Status and Social Class
18th century England
Key Terms
Preferment: promotion or appointment to a position or office
Primogeniture: the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents
Entailment: something involved as a necessary part or consequence of something
Social Classes
GENTRY
Those who received a high standard of upbringing. Included: gentlemen, merchants, wealthy tradesmen, and well-off manufacteurs.
MIDDLE CLASS
Comprised of about 15% of the population.
Included: upper middle class - certain professionals and merchants; lower middle class - artisans, shopkeepers, and tradesmen.
LABORING CLASS
Comprised of about 25% of the population.
Included: all who worked in rural areas and the urban laboring poor who worked in the countryside.
Facts
NOW VS. THEN
The US now has five social classes: the upper class, the upper middle class, the lower middle class, working class, and lower class. In the 18th century, there were three different social classes that were separated in almost the same way. Now, it seems like people still interact even if their classes are different, but in the 18th century, each social class seem to be really isolated from each other.
HOW IT AFFECTS THE NOVEL
In the 18th century, the social classes are extremely important. The story is set in a higher social class, so we probably won't see a lot of the lower classes. Also, in the higher classes, it seems like every man needs to marry to show his place. There may be a lot of forced marriages because of the fact that it seems necessary to marry.
Swaggy Peter, Claire Davis, Elisabeth Mann, Phil, Reid Herndon, Maya Carter
Birds the word.