British Caste System

• Yeomen were farmers, but had more than husbandmen. Sometimes it’s hard to tell between wealthy husbandmen and poor yeomen. They had a fair amount of land. Sometimes included merchant citizens because they were sort of in between this class and the one above.
• Yeomen are usually called commoners, but also known as middle class. Their wealth and size of land varied, but even the poorest owned at least 100 acres. The Hardman's are most likely from this class, also Betty and Robbie since they are most like domestic servants
• Clergymen lived in rural areas, usually received orders from the gentry. Worked with the church, and were considered a step below bishops but could become one if they rose up the ranks.

• Gentry/Gentlemen are the lower class of the higher caste. Could live on rents without working because of amount of assets owned. Could be well educated. Usually worked for the law, as priests, in politics, or other “white-collared” work that didn’t include manual labor.
• The term “Esquire” could also be used for this class. This is the most probable status of the family in the book, and the Quincey’s. Though they would be wealthy even in their class.

British Caste System

Sources

Gerashi, Mohammed. “The 20th Century Class System in England.” Prezi.com, 3 Nov. 2013, prezi.com/b3s7fhauv-lp/the-20th-century-class-system-in-england/.

“Welcome to University Of Brighton, Designing Britain learning module.” VADS: free art and design images for education, vads.ac.uk/learning/designingbritain/html/crd_socreform.html.

Lambert, Tim. "Life in Britain in the 20th Century". localhistories.org. 2017. http://www.localhistories.org/20thcent.html

Quotes

"He had looked in and seen them round the pool, screaming and laughing through the late morning heat. They would have run his wheelbarrow into the deep end if he had not gone across. Danny Hardman was there too, leering at their sister when he should have been at work" (McEwan 84). (Robbie's pov)

"He was without social unease--inappropriately so, in the view of many. At a dinner in Cambridge once, during a sudden silence round the table, someone who disliked Robbie asked loudly about his parents......His tone was of easygoing tolerance of his questioner's ignorance" (McEwan 81). (Robbie's pov)

"She always seemed to find it awkward--That's our cleaning lady's son, she might have been whispering to her friends as she walked on" (McEwan 74). (About Cecelia from Robbie's pov)

Lower Class

Upper Class

Middle Class

Characters and Class

• Peers are the nobles (barons, dukes, etc) and archbishops. They generally hold a great deal of land, and participated in court in the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament.
• The highest rank of all is royalty, usually a prince, princess, Queen, King, or a close relative of the royal family.
• Most of this class received their wealth from inheritance of wealthy estates and family name.

The upper classes are taught to look down upon the classes below them, so they are conditioned to think they are superior to others

• Lowest of the low included vagabonds, criminals, and drifters. Usually called the working caste because they worked for others to earn wages.
• Cottagers usually owned 1 to 5 acres of land, they were usually tenants, and were gone all day working in the fields.
• The higher of this class consisted of tradesmen, most of the time they were called “husbandmen”. They were usually farmers that rented homes and owned little land. The term “husband” most likely meant “master of the house”, and not the term of marriage as we know it today.Owned more than cottagers and laborers, but still remained in the lower class

Objective: Analyze how the situation in that time period with Robbie being a servant and Cecelia’s father subsidizing his education and how it would be like in today’s society

• Class structure was strict, the upper and middle classes were educated and believed in their own moral and cultural code, which tended to be superiority over the working classes as well as distrust.
• They were seen as proper modes of behavior for society with their correct pronunciations, manners, and appropriate dress and courting, Powerful people usually come from this caste.
• Lower classes rarely questioned their decisions, and they were not trusted as much as higher class people.

1900

1940

Characters and Relationships

20th Century England

Middle to Upper Class

Lower to Middle Class

British Class System Lifestyle

• Knights are the higher gentlemen, but the lower Baronets. Usually a military official that ordered troops, a sheriff of a county, or a judiciary. Most of the time it is just another way of saying higher class gentry.

British life was strictly stratified into a class system. The upper and middle class people were brought up to believe the lower classes were dirty and inferior, although they were prepared to employ them as servants. There were over two million servants in Britain at the turn of the century (80% of the population)

• There are class tensions between certain characters. In some instances, like with Cecelia and Robbie, it is clearly visible. She avoids him most of the time, and finds him irritable and mocking.
• Their relationship would most likely be looked down upon if it were to happen.
• Other times, we see clear distrust of lower class people, like when Cecelia suspects Danny Hardman of having a relationship with Lola, and perhaps misplaced trust in higher class people, like when Emily, the mother, suspects nothing of Paul Marshall's supposed ulterior motives with the young girl, and even thinks highly of him spending time with the children.

The UK during the 1900s experienced a booming economy, along with urbanization, advancing technology, and increased life expectancy. But only after their big recession in 1930s; like the U.S., the UK was in debt from the first world war, and change only came around when the second world war emerged.

In 1914, only 20% of the population was of the middle class. By 1939, this figure changed to 30%. Blue collar work decreased as white collar work increased. Divorce and single-parent families were not seen as common and acceptable until later in the century.

Quotes

"This wealthy young entrepreneur might not be such a bad sort, if he was prepared to pass the time of day entertaining children" (McEwan 66). (About Paul Marshall from Emily Tallis's pov)

"Watching him during the first several minutes of his delivery, Cecelia felt a pleasant sinking sensation in her stomach as she contemplated how deliciously self-destructive it would be, almost erotic, to be married to a man so nearly handsome, so hugely rich, so unfathomably stupid" (McEwan 47). (About Paul Marshall from Cecelia's pov)

"His expression was of tranquil incomprehension. She had noticed him hanging around the children lately. Perhaps he was interested in Lola" (McEwan 45). (about Danny Hardman from Cecelia's pov)

"Danny Hardman was behind them with their luggage. Old Hardman was just in view outside, gazing mutely at the five-pound note in his hand" (McEwan 44). (Cecelia's pov)

"Grace Turner became the Tallises' cleaner the week after Ernest walked away. Jack Tallis did not have it in him to turn out a young woman and her child" (McEwan 82). (Robbie's pov)