Overview
Paul Fussell’s Class is a sharp, witty, and often scathing examination of the American class system. Written in the early 1980s, the book argues that, despite national myths of egalitarianism, the United States is deeply stratified by class. Fussell dissects class not just by income or occupation, but by taste, behavior, language, lifestyle, and even the objects people surround themselves with546.
Key Themes and Structure
Fussell’s central thesis is that class in America is omnipresent and inescapable, manifesting in everything from clothing and speech to home décor and leisure activities54.
He divides American society into nine classes, ranging from the "top out-of-sight" upper class to the "bottom out-of-sight" destitute, with multiple gradations in between56.
The book is both analytical and satirical, mocking the pretensions and anxieties of every class, including Fussell’s own15.
Upper Classes
Top Out-of-Sight: The true upper class, whose wealth is so great and whose lives are so private that they are invisible to most Americans. Their names (Vanderbilt, Rockefeller) are embedded in history, and their social circles are exclusive56.
Upper: Wealthy, often with inherited money, but more visible than the top out-of-sight. They maintain social exclusivity through clubs, schools, and traditions.
Middle Classes
Upper Middle: Professionals and managers, highly educated, and obsessed with respectability and achievement. They are anxious about status and often try to emulate the upper class56.
Middle: The classic “middle class,” striving for upward mobility and marked by a deep insecurity about their social standing. They value propriety, good manners, and the appearance of success.
High Proletarian: Skilled blue-collar workers, often unionized, with stable jobs and a degree of pride in their work.
Middle Proletarian: Semi-skilled or unskilled workers, less secure and more vulnerable to economic shifts.
Low Proletarian: The working poor, often in menial or unstable jobs, with little hope of upward mobility6.
Lower Classes
Destitute: The homeless and marginal, living at the edge of society.
Bottom Out-of-Sight: Those in prisons, mental institutions, or otherwise completely removed from mainstream society5.
Fussell argues that class is signaled in countless subtle ways, many unrelated to wealth:
Appearance: Clothing, grooming, and body language are all class indicators. Fussell details how upper classes dress understatedly, while lower classes may favor conspicuous or branded attire4.
Language: Vocabulary, accent, and even topics of conversation reveal class background. The upper classes use understatement and irony; the middle classes are earnest and eager to please46.
Home Décor: Fussell’s "Living Room Scale" humorously rates class by the objects found in one’s living room-books, art, gadgets, and even the type of sofa8.
Food and Drink: Preferences for certain cuisines, wines, or even how one sets the table are loaded with class meaning.
Leisure and Travel: The upper classes vacation in private, exclusive places, while the middle class prefers “respectable” destinations, and the lower classes may not travel at all.
Fussell is skeptical about true social mobility in America. While it is possible to become rich, he insists, moving between classes in terms of taste, behavior, and acceptance is much harder. He introduces the concept of “prole drift,” the tendency for mass culture to become increasingly vulgar and homogenized, eroding the distinctions of higher classes and pulling everyone toward a kind of mass-market mediocrity56.
The book is laced with biting humor and self-deprecation. Fussell skewers every class, exposing their hypocrisies and anxieties. He is unapologetically snobbish at times, which some readers find off-putting, but his wit and insight make the book entertaining as well as illuminating154.
In the final chapter, Fussell introduces “Class X”-a group that, he claims, transcends the class system. These are artists, intellectuals, and bohemians who value authenticity, creativity, and truth over status or material success. They are “genuinely good people” who pursue beauty and meaning for its own sake, living by their own standards rather than those of any class15.
Class remains influential for its humor, insight, and willingness to offend. It is often cited as both a social critique and a cultural artifact, with many of its observations still resonant today54.
Critics note that Fussell’s analysis is sometimes dated and that his own elitism can be grating, but his core argument-that class shapes every aspect of American life-continues to provoke discussion5.
Paul Fussell’s Class is a provocative, entertaining, and often uncomfortable exploration of the American status system. By exposing the myriad ways class pervades daily life, Fussell challenges readers to recognize the invisible hierarchies that shape their own choices and identities514.