Distinctions between classes are subtle in The Wanting Seed. At first glance, it might seem like everyone in England is living with the same meager food rations, itty bitty living space, and limited personal freedom. Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll discover that British citizens in this novel fall into pretty familiar versions of the upper, middle, and lower classes. Unfortunately for the little guys, there's not a lot of hope for upward mobility in a world where the working classes are the first to be beaten down by police, or rounded up into the army and shot and sold as canned meat.
Questions About Society and Class
- How are class distinctions and social groups organized in The Wanting Seed?
- What class do Beatrice-Joanna and Tristram fall into in the first half of the novel? Does this change in the second half?
- Who has the most social and political power in The Wanting Seed?
Chew on This
In The Wanting Seed, politicians are in bed with the private capitalists who manage the global food industry. Together, they form a wealthy and powerful upper class—one that can withstand any kind of social shift or change.
Although food and materials are scarce in The Wanting Seed, society does not value the labor that produces them. Factory workers are considered lower class, despite the fact that without them, the whole system would crumble.