Class and Social Mobility

Where it surfaces

• I

  The rise of the Baskette family from basket-makers to chieftains illustrates early social mobility, while the coming of Steam and Legal Rights threatens to disrupt this order.

• XII

  The claimants range from common labourers to judges and financiers, showing how the promise of wealth drives social aspiration and mobility across classes.

• Book II: Persons

  Characters like Sternhold Baskette and Aymer Malet illustrate the precarious nature of social standing and the pursuit of wealth.

• I

  Aymer's low social status and poverty contrast with his intellectual aspirations and his brief escape to Florence, highlighting the barriers of class.

• III

  Aymer's rise from a despised, poor artist to the accepted suitor of the squire's daughter illustrates the tensions and possibilities of social mobility through talent and affection.

• IV

  Aymer's rise from obscurity and poverty to marrying the squire's daughter, aided by his artistic success and the patronage of Lady Lechester.

• IX

  Aymer's anxiety about entering the upper ranks and his acceptance of a low-paying clerkship highlight the barriers and compromises of social mobility.

• Chapter X

  Jenkins, despite acquittal, is reduced to near-starvation and forced to work for a harsh master, illustrating the precariousness of lower-class life.

• XI

  Aymer hopes to rise in society through his work, and the case involves wealthy claimants and the legal maneuvering of established firms.

• XIV

  The division of the city into sections reflects the struggle among different groups (Original Swampers, Sibbolds, Illegitimates) for social and economic ascendancy.

• Chapter XV

  Marese Baskette's rise from poverty to political power threatens the established wealthy classes, who fear losing their grip on property and influence.

• I

  Marese Baskette, of low birth (a basket-maker's son), seeks to marry into the ancient Lechester family, trading wealth for status and political power.

• V

  Aymer's struggle to rise from poverty through his writing reflects the challenges of social mobility in Victorian England.

• VIII

  Agnes's pride is wounded by the prospect of marrying a pretender; Aymer's lowly status is exploited.

• The Approaching Nuptials

  Marese's marriage to Lady Lechester elevates his social standing, securing him acceptance among the aristocracy and political advancement.