# How does The Trail of the Serpent develop the theme of Social Class and Inequality?

> The Trail of the Serpent by M. E. Braddon

## Answer

The Trail of the Serpent by M. E. Braddon develops Social Class and Inequality across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

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.

## Evidence

- [i-the-good-schoolmaster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/i-the-good-schoolmaster.md): 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.
- [vi-two-coroner-s-inquests](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/vi-two-coroner-s-inquests.md): 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.
- [i-blind-peter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/i-blind-peter.md): The contrast between Mrs. Marwood's wealth and the poverty of Blind Peter highlights class divisions; Jabez's respectable appearance masks his true intentions.
- [ii-like-and-unlike](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/ii-like-and-unlike.md): The stark contrast between Jabez's relatively comfortable position and the Lomax family's destitution highlights class divisions.
- [i-the-value-of-an-opera-glass](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/i-the-value-of-an-opera-glass.md): The contrast between the opulent opera house and the mention of 'misery, starvation, vice, crime, and death' beneath Paris's roofs underscores class divisions.
- [ii-working-in-the-dark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/ii-working-in-the-dark.md): The power dynamics between the wealthy Marquis de Cevennes, the lounger, and the servant Finette illustrate class hierarchies and the exploitation of the lower classes.
- [i-the-count-de-marolles-at-home](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/i-the-count-de-marolles-at-home.md): The opening contrasts the lives of the rich in Park Lane with the poor in Friar Street, yet notes that sorrow and death visit both alike.
- [v-the-new-milkman-in-park-lane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/v-the-new-milkman-in-park-lane.md): The chapter highlights the rigid class distinctions among servants and between servants and their masters, as seen in Mrs. Moper's aspirations and the Count's aloofness.

## Links

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