Class and Caste | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Class and Caste

Introduction

In literature dealing with race and prejudice, class is often intertwined with race and ethnicity; those who are discriminated against due to race are more likely to be trapped in a lower level of society. Conversely, those who exist in the lower classes are more likely to be discriminated against by those in the upper classes. This creates a vicious undertow that can trap victims of racial or ethnic prejudice, making it extremely difficult for them to attain a higher social status. However, literature dealing with social class prejudice and conflict shows that such treatment frequently exists without regard for race or ethnicity.

Born Unlucky

One of the most observant chroniclers of Victorian England's class struggles is novelist Charles Dickens. In Oliver Twist (1838), one of the great author's most famous works, a young boy named Oliver is born into England's harsh workhouse system. Dickens spends much time satirizing the "benefits" of this system and its treatment of the poor; for example, he notes that lawmakers granted poor people substantial freedom, allowing them to choose between "being starved by a gradual process in the [work]house, or by a quick one out of it." He also illustrates how an essentially good person like Oliver can be tempted to perform criminal acts by those willing to take advantage of his desperation.

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