How do people of different social classes think differently?

How do people of different social classes think differently?

People of different social classes’ lives were very different. The lives of the nobles or the rich had a different goal, meaning, and difficulty than that of the working class or servants. People of upper classes may believe themselves to be better or more important, whilst the people of the lower classes sole focus may be to provide for their families. Priorities are different and the amount of contentment and amusement in the lives of people of different social classes contrast those of another social class’. People of different social classes have different needs and desires, feelings towards other humans, and priorities.

The peasants of the middle ages were tough people. They persevered through tough winters and bad harvest with little or no possessions to help them. They worked long hours farming, tending sheep, cooking, making clothes, picking and harvesting vegetables, and for the children, going to school. These things were all necessary for them to survive not only the winter but the next day. The peasant’s life revolved around his need to work, and his family’s welfare always came first. They did however get breaks from this hard work. There were church holidays, cheap taverns to visit and on rare occasions, special celebrations such as weddings. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK)

The next social order was the clergy men and women. Their lives revolved around the study of the bible and their devotion to God. They prayed and worked in the monasteries and covenants. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK) These men and women always had food and the supplies and things they needed to survive. People were forced to give money to the church not only for the poor but for the people who have devoted themselves to the church and lived and worked there. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/844Verneuil.html) In return, books and copies of the bible, called manuscripts, were developed in the monasteries because many times, monks were the only ones who could read or write. These people centered their lives and thoughts to the church every day, all day and were perfectly content with their lifestyle.

The merchant class was positioned at a midway point between the majority of the working class and the aristocrats. They were the skilled laborers who still did not have enough money or power to become noble men. These merchants controlled trade from the east and throughout Europe. They performed jobs that no one else could, like fine cloth making, sail making, milling, and masonry. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK) The Sailors tale in The Canterbury Tales tells the story of the frustration that many craftsmen and merchants faced “The foolish husband, always he must pay; He must buy clothes and other fine array” (http://ht.ly/1F8Xm) Merchants were caught in the middle of social tensions. They were wealthier than the peasants and were perfectly able to feed and clothe themselves, but many had a desire to go just one step further and become rich. The merchants were the nobleman’s link to the working class, as he made all the fine clothes and possessions that noblemen enjoyed, but they were not able to enjoy the life that the upper class enjoyed.

Noblemen and knights were the rulers of the land and the economics. They controlled money, taxes, how much land one could own, and how much they were allowed to keep. As the law states from one medieval kingdom “…there is evidence of a tendency on the part of landholders to evade payment of taxes to the royal treasury. Louis the Pious, therefore, insisted on their payment…” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/817Capit-aachen.html) These nobles had a life of luxury and wealth and had no problems with harsh winters or bad harvests. They had enough food to hold regular feasts at their manors and castles. They were the highest most powerful people and asserted that authority.

The different lifestyle of each individual lifestyle allows for a unique state of mind and way of thinking. The peasants who had very little did what they neede to do to survive and enjoyed the happy moments when they could. The monks and nuns devoted all their time to the church and to the poor but they were always provided for because of the citizens donations. Merchants held the middle ground in social society, having more wealth than the majority but being frustrated in their inability to reach nobility. And the nobles themselves gave off an authoritative presence with the power to back it up. Circumstances and lifestyle allows for unique views on the current situation as it did for each social class in the middle ages.

Works Cited

"Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by ELF." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://ht.ly/1F8Xm

"Choose a Guide." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://ht.ly/1F8XK.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Capitulary of Aachen: Payments on Tributary and Taxable Land, 817." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/817Capit-aachen.html.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Second Council of Verneuil: On Misappropriation of Church Funds, 844." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/844Verneuil.html.