Writing Sample #1

Sara Sellers
Dr. Schroeder
English Novel
09 Dec 2015
Social Class in Emma, Oliver Twist and Wuthering Heights
Throughout the novels read this semester, the various authors have had several depictions
on relationships between social classes, such as the standard social class and the different
social class as told by both the narrator and the author. However, many of the authors hold
different definitions for what is considered the standard and what is considered to be the
different social class.
In the novel Emma by Jane Austen, although the character Emma is of the higher social
class in which she is expected to provide character to those of the lower class, such as Harriet
Smith and Miss Bates who both live on Emmas estate. Austen seems to be implying that the
higher class must maintain the higher class position by clearly making a class distinction through
charity-like contribution to the lower class. Because Emma is seen many times visiting Miss
Bates or attending to Harriet, she is seen as doing such deeds out of the goodness of her wealth
because the lower class doesnt have the resources to do so, thus creating a sense of dependency
on these characters while reflecting the obvious class distinctions.
Furthermore, Emma makes a project out of the lower class Harriet Smith by attempting to
turn her into someone who is socially equal to Emma herself. However, when Knightley catches
word that Emma has encouraged Harriet to deny Mr. Martins proposal, he is infuriated because,
socially, Mr. Martin is Harriets equal. Austen understands that Harriet, a lower class occupant, is
not suitable for a higher class marriage that Emma is influencing her to become a part of. In fact,

Harriet would never advance as a higher class female without Emmas influence. To further her
belief about marriage staying in the designated social class, Austen provides the story about Mr.
Westons first wife. As an upstart, Mr. Weston was considered of lower class because it opposes
the idea of family money, while his first wife was of a higher class. Therefore, Mrs. Westons
parents were never accepting of Mr. Weston and the marriage was an unhappy one. Austen
demonstrates that social class distinctions are purposely present in society, and should be abided
by. The standard social class in Austens point-of-view is the higher class, while the lower
class is considered different as they will never socially combine successfully.
Much like Jane Austens view, Charles Dickens has a strong view on the upper class and
considers them as being superior to the lower class because the lower class is so different
socially and infested with criminality. Dickens creates a comparison between Rose and Nancy.
Nancy is a lower class prostitute who lives a life of crime because of her lower social class. From
childhood, she was surrounded by Fagin and his crew. Ultimately, she cannot escape this lifestyle
because she doesnt have the advantages or resources that Rose has had in her life. Although
Rose is born an orphan, she was raised by the higher class Mrs. Maylie in which she was offered
the proper means to grow into the perfect depiction of a higher class female. The comparison
with Rose and Nancy is understood as Dickens implication of seeing the social class background
of both the characters as an important and influencing factor that goes into what defines them. If
a child is surrounded by lower class, they will grow up to be lower class and indulge in
criminality to maintain a living, as Nancy has and as opposed to the better route of what Rose
has made of herself as being raised in a higher class environment.
However, Dickens contradicts this idea through his description of Oliver Twist because
Oliver manages to rise above his fate predicted by being a child of the lower class. Oliver

experienced the full force of being a poor orphan as he was passed through workhouses and
orphanages. Despite of these experiences, Oliver still remains kind and never stoops to the lower
morals or criminality expected from the lower class as depicted by Charles Dickens. Olivers
situation could be seen as Dickens representing the social class system as being faulty and its
inability to define someones fate. However, it does provide an emphasis on Olivers situation as
being miraculous as compared to everyone else, like Nancy, who was raised in lower class
situations and who did not create her own fate. Therefore, Dickens depiction of Oliver Twist is
dominantly seen as an unheard of situation and that the readers during his time should consider
the more likely outcomes of a child raised in lower class standards.
In Brontes Wuthering Heights, there is a clear hierarchy of class present throughout the
novel. The Lintons, the owners of Thrushcross Grange, are the superiors to the Earnshaws in
Wuthering Heights. Although Nelly was raised with the Earnshaw children, she was aware of her
position in society as a non-labor servant representing the lower middle class of the novel.
Interestingly enough, she is superior to Heathcliff because as an orphan, he is considered a
manual laborer servant. Heathcliffs birth is what defines him in society as birth plays a big role
in the higher class society. When Earnshaw considered Heathcliff to be an equal to his own son,
he breaks societal norms during the time. Much like Harriet in Emma, Heathcliff was a lower
class occupant being raised to become someone of the higher class.
After Earnshaws death class distinctions in the novel become even more evident,
Hindley takes Heathcliff back down to his born lower class status. Although Heathcliff is lower
class himself, he takes pride in knowing that Hindleys son has the qualities of the lower class
because he is uneducated. Further, social class is the reason Catherine marries Edgar as he can
support her as well as her plans for him to support Heathcliff as well. However, Heathcliff

returning to Wuthering Heights with money doesnt convince Edgar to consider him of the
higher class. Although, despite Edgars opinion, Catherin and Isabella both betray their families
and social classes by being infatuated for the common laborer Heathcliff.
By depicting these relationships as such, Bronte is implying that social norms, such as
class, are able to be broken. However, Bronte emphasizes that society is too tightly bound to the
idea of societal separations because the societal boundaries are not allowed to be broken in the
novel. Heathcliff is never fully accepted by the higher class because he has the background and
upbringing of an orphan as well as the lack of a bloodline that connects him to the family he was
raised in. Furthermore, Heathcliff and Catherine are not able to be together because, societally,
they are on different levels and society would never allow them to be together.
Through each of the novels, the authors consider the standard class to be the higher class,
while the lower class is the different class as it seems to be much more problematic and less
compatible with the standards of the upper class. However, both Austen and Dickens seem to
believe that class is something that should be understood as social law, the lower and upper class
should be separated as they are so socially different and are defined by radically different
standards. Bronte, on the other hand, seems to believe there is potential for breaking social class
standards, but society as a whole must look beyond the class standards before that is possible.

Writing Sample #2
Sara Sellers
Dr. Grant
Major British Writers
21 October 2013
Midterm Essay - Comparative Explication
Shakespeare's view in Sonnet 60 is a pessimistic, global concern about beauty in the
world and how its youth is being slowly destroyed by the effects of time as well as seeing
remembrance as an importance in life, while Spensers view in Sonnet 75 is an optimistic, selfish
concern about himself and his lover, and sees the survival of their love as the only importance in
the world.
The opening quatrain for each sonnet uses the imagery of ocean waves to illustrate and
set framework to their drastically different world views. For Shakespeare's Sonnet 60, the waves
are a metaphor for human life, and how it is continuous with renewing minutes, which is
illustrated by the continuous work of pebbles being replaced on the shore. As for Spensers
opening quatrain, his image of the ocean waves illustrate time as well. However, instead of
focusing on the global effects of time, Spenser aims attention to what time will do specifically to
his lover and the love they share. His lovers name on the beach represents the love they share
because just as her name was destroyed by the waves, their love will be destroyed by time.
Spenser also takes on another concept of life through the waves by illustrating death, which
Shakespeare doesnt include until later. The waves can also be seen as symbolizing Death

himself, since Death will one day be seizing and devouring their love, which is understood from
the lines But came the tyde, and made my paynes his pray.
For the second quatrains, the writers begin to break away from the image of ocean waves,
as their importance of life and world views become stronger and more diverse. Shakespeare
takes another imagery approach by allowing the sun to symbolize human life and its transitions.
The use of the word nativity refers to the birth of an individual, or for Shakespeares imagery,
the birth of the sun. The use of the word crawl helps to illustrate a transition of human life.
Humans learn to crawl first, and eventually walk, then continue to grow and age, just as the sun
ages as it moves or crawls away from the horizon. For the following line, crooked eclipses
interfere with the suns magnificence that is wanting to be seen, just as struggles in life do the
same to humans. The last line of Shakespeares second quatrain explains that time eventually
destroys what it gives, and the gift being life itself, which relates back to his global concern
about the effects of time slowly destroying beauty and youth.
For his second quatrain, Spenser dismisses another use of imagery and turns to dialogue.
When his wife speaks, Spenser uses two different spellings of vain, which is emphasising two
different definitions for the same word. The first use with, vayne man, is focused more on how
Spenser is proud of his achievements (his relationship with her), while the second use, vaine, is
based on the unsuccessful attempt Spenser has while writing her name on the beach. Although
his wife finds his attempt foolish and sinful to make something last that is subject to perish, just
as her and her name will eventually decay and wither away (For I my selve shall lyke to this
decay, / And eek my name bee wypd out lykewize.), it is the first address of Spensers selfish
view of the world that focuses on their loves survival as being the only importance in the world.

In the third quatrain, Shakespeare continues to use imagery to express his world
perspective, and begins to focus more on his pessimistic view of how time is slowly destroying
beauty and its youth. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth, illustrates how time will
pierce through the prosperous life of the young. The following line, And delves the parallels in
beautys brow, is imagery used to explain how time is the factor that digs the wrinkles
(parallels) into beauty, which represents the aging process that is brought on as time passes. The
last line of the quatrain, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow, is the first reference
Shakespeare makes to Death. This line illustrates how Deaths scythe is mowing or cutting
down life, and that his scythe will be the only thing to remain standing since everyone
experiences death. Shakespeares pessimistic world view is strong in this finishing line because
death is inevitable, and it will always rule over anyone who is living. Shakespeares pessimistic
view in this quatrain can be best explained by his lack of religion, he sees that there is no hope in
life (what Spenser would say is the presence of God), and the only thing destined in life is death.
As for Spensers third quatrain, he continues the use of dialogue, except this time it is
him speaking. The first two lines of the quatrain explain that Spensers poetry is the groundwork
of their love, and that even though they will be dying and turning to dust, they will still live in
fame. This ties into his optimistic world view because it shows that Spenser has hope that he has
the ability to make their love and names last, even after they themselves are gone. This following
lines, My verse your vertues rare shall eternize / And in the heavens wyrte your glorious name.
help reinforce Spensers positive outlook that his verse (poetry) will make his wife be
immortalized. Spensers optimistic view can be best explained by his closeness with religion,
which leads him to believe that there is hope, even after death.

For Shakespeares ending couplet, he clarifies his view on what is important in life,
which is remembrance. The lines, And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand, / Praising thy
worth, despite his cruel hand. illustrate that his poetry will rise and remain, although times
cruel hand will eventually bring death. Although Shakespeare is pessimistic toward death
being inescapable, he is able to realize poetry can help him live on.
In Spensers ending couplet, his importance of life being the survival of his love with his
wife is also emphasized as a lasting effect. The lines, Where whenas death shall all the world
subdew, / Our love shall live, and later life renew. expresses his hopeful view and explains that
although death will eventually conquer all, their love will live on with Spensers poetry. While
Shakespeares ending couplet can be appreciated by many, Spensers seems to only be relatable
to his lover and himself, which ties back into his self-centered approach.
In conclusion, religion has been a huge factor in both sonnets. For Shakespeare, his
absense of religion shows the world, as well as life, to be destined to death and decay, while
Spensers assurance with religion shows the world to be hopeful, even with death. Although the
sonnets end very similarly with the idea of living on through poetry, the writers each target a
different audience. Shakespeares acceptance of unavoidable death can speak to many, while
Spensers hope is only intended for the love between him and his wife.