Passage Summary:
The phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" describes the habit of trying to compete with your peers' social status, wealth, and possessions. This article explores our systems of status and class, and why there exists this pressure of social competition.
When and How to Pair:
Have students read this text after finishing chapter 3, “Cutler’s Tavern,” in order to provide them with context on social class and its influence on individuals. When Lyddie first sees the woman in the silk dress, she believes she is elegant. However, by the end of the chapter, she discovers she’s a factory girl. Ask students to try and pinpoint what it is about the factory girl that is most alluring to Lyddie; her status, her possessions, or the money she claims to make? Is Lyddie’s drive an attempt to “keep up with the Joneses”?