SOCIAL CLASS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION IN MARTIN EDEN

Abstract

Abstract: This article examines the theme of social class and inequality in Jack London’s Martin Eden. The novel portrays the tension between the working-class protagonist and the bourgeois society he aspires to join. Through Martin’s interactions with Ruth Morse and the upper-class world, London critiques social hierarchy, cultural prejudice, and the limitations imposed by inherited status. The analysis demonstrates that Martin’s intellectual and artistic achievements, while remarkable, are constantly overshadowed by the barriers of class. Ultimately, the novel exposes the alienation that results when merit collides with entrenched social structures, revealing both the seductive and destructive power of social ambition.