Dickens Views on Victorian Englands Class System

Great Expectations, a novel written by Charles Dickens during the Victorian era. This novel was set in early Victorian England at a time when great social changes were taking place. During the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution had transformed the social landscape, allowing industrialists and manufacturers to accumulate huge fortunes that would otherwise have been inaccessible. Aside from the political and economic change which occurred, a profound social change took place. The populace seeking to better their lives, sought after employment in newly-formed industries. During this era, the society was categorized into three classes: upper, middle, and lower class and this system was the called the social class†¦show more content†¦His feelings about Joes arrival were: Not with pleasure... I had the sharpest sensitiveness as to his being seen by Drummle. (Dickens 203) He was afraid that Drummle will look down on him because of Joes lower class. N ot only does Pip treat Joe differently, Joe also treats Pip differently because of their difference in social class. He begins to call Pip sir which bothered him because sir was the title given to people of higher class. Joe leaves and explains his early leaving, Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one mans a blacksmith, and ones a whitesmith, and ones a goldsmith, and ones a coppersmith. Divisions among such must come... (Dickens 223) He creates this metaphor than he is a common blacksmith and Pip is a goldsmith. So, this is another example of how Dickens criticizes the social class system. Other characters that were also judged by their social class were Magwitch and Compeyson. They were both on trial for the same crime but Compeyson got off easier compared to Magwitch because of his higher social class. The ending of the trial was solely based upon social class system. Throughout the novel, Dickens explores the class system of Victorian England, ranging from the criminal Magwitch, to the poor peasants Joe and Biddy,Show MoreRelatedFighting Society: Charles Dickens 1937 Words   |  8 Pagestime these advances seemed to improve many aspects of daily life, Charles Dickens only saw the negative effects that this new way of life imposed upon unsuspecting families. As a victim of the Industrial Revolution, which left many of the working class, including his own family, in a horrible state of living, Dickens grew up in a wretched environment brought on by an advancing society. His early life led to his ambitions of escaping the poverty that gripped his family. His talent for writing proved