The Hierarchy- Honoré Daumier

This painting depicts a cart filled with people from the upper and lower class. In relation to “King Dork”, this painting represents the hierarchy of social class in high school. The painting shows men wearing top hats, this means they are from the upper class, and it also shows two women and a young boy, these are the people form the lower class. The young boy in the lower class side of the cart represents Tom Henderson. In the hierarchy at Hillmont High, he is considered to be a loser, hence “lower class”. The painting has light shining on everyone but the young boy. This shows that the boy is being forgotten and how he is an outcast. Like the boy, Tom is an outcast at his school and is constantly alienating himself, which leads to him being forgotten and not cared about by others. This painting can also relate to “Great Expectations”. Pip, a boy from the lower class is being forgotten while in effort to become a member of the upper class by trying to mix in with them. Tom and Pip can be compared in the sense that, they both started out on the bottom and were part of a lower class. This painting represents the hierarchy in high school as well as the connection between Tom and Pip being members of a lower class.