and pride, and his hope for a pecuniary reward, illustrates the tensions of class and ambition in the navy.

• In a Rocky Bower

  Bardie's noble birth is hinted at but she wishes she were a poor man's child; Rodney's proposal hinges on family approval, reflecting class barriers.

• LXII: A Rash Young Captain

  Harry Savage's rise from a shamefully treated young man to a lieutenant under Nelson exemplifies ambition and merit.

• Polly at Home

  Polly's rise from servant to independent landowner and Davy's strategic courtship reflect themes of social advancement.