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i think what you've put forward is too simple -- smith deals with class issues, too. most wellington professors are upper middle class, or middle class, howard has a big house but an unstable financial situation, the trinidadians are very poor and suffer from the difficulties of life in their situation, the kipps' are rather rich, and this all has significance in the novel. class boundaries today are more blurred, and smith's novel reflects that, but smith goes into detail describe the middle class town of wellington so she is focusing more on one or two classes than describing many.