The Armor of Light: A Novel

“New ideas had transformed farming, and there were fences and hedges in the way. The party carrying Harry had to negotiate gates and winding pathways between private kingdoms.”

The Armor of Light is set in Kingsbridge, a town that has evolved over the previous novels in the series. The fences and hedges were a part of this evolution, defining and delineating the material landscape of the town. The Industrial Revolution and the innovations in the textile industry are changing everything, altering the geography of the town itself as Kingsbridge rapidly modernizes.

“Books and newspapers fill their heads with half-understood ideas. It makes them discontented with the station in life that God has ordained for them. They get foolish notions about equality and democracy.”

The bishop voices many of the concerns shared by the upper classes regarding workers’ rights. While the bishop may not be a mill owner, he is from the same social class and he shares his peers’ fundamental belief that working class people cannot be trusted with an education. He speaks in favor of the status quo, believing that better working conditions are akin to “foolish notions” (34) because they threaten his status.

“Hope drained out of Sal. An argument with one of those who ruled always ended like this. The gentry were right because they were the gentry, regardless of laws, promises or logic. Only the poor had to obey the rules.”

Sal is exhausted by the bleak situation of the workers. Laws and logic mean nothing when the rigid British social class structure dominates everything. The aphoristic final statement in this quote encapsulates The Pernicious Effects of Social Inequality.