Compare the portrayal of wealth or poverty or the contrast between the two in different texts applying knowledge of History and Consumer Culture

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Compare the Portrayal of Wealth or Poverty Applying the Knowledge of the History and
Theory of Consumer Culture
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Compare the Portrayal of Wealth or Poverty Applying the Knowledge of the History and
Theory of Consumer Culture
The three novels from different authors are all classified under Victorian novels. They
have similarities and differences which affect the characters uniquely. The use of symbols in
these novels is common to depict the consumer culture and the social class rift of the 19th
century and how it impacted people’s lives. The rise of industrialization enabled mass production
of goods and services, this, in turn, led to the rise of different brands of the same items only
differentiated by aesthetics, whereby only the wealthy could afford the one that looked better
aesthetically than the others.
All novels are based on fictional characters, although we see some attributes that reflect
on the author’s lives, they mostly show some of the issues facing the wealthy and poor classes in
society at the time and some still apply today. They show how wealth is passed along
generations by different means. They also show the power of the aristocrats of the 19th century.
The rift between the different social classes was wide and was clearly shown in each of these
novels.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice depicts how these classes related to each other and the
struggles of the characters to try to hold on to their wealth or achieve more. George Gissing’s
novel clearly shows the lengths the characters would go to earn wealth, different characters in
this book are shown to be working in different ways to earn this wealth, play dirty or go for
quality and we will see who achieves their goals in the end. Oscar wild’s The picture of Dorian
Grey also follows a story about a handsome aristocrat who is corrupted by his love for beauty
over virtues and total disregard for the lives of people around him.
In this essay, I will compare how the characters of the novels perceive wealth and
poverty. The difference in the items consumed or owned by the characters and how it defines

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their social class. Wealth is the ultimate goal for some while others portray love, beauty, and
excellence as their view of success. Poverty is looked down upon by the wealthy or the
ambitious. The obvious rift between the two classes and the intermediary class affects the
decisions of the characters individually.
One of the most prevalent themes in the two novels is marriage and how it is directly
affected by the level of wealth. Wealth is sort after by many characters who end up marrying or
separating because of finances. I will show how wealth and poverty directly affect one's social
status and health in these novels. Finally, I will contrast how the different novels show how
gender in different societies handles the inheritance of wealth. Oscar wild’s The picture of
Dorian Grey also follows a story about an aristocrat and his corruption and interactions with the
poor.
In Gissing’s New Grub Street, Milvain is a very ambitious man, he wants wealth and
fame. He is determined to get money by any means necessary we can see that he first shows
interest in Marian at first, he walks her home and gets to know her personally. He even goes to
the stream for two days in the hope of finding her. This shows how much he was intrigued by
Marian, ultimately he was more interested in wealth.
Alfred Yule criticized Milvain and Marian's relationship for the former lack of financial
independence and depending on his mother and questions the future of her daughter as Milvain
was depending on her too (Gissing, 1891, p. 91). He, later on, wanted to marry her after John
Yule, her uncle, left her a sizable amount of money. Marian is in love with Milvain, she wants to
marry, she says, “when I am your wife, I may be able to help, I could earn thirty or forty pounds
a year, I think, that would pay the rent of a small house” (Gissing, 1891, p.400).

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While Marian wanted love, Milvain looked at a future where he would know what
amount of money he would earn yearly to promote his career. He asks her, “will it be possible
for you, whilst living at home, take a position of independence, and say that you are going to
work for your profit?” (Gissing, 1891 p.400). Jasper Milvain believes that a woman in marriage
should contribute to the overall income of the union while Reardon didn’t.
Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray depicts a life of an aristocrat Dorian Gray, he is
wealthy and very handsome. His grandfather left him a fortune and also his deceased mother had
some wealth to leave him too. After his painter Basil Hallward paints a good portrait of him, he
is very intrigued at how good he looks in the portrait and hopes to stay that way for the rest of his
life. This is possible for him because he is wealthy.
Basil is said to have done many portraits before this one. Art is depicted as something
only the wealthy can afford such as luxurious items whereas the poor are not shown anywhere in
the novel as having been able to afford such. Art represented beauty, a common theme in this
novel, beauty is seen in this novel as a commodity only the wealthy can consume.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice portrays very similar views when it comes to keeping
or amassing wealth. We see Mrs. Bennet an already wealthy woman who has five daughters is
ready for her daughters to be married but specifically to men who will either increase their
wealth or would keep their assets intact at the very least. She already has an estate but looks to
secure it by marrying one of her daughters, Elizabeth, to Mr. Collins who is in line to inherit the
said estate in case Mr. Bennet passes.
Mrs. Bennet sees it as an opportunity to secure her daughters and Elizabeth by keeping
the estate in the family. When Mr. Collins, later on, proposes to Elizabeth and she turns him
down Mrs. Bennet gets frustrated by the news. This shows similarities between the two books

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whereby the common reason for marriage is financial stability. Gissing further shows that
Milvain would go ahead and marry Amy Yule, who is Reardon’s former spouse because she
would be able to fund his career after her husband's death and he finds out later that John left a
good amount of money to her as compared to what he left Marian.
Wealth in these cases is the primary reason for marriage. Milvain would go on to advise
his sister Dora not to marry Whelpdale for he is confident he will be wealthy and can take care of
Dora until she finds someone who is high in society. This shows that wealth only does not
increase one's social class, he says, “Whelpdale will never be a man of any note. A good fellow, I
admit, but bear in all senses. Let me impress upon you, my dear girl, that I have a future before
me, and that there is no reason—with your charm of person and mind—why you should not
marry brilliantly. Whelpdale can give you a decent home, I admit, but as regards society, he will
be a drag upon you” (Gissing, 1891, p.487). Social class is determined by birth and not by
money only.
In Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we see people from the same general social class are still
divided, Mr. Darcy is richer than Mr. Bingley, both of them are richer than the Bennets,
intermarriage between Darcy and Elizabeth or Mr. Bingley and Jane would increase the social
status of the Bennets and also wealth. Mrs. Bennet tells Mr. Bennet the moment Mr. Bingley
arrives in town, “But consider your daughters, indeed, you must go, for it will be impossible for
us to visit him if you do not” (Austen, 2015, p. 36). This shows her intent on marriage for wealth
security.
Reardon from New Grub Street was heavily criticized by Milvain for his lack of ambition
when it came to making money. Reardon is a character who did not prioritize wealth over the
quality of literature he did. He did not want to conform to society's needs, he saw his work as art.

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Milvain on the other hand worked just for money only. It was not about passion for work nor
was it about quality.
Milvain speaks of how Reardon had a small success in a book but does not see how he
could sustain having a wife like Amy Yule who depends on him for a living. He says to Marian,
“But as a married man, without means, the situation was hopeless. Once married you must live
up to the standard of the society you frequent; you can't be entertained without entertaining in
return” (Austen, 2015, p. 30). This shows how wealth is revered in their society that one would
not marry for love only but for wealth too.
In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, we see that Miss Bingley, a sister to Mr. Bingley would
like to be married to Mr. Darcy who is far much richer than his brother. She sees him as a
security to the wealth they have already. Mr. Darcy is interested in Elizabeth Bennet for she has
qualities he desires and later on he realizes that he loves her more than the pride of being in a
higher social class than her. He sees Elizabeth as more inclined to love other than wealth. Her
relationship with Wickham made him see that she had no interest in raising her social status.
Mr. Darcy later on, goes to declare his love to Elizabeth after She visits Pemberley and
learns from Mrs. Gardenier how Mr. Darcy is a very generous person. She tells Elizabeth, “On
the contrary, something is pleasing about his mouth when he speaks. And there is something of
dignity in his countenance, that would not give one an unfavorable idea of his heart” (Austen,
2015, p. 240).
Austen's Pride and Prejudice depict some characters who make decisions based on
wealth. Mr. Collins is rejected by Elizabeth. Collins portrays himself as a foo, for not listening to
Elizabeth when she rejects him. He goes on with a long speech about the benefits of the marriage
between them. Mrs. Bennet's remarks to Mr. Collins are an approval for the marriage, “Oh dear!

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—yes—certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy—I am sure she can have no objection”
(Austen, 2015, p. 118). She excuses herself making sure that Elizabeth has already understood
what she wants. He is a clergyman who is going to be wealthy after the inheritance.
Collins seems to have made this decision to ascertain his inheritance since Mr. Bennet
might be alive even longer. He says, “But the fact is, that being, as I am, to inherit this estate
after the death of your honored father (who, however, may live many years longer), I could not
satisfy myself without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters” (Austen, 2015, p.
362). This shows his intentions are not loving, but security and money.
Wealth is achieved through hard work and making good decisions every day according to
Jasper Milvain. Reardon would have been better off working with other sources of income,
Jasper Milvain says to Maud, “He knows perfectly all the possible sources of income. Whatever
he has to sell he'll get paid for it from all sorts of various quarters; none of your unpractical
selling for a lump sum to a 7 middleman who will make six distinct profits. Now, look you: if I
had been in Reardon's place, I'd have made four hundred at least out of "The Optimist” (Gissing,
1891, p. 8).
Milvain sees Reardon as a dinosaur in the industry whereby literature is made for fast
marketing and selling while Reardon sees it as an art, this eventually will lead Reardon into
financial instability and later on break up his marriage to Amy Yule. Milvain will write for
anyone with a paycheck, it does not matter to him if he is interested in not. Wealth is the ultimate
goal and it has to be achieved since beforehand he did not show any interest in knowing
Elizabeth and falling in love with her. It was all a matter of convenience and wealth preservation.
Sibyl Vane from Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is seen as a character who is
talented and excelling at her theater. She is an actress on the East side of London, these

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parts are normally associated with the poor and the immoral. When Dorian Gray sees her
for the first time, he is smitten. Her talent and her beauty astonish him. He, later on,
approaches her and she also falls in love instantly. She goes ahead to call him ‘Prince
Charming’ for he is strikingly handsome. We do not see anywhere Dorian introduces
himself to her. She does not know his real name.
Dorian is wealthy and he rides in coaches. Sibyl has seen this. Beauty is put
before love. A lady from a lower class, in East London relating with an aristocrat, did not
sit well with her younger brother James Vane who at the time is still a teenager. Dorian
loves Sibyl at first. He confesses his love to Lord Henry who does not go against him
knowing that Sibyl is a naïve young girl who could be taken advantage of.
In Gissing's New Grub Street, we see a character Harold Biffen, an author who is
plagued by poverty, he and Reardon have many similarities when it comes to literature.
He has wanted the life that Reardon has, to him wealth was not all he wanted, though he
desired it, he admired happiness and love.
Austen shows this when Biffen is seated at the same table as Mr. And Mrs.
Reardon. ‘Biffen always behaved to Amy with a sincerity of respect which had made him
a favorite with her. To him, poor fellow, Reardon seemed supremely blessed. That a
struggling man of letters should have been able to marry, and such a wife was miraculous
in Biffen's eyes.’ (Gissing, 1891, p. 138). Biffen, later on, commits suicide because of his
inability to lead the life that he desires.
Wealth or poverty can directly affect health as shown by Gissing's New Grub
Street, Edwin Reardon while working on his novel which later on came to fail even more
than his previous publications fell ill. He writes to Biffen, “Come and see me if you can. I

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am down with a bad cold and have to keep in for the rest of the week. All the same, I feel
far more cheerful. Bring a new chapter of your exhilarating romance” (Gissing, 1891,p.
338). At this time, he was financially depleted, he, later on, succumbed to his illness. This
shows that if he was richer, he might have not succumbed.
Alfred who is not also wealthy starts to go blind, the money left to Marian by
John goes to medical bills, and eventually, Milvain leaves her. Marian's mother tells her’
'Father has been telling me something, Marian,' said Mrs. Yule after a long silence. 'He
says he is going to be blind. There's something the matter with his eyes, and he went to
see someone about it this afternoon. He'll get worse and worse until there has been an
operation, and perhaps he'll never be able to use his eyes properly again'(Gissing, 1891,
p. 405) Their wealth starts to diminish.
In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, when Jane visits Mr. Bingley's estate and falls
ill, she is well taken care of despite the quarrels between her and Mr. Bingley's sisters she
overcomes her illness. Wealth has everything to do with health in both texts. Wealthy
people in both texts survive illness apart from John but the poor characters pass away.
Inheritance is one of the major ways of acquiring wealth in Austen's and Gissing’s
novels.
Pride and Prejudice are set in an earlier society than Gissing’s New Grub Street,
there are notable differences between these two societies. Inheritance can only be left to
the male member of the family, if there are no sons or brothers to leave the property to, it
would rather go to the male cousin according to Austen’s novel.
Bennet's daughters have just a little investment made to Mrs. Bennets by Mr.
Bennet and if they do no marry someone rich their wealth would diminish since Mr.

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Collins is not marrying Elizabeth but her friend Charlotte, this means that the Estate will
have new owners and the daughters will have to move out. (Austen, 2015, p. 57)
explains, ‘Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a
year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, and their mother’s fortune, though ample for
her situation in life, could but will supply the deficiency of his.’
Based on the later 19th century, Gissing’s New Grub Street, Inheritance does not
have to be left to men. When John dies without any children, he decides to give some of
his wealth to his nieces. He gives Amy Yule twice the amount he gives Marian. The
contrast here is whereby in Pride and Prejudice Mr. Bennet had daughters of his own he
still left the estate to the male cousin while John Yule left his wealth to his nieces,
relatives who are not his children. This shows a change in society's wealth inheritance
that both women and men can inherit and both can look after their families.
In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, we see that women do not work. They depend on
what was left to them by their parents or where they will marry. We see Mr. Bennet
discussing with her husband and asks him to introduce them, and she also shows which
child she would prefer to marry the wealthy Mr. Bingley, she states, “and I will send a
few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he
chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.” (Austen,
2015, p. 36)
Gissing and Wilde have a unique way of showing the use of art in their novels. Gissing
shows the difference between artistic versus commercial literature while Wilde shows the use of
art as a representation of Dorian’s life. Gissing expounds on the different types of literature of

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that time when different types of texts were being more available from different publications in
the community.
The competition was high, whomever would produce fast commercial text would be
making more money while the more artistic ones like Reardon are at a disadvantage because they
produced with less frequency and hoped for large sales. The rise of industrialization led to a high
number of publications and diversity was now in place. A consumer now had a choice of what to
read over another.
Milvain’s view of the market was high production followed by high consumption,
whatever he would write had to appeal to the reader, and by no means did he care about what he
wrote or how it affected the reader. This shows how the rise of consumer culture in literature was
developed and it is what we are seeing today in our society. A large number of commercial texts
from newspapers, magazines, and articles are produced daily but have no real impact on society
as they were just meant for commercial purposes.
Wilde’s view of art as a representation of Dorian’s life shows how in the Victorian era art
was used to communicate morality and information. There is a disconnect between reality and
appearance in the portrait. Basil paints Dorian a strikingly beautiful portrait and Dorian curses
himself unknowingly, he wishes that he could look young and handsome forever while the
painting would be the one that gets old. A supernatural event occurs but he does not know this at
first.
The use of art in this novel shows how art was perceived in this book to be only beautiful
by some characters like Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton, while for artists like Basil art is a
representation or a symbol of what he is painting. Basil paints Dorian as an ancient hero showing
how he highly regarded Dorian Gray. He then paints the beautiful portrait and Lord Henry is

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marveled at its beauty. This shows how the perception of art as a commodity has changed, it was
for the wealthy only who bought it for symbolic use, and now artists like Basil show how the
consumers have changed it into something only for beauty.
The Picture of Dorian Gray has another symbolic use of literature, the French yellow book
that Lord Henry Wotton gives Dorian Gray. These aristocrats show how the wealthy would be
able to afford books from other countries. The French yellow-covered books were considered
either sensual or immoral at worst in the Victorian era, they would publish these books which
would have contents that are out of the norm of that time.
The books talked about self-pleasure and beauty over everything else. We see that Dorian
heeds to its every word and changes his life from a nice, moral and respected member of society
to someone whose bad reputation is known across the town. This book shows what influence
Lord Henry Wotton had over Dorian Gray. Dorian even goes ahead to have the same book in
different colors to suit his mood and carry it everywhere.
Wealthy consumers in this era had now started to show the need for aesthetics in the
products they purchased as shown by Dorian Gray. A poor person would not do all this just for
aesthetics, they probably had something else to do with the little they had.
In Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we see that upper-middle and lower classes may interact
but they would not intermarry or have any formal relations. Mr. Darcy perceives Elizabeth as a
lower class person and reluctantly interacts with her only to, later on, grow fond of her and
propose marriage. This shows how rare this intermarriage between classes was in this era. She
rejects him because she sees him as arrogant and a negative influence on Mr. Bingley’s
relationship with her sister Jane. Mr. Darcy, later on, saves her family from the humiliation of

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her sister Lydia eloping with Wickham by paying his debts and allowing them to marry
officially.
Elizabeth is moved by this deed and by his generosity, and she accepts his hand in
marriage. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are both from the upper social class although Mr. Darcy is
much richer than the Bennets. The rift between social classes is emphasized in this novel even in
the same social class, it still mattered who was wealthier than the other.
Wealth was mostly symbolized by the houses that they had. Large estates were only for
the wealthy while the poor worked for them in these estates. Consumer culture was shown when
Mr. Bingley moved to another town and had another large estate. The wealthy had large houses
to represent their social status, character, and influence in society.
James Vane in The Picture of Dorian Gray is leaving London for Australia. His mother is
not pleased but knows it’s important for him to go and look for work elsewhere for they do not
have equal opportunities as the wealthy people in society. James Vane joins the military on their
expedition to colonize Australia, later on, realizes the relationship between her sister Sibyl Vane
and Dorian Gray and he disapproves of it.
James discusses with his mother the relationship between Dorian and his sister, he says,
“Watch over Sibyl, mother, watch over her” (Wilde, 1891, p. 106). He shows a lack of trust
between the wealthy and the poor. James does not understand why a wealthy aristocrat might
want to do anything with his lowly actress sister whom he loves so much and wants to protect.
He goes to Australia with the motivation of getting her off the theatre, he states, “I should like to
make some money to take you and Sibyl off the stage. I hate it” (Wilde, 1891, p. 104).
Sybil also does not understand what Dorian sees in her, she does not know him but from
how he looks, he looks wealthy. She asks her mother, “why does he love me so much? I know

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why I love him. I love him because he is like what love himself should be. But what does he see
in me? I am not worthy of him. And yet – why, I cannot tell – though I feel so much beneath
him, I don’t feel humble. I feel proud, terribly proud” (Wilde, 1891, p. 103). The Vane family
knows that this relationship is very unlikely and despite everything against them they go ahead
with it.
Dorian’s mother, later on, approves of this relationship stating, “But there is no doubt that
the young man in question is a perfect gentleman. He is always most polite to me, he has the
appearance of being rich, and the flowers he sends are lovely” (Wilde, 1891, p. 103). She shows
that the impression of rich, good-looking, and present-giving gentlemen are her ideal men who
she would approve to marry or relate to her daughter. The flowers he gives are symbolic in that
we see no other person other than wealthy people offering flowers to anyone. We also see Dorian
handing flowers to Campbell and Lord Henry Wotton.
Alfred Yule from Gissing’s New Grub Street is portrayed as a critic. He has an ambition
of amassing wealth in a society whereby common folk can acquire wealth through trade and
production not only by title or inheritance. He forms a libel allegation against “The Current” in a
bid to bring it down as it is a competition to him. Clement Fadge, the editor at the publication
hates him for it. When Jasper Milvain starts a relationship with Marian, Mr. Fadge and Alfred.
Yule both disapprove of their marriage, to them it’s a conflict of interest, and
coincidentally Alfred starts going blind. He now depends on his daughter to take care of him.
This cycle of finance now is against him, she spends the little he has to take care of him and all
that John Yule left her. Both Clement Fadge and Alfred Yule show how consumer culture
develops competition in markets and how the consumers are manipulated by the sellers to use
their products by all means necessary.

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Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice shows how the wealthy do not have to get what they
want as compared to Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Mr. Collins who proposes to Elizabeth
and is rejected is a clear indication of this. All odds were stacked for him since he was going to
inherit the Longburn Estate from Mr. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet had already approved of their
marriage but it still did not work.
Mr. Collins then proposes to Charlotte, Elizabeth’s best friend and he is readily accepted
for she knows that he will ensure a good life for her, especially after the death of Mr. Bennet.
Mr. Darcy is also a victim of rejection from Elizabeth although he triumphed in the end. Mr.
Bingley is successful in marrying Jane Bennet for he is wealthy, the Bennet family approves of it
easily because of his high status in society.
In Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray we see that when Dorian wants a girl he gets her,
Sibyl is head over heels for him, and later on, he also meets another young girl who is smitten
with him. His wealth and looks are enough to make them love him. Dorian gets a bad reputation
for his indulgence in immoral behavior and association with the lower social classes of east
London but he is still yet highly regarded in society for his good looks which seems to convince
people that he could not be doing what they say about him.
Dorian can get away with the murder of his painter Basil Hallward, the suicide of Sibyl,
and the death of James. He eventually dies but not by law or by justice but by his undoing of
stabbing the painting. Lord Henry Wotton also does not face any consequences for corrupting
and lying to Dorian Gray. Dorian seems to pay the price for the mistakes he did, he followed a
wrong role model who showed him the importance of beauty and pleasure over morals and
virtues.

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In Gissing’s New Grub Street, we see that the poor don’t get what they desire. Reardon
whose first book was published and sold was not much of a success but showed the potential he
had to write even better. He, later on, tries to publish another book, a less artistic and more
commercial literature this time, to save him from abject poverty but it does not work out for him,
he, later on, succumbs to sickness and dies a poor man.
The three novels here show how the wealthy interacted with the poor over the 19th
century period when wealth was so poorly distributed. The similarity between them is how
wealth was achieved, it was only through production or inheritance. The major differences are
how the immoral faced their consequences and how some of the characters go away with their
deeds.
The Theory of consumer culture is widely shown in all these texts. The use of symbols to
show how the wealthy and the poor spent their money is very evident. Estates, coaches, flowers,
theatres, paintings, and publications are some of the symbols used in the different texts. This
period was when consumer culture was developed, the need of showing objects which could only
belong to the wealthy and products or services that were deemed for the poor.
The relationship between the wealth and poor is also a major symbol that shows the rift
between the two social classes. Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and George Gissing come from
different backgrounds and try to show how society in the 19th century was divided by inequality
and how it affected them by writing these novels.
References
Austen, J. & Howard, C. (2015). Pride and Prejudice. Barnes Noble Classics.
Gissing, G. (1891). New Grub Street. Oxford World's

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Han, T. I., & Stoel, L. (2017). Explaining socially responsible consumer behavior: A meta-
analytic review of theory of planned behavior. Journal of International Consumer
Marketing, 29(2), 91-103.
Wilde, O. (1891). The Picture of Dorian Gray. Penguin.