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Alex Vaidyan

Mrs.Gatehouse

English 9B Honors Period 1

24 January 2024

The Effects of Wealth on Social Perception and Acceptance

Social status, we all hear someone or the other about social stature with the terminology

of upper class lower class, middle class, and working class. Why do we have all these

categorizations of people and society? Why is someone more respected, at work, by a bank, at

school, and by society in general perceived in a certain way than someone else? What

differentiates our modern-day upper-class, high social-status billionaire high school, and college

dropouts from numerous other dropouts? Society tends to frown upon dropouts in the majority,

that aren't millionaires and billionaires. Society tends to care how they perceive people not who

they are, only the character their lives tend to be perceived as, great car, great house, great career

not who they are on the inside, nothing regarding their private lives, or personal problems.

Society does not see beyond wealth, social status, and to some extent fame. This effect is called

where people can see some remarkable and incredible people yet because of how they present

themselves very few acknowledge them.

When someone is against the law even out of the necessity of survival one can be

considered a criminal, petty thief, money launderer, and numerous other criminal terminology.

Justice is only as honest and law-abiding as those in charge of the ones at the judge's bench and

those at the jury box. Regardless of their power in the justice system they still are people and
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could be simplified to be a group of people with deciding power over the consequences of

another's actions. What else could a group of people with view and power be defined as beyond a

society, regardless of the size of the court the judge and jurors hold the essence of society and

societal stereotypes. Charles Dickens conveys this principle in one of his literary works Great

Expectations through the character of Abel Magwitch. Stereotypical social perception is what led

to Magwitch's wrongful conviction and harsher sentence over his partner in crime. “ ‘My lord

and gentleman, here you has afore you, side by side, two persons as your eyes can separate wide;

one the younger well brought up, who will be spoken to as such; one, the elder ill brought up,

who will be spoken to as such; one, the younger, seldom if ever seen in these here transactions,

and only suspected; t’other, the elder, always seen in ’em and always wi’ his guilt brought home.

Can you doubt if there is but one in it, which is the one, and if there is two in it, which is much

the worst one?’ ”(Dickens 371). Social perception is nothing beyond stereotypes and what people

see on the outside not the inside, what they see never what they know. When such stereotypes are

involved in the justice system, acts of bribery are purely unnecessary for the corruption of that

justice system and negate the principle of an impartial justice system.

When someone is in one of the lower social classes they are perceived by people and

society in a certain way, even by those of the same social class they are perceived in an inferior

way, if society dislikes someone for their circumstances they are treated as such, they are asked

to leave the classroom, they are shunned by society, they are looked down upon as outcasts and

loners. This even applies to people who are simply trying to improve themselves. And should

they succeed in improving themselves then it is simply to be treated by those who shunned them

as friends for their success. The character of Pip is a case in point for that principle as when he
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first comes into wealth and afterward when he loses his property and works for his living. “ But

my dear young friend,” “ said Mr. Pumblechook.” you must be hungry, you must be exhausted.

Be seated. Here is a chicken had round from the Boar, here is a tongue had round from the Boar,

and here’s one or two little things had round from the Boar that I hope you may not despise. But

I do,” said Mr. Pumblechook, getting up again the moment he had sat me down, “See afore me as

him as I ever sported with in his times of happy infancy? And may I—may—I?” “This “May I”

meant might he shake hands? I consented, and he was fervent, and then sat down

again.”(Dickens162) This scene is a pivotal point in Pip's social status and social perception and

is evident in the behavior of people around him. This scene is a case in point for the effects of

wealth on social acceptance and social status as Mr.Pumblechook is someone who has seen Pip

since he had nothing, throughout his childhood, supportive of his sister's treatment. Perhaps one

could even refer to it as child abuse. Once Pip came into the property Mr. Pumblechook claimed

to be his first benefactor, he would sit him down, pleasantries from the Boar, beg for his

forgiveness, and ask to shake his hand, trembling and stammering with fear.

The poor love the idealogy of a Robin Hood Figure as a hero, the rich call Robin Hood a

crook, and the poor think the rich are crooks. Rich criminals could always hire a team of fancy

lawyers, and fix a kangaroo court, and thus there are no convicted and sentenced guilty rich

criminals. The rich criminal is always the boss, and this has been used to evade the justice

system by giving orders to underlings and being the one to take home the most profits. This

tactic of evading justice is proven even in literature by the swindling character of Compeyson in

Great Expectations. Compeyson could be considered a petty racketeering criminal as he comes

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from a high social status, wealth, and property, he did not need to steal money, as he was Miss

Havisham's half-brother. ¨All are accounted gentleman in England who maintain themselves

without manual labor. (Newlin 35) Compeyson later on rises back into society in London as he is

later encountered by his old partner in crime. Should a gentleman be a type of dishonest,

spoiled, lazy swindling playboy, who rises in society then it is a case in point for Compeyson.

Wealth and social status leads to the perception of happiness, innocence, a great life, and

morals. Compeyson is perceived by society as this innocent well brought up gentleman

corrupted by his choice of friends. Because of such social stereotypes and perceptions of him,

Compeyson is treated gently compared to his partner in crime Magwitch. “When we was put in

the dock, I noticed first of all what a gentleman Compeyson looked wi’ his curly hair and his

black clothes and his white pocket-handkercher, and what a common sort of a wretch I looked.

When the prosecution opened and all the evidence was put short, forehand, I noticed how heavy

it all bore on me, and how light on him”(Dickens 371). This scene is an exemplary case of how

the social perception of characters can be used to evade justice. There are no guilty and rich

criminals regardless of how far-fetched that is from the truth as wealth may always be seen as

well brought up. The perception of being well brought up is an illusion used to mask the

darkness and corruption of the mind internally. Regardless of

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Works Cited

Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations, Bantam Classics, 2003

Newlin, George, Understanding Great Expectations, Greenwood Press, 200