Forster emphasizes class divisions through the interactions between the Basts on the one hand and the Schlegels and Wilcoxes on the other. At the beginning of the novel, Leonard is a poor clerk, while the Schlegels live comfortably off of an inheritance and the Wilcoxes are fairly rich business people. While the Schlegels maintain a different attitude than Mr. Wilcox or Aunt Juley to Leonard, they nevertheless take for granted that there is a divide between them. The Schlegel sisters also maintain a different relationship to their own class than does Mr. Wilcox, and as a consequence they perceive themselves as being fundamentally different to the Wilcoxes.

Although the Schlegel sisters do not behave haughtily toward Leonard, there is nevertheless a clear division between them. The sisters do not view socializing with Leonard as beneath them, since they are relatively unprejudiced. They tend to view him as an interesting person who shares their reverence for beauty and adventure. However, they nevertheless view him in a patronizing manner, which is evident in the scene in which he becomes the topic of conversation at their discussion club. Here, the name “Mr. Bast” becomes shorthand for a “poor” person with potential, who would (in their eyes) benefit from a rich person’s philanthropy.