The Slaves of Society: A Comedy in Covers

"The Slaves of Society: A Comedy in Covers" by Allen Upward is a funny story set in late 1800s England that pokes fun at the lives of rich people and how they treat each other. The story mainly follows the marchioness and her daughter, Lady Victoria, as they try to find suitable husbands, with a music-hall singer named Belle Yorke and a rich man named Mr. Hammond also figuring into the schemes. The story starts in the marchioness's fancy living room, where she and Mr. Despencer joke about how annoying it is to be rich. They talk about who Lady Victoria should marry, considering a rich beer maker against the possibility of Belle Yorke, who stirs the plot. The story is a funny look at wanting to get ahead, what people think of you, and how silly social rules can be.