Class defined by behavior is a theme that has been portrayed in several novels that we have read this year. It was clearly shown in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Julius Caeser. Huckleberry Finn was an example of class defined by behavior because of the way Mark Twain described the townspeople in many of the Southern towns. They were portrayed as ignorant, uneducated, and for the most part, lower class citizens. His thorough descriptions made clear the meaning of lower class in America during this time. For example, Twain writes, "Folks got up everywheres in the crowd, and worked their way just by main strength to the mourners" bench, with the tears running down their faces; and when all the mourners had got up there to the front benches in a crowd, they sung and shouted and flung themselves down the straw, just crazy and wild." (pg. 132) In this passage he is describing the reactions of the townspeople after the preacher's speech. This is showing their ignorance and gullibility, and their mistaken portrayal of religion. He also writes, "There couldn't anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over, like a dog-fight-- unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and see him run himself to death." (pg. 140-41) This is referring to the townspeople and the cruel things they used for entertainment. This is evidently a sign of the lower class. .
Class defined by behavior was also portrayed in Julius Caesar. The differences of the classes during this period of time were primarily shown through the behavior of the people. The lower class people were treated poorly, and had to obey the orders of not only Caesar, but all of the upper class citizens. This behavior was shown when Flavius said, "Go, go, good countrymen, and for this fault assemble all the poor men of your sort- (pg. 11) He was clearly talking down to the commoners and showed his superiority because of his higher class.
