Lower Class example essay topic

Sense and Sensibility is a book that deals with many of life's circumstances during the eight-teen hundreds. Although it was written in the first person it can provide the reader with a detailed perspective on the lifestyle of the upper crust of society. However, in order to get a full sense of appreciation of this lifestyle the elements of the opposite group, the lower class, must be attained. By comparing the differences amongst lifestyles characteristics which differ between individuals of their respective groups can be explained, and more importantly be justified.

The Dashwood's are undoubtedly not of the lower crust of society, instead they were of the upper middle class for a number of different reasons. The most obvious which set them apart from the lower class is that they do not need to work to in order to survive. Although they were left on a budget by the senior Mr. Dashwood, they had no inclination to work, nor was there any mention of it during the entire novel. They were content with simply waiting to be married by a financially stable male. The evidence for this statement came from Mrs. Jennings when she said"; (She) Missed no opportunity of projecting weddings among all the young people". This is the same practice that any reasonable female of that era would participate in.

The aristocrats of that time would not have imagined that taking a regular job was the way to succeed, and they were right. It Gitelman 2 was impossible to succeed, however to the people who did work at those time it was not about success, but rather survival. At the time this book was written England was going through a "Boom". The industrial revolution by this time was at full swing. In 1701 the population of London, Great Britain's largest city, and administrative center was 950,000, by 1851 that number jumped to 2.5 million. Likewise, all the outlaying suburbs and regions grew.

The main industries of that time were textiles and mining. As for the textile industries, many of the jobs needed to be performed were done in factories by women or children. These jobs required little or no skill, and thus wages reflected that of unskilled labor. Aside from pathetic wages, the unskilled employees of this period would be subject to poor working conditions and long hours. This adds obvious emphasis to the Dashwoods' behavior in not attempting to work. Some of the other contributing factors that separated the lower class from the middle and upper would be the way in which they spent their free time.

The laborers rarely had any; their days would be filled with necessary chores that ranged from getting water to doing laundry. Because the technology for household efficiency was not keeping up with the times, many of the luxuries taken for granted today were not even available to these individuals. The upper classes on the other hand relied on servants for their tasks; they did not have to deal with these chores. At a particular point in the book an insight was offered to the family's lifestyle, but more importantly to the mindset they had developed. Marianne said that", A proper establishment of servants, a carriage, perhaps Gitelman 3 two, and hunters... ".

(67) This quote perfectly portrays what Marianne understood to be the norm. As a result of their lavish lifestyle that consisted of servants doing all the labor and they doing nothing, they were simply overwhelmed with their leisurely time. This argument can be further cemented when the Dashwood family moved into their cottage and the family's furniture was being shipped to Norland. Elinor describes their parcel as, "Household linen, plate, china, and books, with an handsome pianoforte of Marianne's".

(21) The pianoforte was a leisurely instrument that Marianne used to pass the time. However, if she could find something else to do she would gladly put the piano aside. For example, the girl's number one choice of leisure would be to have an engagement with many different people, such as a ball. The lower classes unfortunately would not indulge in any of these aristocratic events. They would not have fine china, nor would a pianoforte be on the top of their monthly shopping list. As far as the term servant goes, they would be only privileged to be a servant, let alone have one.

The idea that someone would do their dirty work for them was nothing more than a fantasy to them. The Dashwood family at times seemed as if they were oblivious to their own financial situation, in fact Marianne mentions to Elinor that Willoughby had given her a horse, Elinor then comments that. ".. an additional servant, the expense would be a trifle; mama she was sure would never object". (22) This left the reader perplexed and curious to understand why this would be the case. However, after analyzing the lifestyle of the lower class, and the upper classes, the reader can gain a sense of understanding as to the mindset of the Dashwood family. It is easy to see how someone that has servants and Gitelman 4 hunters at their feet might not know how to make it on their own, or for themselves. It is easy to get accustomed to a particular lifestyle, especially if it is one you are born into.

Although it is not the families fault that they are not accustomed to hard work, but it begs me to ask the question; how does one learn the meaning of hard work if one never works hard? Britain. 2005. History Channel. 2 Feb 2005. web book. pl? ID = 210855.