"though some might be poor, we were all aristocratic"

“I imagine that a few of the gentlefolks of Cranford were poor, and had some difficulty in making both ends meet; but they were like the Spartans, and concealed their smart under a smiling face. We none of us spoke of money, because that subject savoured of commerce and trade, and though some might be poor, we were all aristocratic. The Cranfordians all had that kindly spirit de corps which made them overlook all deficiencies in success when some among them tried to conceal their poverty.”

—Mary Smith in “Our Society at Cranford”

Speaking of finances is equated with un-aristocratic or socially lower-class behavior in Cranford. Mary Smith claims that the Cranfordians are comparable to Spartans, the “frugal and austere” soldier-athletes of ancient Greece (Wikipedia). However, the Spartans were not frugal out of necessity, as the people of Cranford are; instead their frugality coincides with their self-control and discipline (Dictionary.com). The Cranfordians’ appearances of self-control and discipline are, in actuality, simply attempts to present themselves to the other ladies as such. This inaccurate allusion ameliorates the poor financial conditions, even “poverty,” found in Cranford. In a way, the ladies of Cranford refuse to help or be helped in order to maintain their visibility as prosperous members of society. And it is not only the solitary Cranfordians that have this mentality. Even Mary Smith, a temporary transplant from the industrially mindless town of Drumble, submerges herself in the culture and falls prey to the mindset of Cranford. In the second sentence of the above passage, Mary Smith includes herself as a member of the group by using the pronouns “we” and “us” instead of “they” and “them.” Outsiders are not easily embraced in Cranford; however, once they are, the other ladies go out of their way to avoid noticing evidences of frugality. They evidence acceptance by averting their eyes. This is one of the many paradoxes of Cranford. A Cranford lady would rather have her neighbors maintain the appearance of her stability than actually assist her, and consequently she forfeits the support that her community could provide. Surprisingly, the Cranford ladies do help Miss Matty, though not without embarrassment, in the final installment (see a discussion here).

The Cranford ladies of BBC. L to R: Miss Matty Jenkins (Judi Dench), Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie), Miss Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay), Miss Octavia Pole (Imelda Staunton).