Preview

Social Class In 19th Century Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1594 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Social Class In 19th Century Essay
In life, one can look about on all the cultures of the world and see them for what they really are on a deeper level than just a government, community, and or town. Each and every culture has some sort of social ranking that goes from high class to poverty. The hierarchy of most cultures sets examples of materialistic possessions that make those without the money to afford such pleasantries to look upon their lives with regret and pain because of the examples set by upper class citizens and their lack of appreciation for their possessions. In nineteenth century France, one’s social class meant a lot to one’s worth as an individual. In many cases, high class women otherwise known as the aristocrats were portrayed as elegant, beautiful, calm, and most importantly with high-fashion and very expensive jewelry on. …show more content…
Next, going down the latter known as social classes was the lower middle class; last came the prostitutes servants, and beggars. These social rankings can only further prove that materialistic possessions often played a large role in one’s social ranking and everyday lifestyle. The social ranking in nineteenth century France was based on materialistic possessions, beauty, and most of all money. During this time frame, there was a fine line of whom can associate with who because if an important person were to be spotted with a lower class that person’s status could be downgraded and that person could lose everything; this portrays how society can control people’s lives, how they live them, and who they share it with. Although there are a multitude of ideas presented in Guy De Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace” the most significant idea is that Madame Loisel is victimized and her life ruined because of the nineteenth century France

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    the other hand, “The Necklace” written by Guy de Maupassant in 1884 is about a poor…

    • 1597 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The idea of social status is one that assumes a pivotal role in Middle Age European culture. Social status was, in essence, a tool used by society to differentiate and label the population into their appropriate classes. Therefore, the elite would mingle with other members of their class, and the poor would associate themselves with other poor people. Social status had almost a sacred aura surrounding it. Obtainable only by rite of birth, it was not given out nor obtained overnight. Everyone respected the caste system and one’s position in it, and because of the respect for social status, the nobles received the respect of other noblemen, middle class merchants, peasants, and anyone else below them on the social ladder. Social status was a glue that held society together because it was an established hierarchy that people accepted as the social norm, preventing civil unrest. It was a social taboo to not pay homage to those higher up on the social ladder, and anyone who violated this social caste system would be severely punished. Therefore, a peasant could never disrespect someone with a higher social status than them, lest they suffer unfavorable consequences. In Moliere’s Would-Be Gentleman, social status assumes a prominent role in how society behaves. Monsieur Jourdain uses social status as a driving force that motivates him to better himself and move up the social ladder. In the case of Madame Jourdain, however, social status is a deterring force that turns her away from bettering herself socially, and instead encourages her to accept her place in society.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Honor In Old Regime

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This excerpt highlights how aristocratic privilege trumped concepts of ‘honor’ in Old Regime France and exasperated class tensions over aristocratic privilege. According to Loyseau, in early modern France, the social hierarchy of the three Estates was “. . . willingly observed through honor, and certainly they are more honorable when they come from a voluntary respect . . .” (Loyseau 17). Without the observance of honor and rank, Loyseau claimed “there would only be confusion among us.” (Loyseau 17). Consequently, the chevalier in the case, a noble, should never have pursued Noailles, the daughter of a merchant. Although Noailles resisted the chevalier’s advances because of the difference in their ranks, the chevalier continued to pursue her, leading to her kidnapping and, to protect her honor in the aftermath of the kidnapping, their…

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Boule de Suif” is a short story formed upon a prostitute and her experiences while escaping from her city during the Franco-Prussian war, while “Jewelry” is a story based upon the experiences of a widower as he realizes his dead wife’s misdeed. Both stories take place during the late 19th century in France, resembling the historical aspects of the country during that period. While both short stories take place at a different setting and situation, the common aspect which the author convincingly conveys in both plots are the selfish behavior of human beings. In “Boule de Suif”, the author centralizes his main motif on the real difference between the nobles; considered as a superior being with a prostitute; a profession considered as the lowest of all. In the story, Maupassant clarifies the sacrifices made by the prostitute for the sake of the nobles, while the nobles…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Victorian Era, there was a jurassic difference between the lifestyles of social classes, one being the types of food they ate. Lower class families would live off of small serving sizes and the majority of the food that they ate were either low quality and not healthy. The higher class dined off of larger servings to the point where they had leftovers and were fortunate to have three meals a day. The staples that made up a meal for a lower class family consisted of bread, sugar, butter, cheese, tea, salt, and potatoes. Because of the lack of nutrients and other things required to sustain a healthy lifestyle, there were difficulties in the growth of children and weaker immune systems which caused for more illnesses. Middle class families…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The roles played by both the peasants and aristocrats were that of codependents. The High Middle Ages took the idea of the feudal system established for years to come; aristocrats held land and power but still needed serfs to work the land. Simply put, those in the peasant class did not have the wealth needed to own land nor the means of protecting it; while, the aristocrats have the affluence to pay for protection and the land needed for agriculture. The peasant class fueled the this machine through manpower on the farms, and swords on the battlefield when needed. For the beginning parts of the High Middle Ages this was civilization, farming, caring for livestock, paying taxes to the king, and defending the land. Yet, as prosperity grew and…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    These people were very wealthy, and their lives revolved around entertainment, social gatherings and balls. Not much thought was given to the lower classes by the Aristocracy, and many times, if thought was given, it wouldn’t be favorable. Both men and women in the upper class were educated to some degree—women not as much in academics as in art. Someone in the Upper class could demote to a lower class if he wasn’t wealthy enough to be an aristocrat, but if you were born in a lower class you couldn’t move to a higher social class.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In 'The Necklace' Madame Mathilde Loisel is unhappy with her position in life, she dreams of a life of leisure and of being well-off - but the reality is that she has a modest life style. She has stopped visiting an old friend Madame Forestier who has become wealthy because she feels ashamed of her social standing....…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The plot of most short stories is condensed in length and of a more simplistic nature relative to novels. Guy de Maupassant’s, “The Necklace” is no exception. Starting with the exposition, the story has only three main characters, Madame and Monsieur Loisel––both very simple, “economical” characters that are among the lower-rank of society’s hierarchal ladder, and Madame Forestier, Mathilde Loisel’s affluent friend. A combination of 19th century language and lifestyle, as well as the life span of the author, dually suggest that the story’s setting takes place not only during the 19th century, but as many famous locations of Paris are mentioned in the story, Paris, France. In order to set the plot in motion, the inciting incident introduces the conflict. In “The Necklace,” the inciting incident is when the husband brings forth an invitation to a “select” event at the “palace of the Ministry.” Although, originally flustered by the idea, Mathilde eventually decides to go, but only under the condition that she looks like a proper lady; elegant and exquisitely dressed. Thus, the continually manifest conflict for the “poverty-stricken” couple, the inability to purchase such expensive items, develops the plot further. “It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewelry, not a single ornament, nothing to put on.” Mathilde’s lack of finances and her irritation with the situation provides both an external and internal element towards the conflict. When proceeding events in the rising action, like purchasing the sophisticated gown, and, most significantly, acquiring the diamond necklace transpire, Mathilde’s lack of income, the conflict, becomes even more apparent physically and emotionally. “The day of the ball drew near and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy, anxious.” Suspense building, Mathilde and her husband attend the ball. “Madame Loisel was a great success. She was prettier than any other woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy.” Unfortunately, from…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Striving for higher social status has been the downfall of many people just as it was the destruction of Emma Bovary. In Nineteenth Century France, several class existed: peasant or working class, middle class, upper-middle class, bourgeois, and aristocrats. In the story, "Madame Bovary," we see a number of individuals striving to move themselves up to the bourgeois, a status that is higher than the working class but not as high as nobility. The bourgeois are characterized by being educated and wealthy but unlike the aristocracy, they earned their money through hard work and kept it through frugality (Britannica).…

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a short story of a middle-class couple, a prideful woman named Mathilde Loisel and her down-to-earth husband, Mr. Loisel, who live in Paris, France. Maupassant’s novels are commonly known by the simplicity of the title. (Organ) Maupassant likes to emphasize an element for the reader to view as significant. (Organ) Mathilde lives her life beyond the means of reality and fantasizes that her world is full of wealth and luxuries. She likes to buy and borrow unnecessary items to satisfy her excessive needs. She has no respect for her hard-working husband who does everything in his power to provide her with the material things she wants. The story explains how her self-centeredness forces her and her husband into debt for ten long years. The morals, characters, and setting are all very important features leading to this story’s distressed ending.…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout the story “The Diamond Necklace”, we are given an idea of the society that they live in does not have a fair distribution of goods or even a path to achieve them. Leaving many with no hope to aspire higher economically. In the case of Madame Loisel, she is described as an unfortunate beautiful woman, whose destiny fell into a family of clerks. With…

    • 364 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Guy De Maupassant’s story “The Necklace,” has an abundance of symbolic factors, and though there are many meanings that can be inferred, there is one apparent allusion that is projected. The danger of martyrdom is evident in “The Necklace,” along with the consequential fate of self-serving actions. Mathilde’s perception of herself as a martyr leads her to take selfish and self-serving actions which lead to extremely unfortunate circumstances. Mathilde, middle class at best, does everything she can to make her life seem like one of privilege. This leads her to borrow the necklace, and ultimately lose the adornment along with her comfortable life. However, at the end of the story Monsier Loisel is the one who becomes the martyr while trying to protect and help his partner.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    marxism in the necklace

    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In “The Necklace”, Guy de Maupassant uses a woman’s life, and very important event in it, to depict the Marxism of his or her lifetime, especially amongst women. He uses comparisons and downfalls of her life to depict society’s shortcomings and beliefs of class. Marxism looks at the economic and social structures of a society and the draws attention to the struggles between the classes. A Marxist might believe that people are born as creations of economical or social positions. Born to a family of clerks, Mrs. Mathilde Louise was beautiful by looks, but felt as if she was not because she could not afford to dress well, eat well, or live well. She felt everything she had was ugly and until she was rich she would be unhappy. Matilda's husband received an invitation for him and her to attend a very high-class party, which he believed she would be ecstatic to attend but yet because of her downfalls and the Marxism of her society she felt as if she was not good enough.…

    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the 19th century, France was experiencing and suffering from a huge social disturbance. As a result, new social group was rising which was the bourgeoisie (middle class). These people got their chance thought commercials and events instead of inheritance. They were described by the word materialism. Gustave Flaubert's book, Madame Bovary, he wrote about how good, simple, innocent and naïve these people are. He also used the book to grab the people's attention to the poorness of this class. It also shows the effect of social classes on a person. A good example of that will be Emma Bovary. The poor life of the middle caused her fall. This was because she always wanted a higher status, wealth, love and happiness. She saw everything in a different view. This things lead to her affairs and beings in debt and finally killing herself.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays