Class is a complex term, used since the late 18th century, and employed in many different ways” (Victorian Web). Social class comes from different individuals: some rich, some poor, and some a combination of both. In proving their social class, the upper class should show off their possessions to other individuals to show their superiority, but the middle classes should be industrious workers in order to provide for their families. When it comes to the rise of social class through industry and possessions in the Victorian era, Dickens obviously shows the motive for the rise of social class through the characters in Great Expectations. During the Victorian era, industrious middle and working class workers had to perform arduous tasks in order to care for families and have a complacent lifestyle. Rather, the upper classes were wealthy landowners who often did not work and often indulged in various luxurious indulgences. During the 2nd Industrial Revolution, the rich indulged in luxury while the middle and working classes had to work to support themselves. Obviously, the upper class of the Victorian era indulged in exorbitant experiments instead of being a hard worker. The origin of the aristocracy was first proven when they exhibited their lifestyle, however, Kenneth Morgan hints: "The aristocracy became known to the urban population mainly through their representation in the popular press and magazines as men's and women's hobbies: running, hunting, shooting and fishing in the country, playing and watching the season in London” (493). Members of the aristocracy abandoned the laborious part of their lives and turned to leisure. The rich have their...... middle of paper...... England. Although the Second Industrial Revolution emphasizes the motive of different social classes through possession and work in the Great Expectations, we must remember that social class does not illustrate how one makes good decisions about the way of living one's life. Works cited by Dickens, Charles and Charlotte Mitchell. Great expectations. London: Penguin, 2003. Print. Landow, George P., ed. The Victorian Web, nd Web. February 19, 2014. “Learning the Victorians.” British Library, nd Web. February 15, 2014.Mitchell, Sally. Daily life in Victorian England. Westport: Greenwood, 1996. Print.Morgan, Kenneth O. The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford UP, 1984. Print. Soldahl, Nohal J., ed. Victorian Upper Class Men and Their Daily Lifestyle, 2013. Web. February 18. 2014.