In Dickens's England, one's occupation determined where one lived, the clothes one wore, and the respect one could command in society. With enough money, a man could become a part of the upper class with all its influence and opportunity. Without skills and a decent income, he quickly slipped into a life of poverty, powerlessness, and desperation.
Upper-class employment, particularly for members of the nobility, was often more of an option than a necessity. Landowners with large estates spent their days overseeing their property and the tenants who rented and farmed it, but many wealthy men simply hired a bailiff or land agent. That gave them freedom to entertain their friends and participate in sports such as hunting, riding, and horse racing. Many members of the aristocracy made membership in Parliament their career in order to oversee its workings and protect their own interests.
Among those who held.....
This is a free excerpt of 150 words. This section contains 4,279 words. This
article contains 31,913 words (approx. 106 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Dicken's England Access Pass.
