In Dickens's England, one's occupation determined where one lived, the clothes one wore, and the respect one could command in society. With enough money, a man could become a part of the upper class with all its influence and opportunity. Without skills and a decent income, he quickly slipped into a life of poverty, powerlessness, and desperation.

The Barnacles

Upper-class employment, particularly for members of the nobility, was often more of an option than a necessity. Landowners with large estates spent their days overseeing their property and the tenants who rented and farmed it, but many wealthy men simply hired a bailiff or land agent. That gave them freedom to entertain their friends and participate in sports such as hunting, riding, and horse racing. Many members of the aristocracy made membership in Parliament their career in order to oversee its...