The Mystery of 31, New Inn · Theme
Class and Professional Identity
How The Mystery of 31, New Inn develops Class and Professional Identity.
The book contrasts the shabby, struggling life of a general practitioner (Jervis) with the prestigious, intellectual world of the legal and scientific elite (Thorndyke), and examines social hierarchies through characters like the democratic bottle-boy.
Where it surfaces
- Thorndyke Devises a Scheme
Thorndyke criticizes Jervis's casual employment as beneath his class and professional attainments, urging him to seek a proper career.
- IV: The Official View
Jervis's frustration with the police and his longing for the dignified work of the Temple reflect tensions between general practice and specialized professional identity.
- Jeffrey Blackmore's Will
The contrast between the old-fashioned lawyer Marchmont and the scientific lawyer Thorndyke highlights professional tensions.