A Kestrel For A Knave

Class oppression is a significant factor in A Kestrel for a Knave. Before the book opens, an epigraph from The Book of Saint Albans—a 15th-century manuscript, lists birds and the social classes that they correspond to, with the lowest being “a kestrel for a knave.” In the 15th century, when The Book of Saint Albans was written, a knave was a male servant or peasant. Later, the word came to refer to an untrustworthy or dishonest person, regardless of class. This shift in meaning hints at the class prejudices that hinder Billy’s prospects, as his working-class status leads others to view him as untrustworthy. Billy’s unnamed hometown exists for the sole purpose of supporting the mining operation. The young men are referred to as “pit fodder” and broadly expected to leave school at 15 to take up mining work. Billy is repeatedly told throughout the book that he will be heading down the mines in a few short weeks, a fate he rejects. However, when he is asked what else he would do, he can’t think of anything. Due to his class position, prospects beyond working in the pits aren’t available or even visible to him, and there are few people willing to show him new possibilities.