The Servants and the Served

[theduckthief]

Collins spent most of his life on the fringes of civilized society. Where do the lines blur between upstairs and downstairs in this novel and why? What does it reveal about certain characters?

[Adela]

The lines blur right from the beginning. Walter would not have been treated on equal footing with a gentleman in most establishments. Generally a tutor, governess, or other instructor was stuck in limbo--not low enough to be treated as a servant, and not high enough to demand the priviliges of the families they served in. Penniless Marian Halcombe would not have been given as much license and authority in most homes either, though she was Laura Fairlie's half-sister. Sir Percival is aware of his power and authority over the servants, but he is also ignorant of or insensible to the distinction between the hierarchy within the servant class he looms over. To him, a servant is a servant and there is no distinction. He is unlikely to allow a blur between upstairs and downstairs, unless it suits his purpose.