The Lower Class
The lower class, at least in Charles Dickens’ eyes, is where the majority
of just and moral characters reside.
Not only do most lower class characters simply act in a more loving and
understanding way, but you will also notice that the complete nuclear families
are all in the lower class. The
characters from both the upper and middle class came from incomplete homes.
Steerforth, David, and Uriah are all without fathers, and Steerforth’s
mother is without a husband. So
because there is an emphasis on families within the lower class, I will analyze
two complete families: The
Peggottys and The Micawbers.
The Peggotty family consists of:
Clara Peggotty, David’s childhood maid; Mr. Peggotty, Clara’s brother;
Emily and Ham, Mr. Peggotty’s niece and nephew; and Mrs. Gummidge, the widow of
Mr. Peggotty’s former partner. Mr.
Peggotty is poor. He lives in an
upturned ship on the coast, and makes his living as a fisherman.
Even so, he still takes in his niece, nephew, and the wife of his dead
partner, which shows his moral goodness.
Clara is the beloved maid/nanny of David, and she takes over as his
mother figure after he loses his mother and little brother.
Emily becomes David’s fast friend, and Ham is a simple but kind man, that
dies in the ultimate self-sacrifice, as he dies trying to save James Steerforth,
the man that stole his cousin away.
Mrs. Gummidge is sad and mopey, but kind at heart.
We ascertain the entire family’s goodness with how fast David falls for
them, even though they are from the lower class, and they are morally sound in
that they take care of each other, even though they aren’t technically a normal
family. Especially in the case of
Mrs. Gummidge, who is of no blood relation to anybody else in the home; even so,
Mr. Peggotty accepts her constant self-pity and complaining with grace, calmly
and kindly responding with positive comments and reassuring gestures.
The Peggotty family is very poor, but at the same time stable.
Our other lower class family however, creates more amusing situations
with their financial woes.
The Micawbers, are made up of Mr. Micawber, his wife, Mrs. Micawber, and
their slew of children. Mr.
Micawber is arguably the most interesting character in the entire book.
Believed to be modeled off of Dickens’ own father, Mr. Micawber and his
family spend the entire novel trying to usurp the middle class, with get rich
quick schemes and dramatic rhetoric.
Their family is kind and loving, but they are terrible with money.
It goes so far, that David witnesses Mr. Micawber being sent to debtor
prison. As far as their treatment
of other people, the Micawbers are morally good, but an argument can be made
against their morality in the sense that they spend money they don’t have, and
fail to repay debts.