Social Class and Inequality

The book contrasts the lives of the wealthy in places like Park Lane with the poverty of Seven Dials and Slopperton, highlighting how social class determines fate, opportunity, and moral judgment, as seen in the workhouse origins of Jabez North and the disdain for the poor.

Jabez's origin as a workhouse foundling and his rise through the social hierarchy highlight class divisions and the arbitrary nature of names and status.

The contrast between the sensational interest in a murder in a 'respectable rank of life' versus the indifference toward the death of a poor drowned woman, whose body is buried in a parish burying-ground without recognition.

The contrast between Mrs. Marwood's wealth and the poverty of Blind Peter highlights class divisions; Jabez's respectable appearance masks his true intentions.

The stark contrast between Jabez's relatively comfortable position and the Lomax family's destitution highlights class divisions.