ge+essay+for+english


 * Head of class **

Social classes have always been present in world history. Social classes consist of the lower, middle, and the upper class. Most of the time people couldnt move or change classes, but it was possible. Your social class usually depended on your education and money and how much of it you had. Society varied greatly and Dickens often stressed its imortance in his book//Great Expectations.//

The birthright is a right or an object given to someone born in that class or family. Higher ranked men have the birthright to the family’s money and heirlooms. You are also given the class name of whatever class you are in; an example is a noble. In the book //Great Expectations// the birthright of Magwitch was to be poor, He was an orphan.

The role of social classes was to establish order in society’s hierarchy. The upper class ruled, while the middle class owned businesses and the poor were relegated to just surviving. Most people tried to work their way up to the next class, but in most cases people didn’t succeed. In //Great Expectations//, Magwitch helped Pip move up in class as he did himself. It was frowned upon society to move up in a social class because there might be too many rich people and too few peasants to work for them. Their high postion also gave them more power than the ones below them. "There, there! I know nothing of days of the week;I know nothing of weeks of the year. Come again after six days. you hear?" (chapter 8 pg 56) as shown in this quote for //Great Expectations// Ms Havisham is a member of the upper class and so she has power over Pip. Therefore Pip must do what She asks.

Charles Dickens explained that social classes are important. But society shouldn’t frown upon people who do move up in society. Instead, some people back in his day wanted to help the poor or needy, but did not want to look bad in front of their other upper class friends.

In today’s society social classes are still intact, but the poor and needy are helped more. But the social classes are still very similar. However, trying to move up a social class is easier with a good education, hard work and diligence.

By. ** Adam Garfola **