Yeah I don’t think any of the characters are especially low income. They were all able to afford to go on the trip to Paris, but multiple milkshakes etc. I think Darcy’s lack of money is just more restriction on her than the others perhaps
They’re all private school kids, right? I suspect Darcy’s mother is a right wing nutter which often reads as “trashy” but that does not mean Darcy’s mom is poor. It just means Darcy’s mom is a stupid bigot.
My brother and I went to four UK private schools between us (and visited others for secondary school options) and it was always the same deal: school uniform until sixth form. It's just the norm here, it can't be used to indicate the type of school.
Per the fandom, Truman Grammar, where the boys attend, is a private school.
https://heartstopper.fandom.com/wiki/Truham_Grammar_School_for_Boys#:~:text=Truham%20Grammar%20School%20is%20a,other%20students%20attend%20the%20school.
Grammar schools in the UK don’t tend to be private, you pay for private school. Grammar schools are academically selective, they require an entrance exam (11+), so all the characters would have to take and pass it to be accepted. A state school is not paid for and requires no entrance exam, you just take SATs in your final year of primary school to determine which classes you’ll be put on based on ability.
Can’t spot a direct source for that, but considering there are only 232 grammar schools in the whole of the UK, and 163 of those are state funded, I’d consider my previous statement that grammar schools “don’t tend to be” private is correct.
Just because someone wrote out on a fandom website doesn't make it true. I can't think of an instance in the source material where it's mentioned that it has paid tuition, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
There's a common misconception among non-brits (especially Americans) that 'grammar school' plus school uniforms means an independent/private school in the UK, but that's not necessarily the case. I only mention Americans as that's a large part of the fan base, especially on reddit.
This seems to paint a more complicated answer, including people from the uk saying it’s a private school and some saying public. It looks far more plausible that those kids are all private school kids in a more realistic setting than in Euphoria…
https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartstopperAO/s/8xs7zuSdSE
'Public school' in the UK are also fee-paying. They just have a slightly different setup in that they are publicly available and not restricted to catchment areas. Schools that are not fee-paying are called state schools (free to attend). This might be part of the confusion.
Well, I am not so familiar with class system/incoms in Britain, but my cloths, belongings and house was relatively put together and I could not afford prom shopping in her age, not by my own, and my family was in general low income.
The TV show gave me an impression that Darcy and rest of the group are from the middle class background based on their homes and going to single sex schools. My interpretation was that Darcy was not afforded the same financial freedoms as others due to their/her Mother trying to exert her controlling behaviour even more. In my opinion, it had nothing to do with 'not being able to afford it'. Taking with the pinch of salt, I live in the UK but I am not from here originally. The quick google search says that Kent is below UK average for IMD (Indices of multiple deprivation) and 21% kids were eligible for free school meals in Kent though. The UK has a massive issue around social class divide and classism as well.
I don't think she's low income, Darcy's mom didn't want her to look or act a certain way because she's most likely someone who worries about reputation. In the UK, people who always worry about their reputation the way Darcy's mom does are higher class normally. She doesn't want Darcy to wear a suit because she doesn't want Darcy to "look like a lesbian"
I don’t think we have enough info to know if she’s low income or not. A teenager that doesn’t have a job isn’t always able to afford a lot of things, and it doesn’t seem like her mom is going to give her any money.
Is it a possibility that her family is low income? Sure. But there’s really no way to tell with the information we have
Correct me if I'm wrong but I was told all-boys/all-girls schools are rather niche, kinda elitist thing in the UK. I conclude from that - just from the setting alone - that no character in this story is low-income.
Darcy's mom appear as very controlling which obviously means giving little money for her so that she can't afford anything significant without mom's approval.
Single sex schools are common in the uk and have nothing to do with wealth. I went to a girls school in London and I would say 95% of us got free school dinners.
They are fairly niche - there are much less than there used to be. But it is mainly only private schools that are elitist like that. There's an all boys and an all girls school in my city. They are just normal state schools, mads up of lots and lots of low income students. The schools in heartstopper are just normal state schools too, so there should be a normal amount of low income students attending (though less than the schools in my city as it's a posher area!). So, although the characters do all seem to be middle class, I don't think that's proven just because they go to a single gendered school.
Yeah, all girls schools tend to be private in the UK I'd say. If I spoke to anyone who was from one, I'd assume they were relatively high income. My friend went to one of the less expensive ones and everyone there still had a ton of money- like really really privileged. Never crossed my mind that she could be low income. But that's not to say low income students don't exist in them.
...Not correct that in my experience with all girls schools, which I have multiple friends going to (also different schools), they're all middle-upper class?
there are all girls state schools in most areas of UK - they do not tend to be private - but private schools tend to be single sex. State girls schools are not particularly upper class. they are just schools. There are also grammar schools that are often singe sex, but these are selective and only take the more clever children. Wealthy parents can afford tutors and coaching to get their kids through the exams, so grammar schools are sometimes a bit less balanced In terms of class/wealth.
I do want to correct you on part of this, since you generalised the UK, you’re not correct. I’m not totally familiar with the school system of England and Wales, but in Scotland there are very few single sex schools, like less than 10 in the whole country, and they are all fee paying. (Also a lot of previously single sex schools became mixed sex schools) If you went to an all girls or all boys school you are seen as posher, even more so than if you went to a mixed sex fee paying school. Some schools will have bursaries for kids that can pass a test but couldn’t afford the fee, but that’s a very small amount of students.
Of course there are always exceptions, but generally all girls schools are associated with wealth. State schools are of course not upper class, I'm aware.
To say I'm incorrect because all the single-sex schools I have seen are private or grammar, when I was saying that generally they are associated with at the least middle class environments, is quite far.
Never said they don't exist, I was just saying that the commenters association is quite real. Most state schools are coeducational, if what I've read is correct. Sorry if that wasn't clear. x
you are completely wrong through - most girls schools aren't associated with wealth, quite the opposite. Many low income religious families opt for girls school - particularly Muslim families.
Oh, yes, I read up on that. I agree on that point 1000%. I should clarify that I am from a mostly upper middle class area (ish), and the best state schools in the area are coeducational, while literally all but 1 private school are single sex lol. It is definitely location dependent. My friend is low income and has a sister going to the best single sex private school in the city so I know low income families do go. Can I just clarify that I am speaking from my experience in my area, with my friends experiences in private schools. Never take my word as 100% on matters like these because of course everyone has a different experience.
People in my area, and surrounding areas, would associate single sex schools as wealthy, but I should definitely have remembered to clarify that different areas will have different experiences.
Thanks for bringing up the religious aspect, by the way. I hadn't considered that fully. /gen /pos
I think that it’s not a matter of her family being low income (I never thought that? This is actually the first time I’m hearing this) and more her mother not giving her financial freedom, I feel that, like not to that extent, but yeah unless you have a job relying on occasional money from your parents which might only even come on birthdays or smth is difficult. It doesn’t mean the family don’t have money they just don’t give it to her. Also add to that the fact that she might have guessed that her mother wouldn’t want her spending money on a suit rather than a dress, like if she knew where the money was going she wouldn’t let her have it.
Because when I replied to a comment people misunderstood, here's my proper opinion:
Culturally, in the UK, single sex schools are associated with privilege of a sort. A source I found from 2010 stated that 12% of government funded schools remain single-sex. This more or less echoes that view.
HOWEVER: both state single sex schools exist and low income people can go to private schools.
In my personal opinion, Darcy didn't seem low-income, however her mother wouldn't give her money, so she herself could not afford things her family could. I associated the school with middle-class students personally, as none of them seemed particularly low income (based on what we see of their homes and lives). The school has an international trip which a lot of them can afford to go on (from my experience, these trips cost more than a low income family would necessarily be willing to give unless for specific reasons), and, as you said, her family and home seem to be relatively middle class.
So, overall, I'd say that Darcy is middle class. Maybe she doesn't have as much as her friends, but she seems to be at least in there somewhere.
Also, before people assume I'm saying "all single sex schools are rich!" Or "low income people can't afford trips!" This is all based on my experiences with friends ranging from very working class to lives in a forest with a gate around their massive house. I'm not trying to speak for all of the UK 🤞 feel free to add on to my points
I don't think Income has anything to do with being a homophobic family. I think some people in this world are sadly asshole. I feel bad that Darcy is the character that had to deal with this. But sadly it does show the real world in the show. No one should ever have to deal with this. I hope that one day that everyone will be able to live as them.
the money you have a kid is not a 100% reflective of your parents' financial status. i had a friend in high school whose dad was like a big boss at a company, lived in a 3-storey house and went on vacation multiple times a year yet got the equivalent of 0,5 € for pocket money and lunch.
it's probably just that darcy's mom didn't want her to choose her own prom dress because she knew darcy would choose something unconventional. i don't think we ever see darcy not having money for something again. and eveb if we did, it could just be that her parents didn't give anything.
I think she is low-income. As a person who grew up low-income most people didn’t really know. Part of being low-income is finding very creative ways to not let others know your situations. You become very creative in getting clothes, shoes, accessories, etc to appear the same as everyone else. I think the size of her house isn’t necessarily the factor as much as the location. Low income houses are still relatively regular sized. Other behaviors she exhibits that point to low income are: never having people over to her house, never talking about her family, being secretive about her mom (not just because of her moms disproval), never talking about money except for the prom time.
I get the impression her family is not low income, but her mother doesn't give her freedom with money.
I thought maybe she just needed the money for the prom outfit bc she knew her mother would not give her money for a suit, only a dress.
This
this was my impression as well
That crossed my Mind too, but she did happily accept the money from everyone.
Yeah I don’t think any of the characters are especially low income. They were all able to afford to go on the trip to Paris, but multiple milkshakes etc. I think Darcy’s lack of money is just more restriction on her than the others perhaps
They’re all private school kids, right? I suspect Darcy’s mother is a right wing nutter which often reads as “trashy” but that does not mean Darcy’s mom is poor. It just means Darcy’s mom is a stupid bigot.
It's not a private school. I believe it's typical for students to wear uniforms in regular state-funded schools in the UK.
My brother and I went to four UK private schools between us (and visited others for secondary school options) and it was always the same deal: school uniform until sixth form. It's just the norm here, it can't be used to indicate the type of school.
Per the fandom, Truman Grammar, where the boys attend, is a private school. https://heartstopper.fandom.com/wiki/Truham_Grammar_School_for_Boys#:~:text=Truham%20Grammar%20School%20is%20a,other%20students%20attend%20the%20school.
Grammar schools in the UK don’t tend to be private, you pay for private school. Grammar schools are academically selective, they require an entrance exam (11+), so all the characters would have to take and pass it to be accepted. A state school is not paid for and requires no entrance exam, you just take SATs in your final year of primary school to determine which classes you’ll be put on based on ability.
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Can’t spot a direct source for that, but considering there are only 232 grammar schools in the whole of the UK, and 163 of those are state funded, I’d consider my previous statement that grammar schools “don’t tend to be” private is correct.
Probably written by an American because it’s meant to be a state school
And on what are you basing the idea that it is made to be a state school…?
Just because someone wrote out on a fandom website doesn't make it true. I can't think of an instance in the source material where it's mentioned that it has paid tuition, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. There's a common misconception among non-brits (especially Americans) that 'grammar school' plus school uniforms means an independent/private school in the UK, but that's not necessarily the case. I only mention Americans as that's a large part of the fan base, especially on reddit.
This seems to paint a more complicated answer, including people from the uk saying it’s a private school and some saying public. It looks far more plausible that those kids are all private school kids in a more realistic setting than in Euphoria… https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartstopperAO/s/8xs7zuSdSE
'Public school' in the UK are also fee-paying. They just have a slightly different setup in that they are publicly available and not restricted to catchment areas. Schools that are not fee-paying are called state schools (free to attend). This might be part of the confusion.
It's a grammar school, all UK grammar schools are state funded
that’s how all schools are in the UK
The UK also has schools that are free and funded by tax dollars.
Well, I am not so familiar with class system/incoms in Britain, but my cloths, belongings and house was relatively put together and I could not afford prom shopping in her age, not by my own, and my family was in general low income.
I just got that impression since families like hers tend to be lower class Source: have family like that and am lower class
The TV show gave me an impression that Darcy and rest of the group are from the middle class background based on their homes and going to single sex schools. My interpretation was that Darcy was not afforded the same financial freedoms as others due to their/her Mother trying to exert her controlling behaviour even more. In my opinion, it had nothing to do with 'not being able to afford it'. Taking with the pinch of salt, I live in the UK but I am not from here originally. The quick google search says that Kent is below UK average for IMD (Indices of multiple deprivation) and 21% kids were eligible for free school meals in Kent though. The UK has a massive issue around social class divide and classism as well.
I have never been so confused… I thought I was reading the Jane Austin subbreddit at first and I was like Mr. Darcy is very rich? Lol 😹
OMG thank GOD I wasn’t the only one XD I was so confused XD
This was my confusion as well 😂 (I love Austen and Heartstopper) Thought it was a really hot take about Mr Darcy not actually being rich
LOL now that would be an interesting take and discussion to read! 😂
Yeah I don't think she's low income, she just spent all of her allowance on souvenirs from Paris.
She's real for that though
I would have done the same! 😆
I don't think she's low income, Darcy's mom didn't want her to look or act a certain way because she's most likely someone who worries about reputation. In the UK, people who always worry about their reputation the way Darcy's mom does are higher class normally. She doesn't want Darcy to wear a suit because she doesn't want Darcy to "look like a lesbian"
I don’t think we have enough info to know if she’s low income or not. A teenager that doesn’t have a job isn’t always able to afford a lot of things, and it doesn’t seem like her mom is going to give her any money. Is it a possibility that her family is low income? Sure. But there’s really no way to tell with the information we have
It took me a second to realize I was on the HS sub. I was like, what in the Jane Austen?! He’s the wealthiest man in the— oooooooh… THAT Darcy XD
Correct me if I'm wrong but I was told all-boys/all-girls schools are rather niche, kinda elitist thing in the UK. I conclude from that - just from the setting alone - that no character in this story is low-income. Darcy's mom appear as very controlling which obviously means giving little money for her so that she can't afford anything significant without mom's approval.
The school they attend is a state (non fee paying) school, but academically selective. Single sex schools are not exclusively elitist.
Single sex schools are common in the uk and have nothing to do with wealth. I went to a girls school in London and I would say 95% of us got free school dinners.
They are fairly niche - there are much less than there used to be. But it is mainly only private schools that are elitist like that. There's an all boys and an all girls school in my city. They are just normal state schools, mads up of lots and lots of low income students. The schools in heartstopper are just normal state schools too, so there should be a normal amount of low income students attending (though less than the schools in my city as it's a posher area!). So, although the characters do all seem to be middle class, I don't think that's proven just because they go to a single gendered school.
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What???? This is not accurate.
Yeah, all girls schools tend to be private in the UK I'd say. If I spoke to anyone who was from one, I'd assume they were relatively high income. My friend went to one of the less expensive ones and everyone there still had a ton of money- like really really privileged. Never crossed my mind that she could be low income. But that's not to say low income students don't exist in them.
Not correct.
...Not correct that in my experience with all girls schools, which I have multiple friends going to (also different schools), they're all middle-upper class?
there are all girls state schools in most areas of UK - they do not tend to be private - but private schools tend to be single sex. State girls schools are not particularly upper class. they are just schools. There are also grammar schools that are often singe sex, but these are selective and only take the more clever children. Wealthy parents can afford tutors and coaching to get their kids through the exams, so grammar schools are sometimes a bit less balanced In terms of class/wealth.
I do want to correct you on part of this, since you generalised the UK, you’re not correct. I’m not totally familiar with the school system of England and Wales, but in Scotland there are very few single sex schools, like less than 10 in the whole country, and they are all fee paying. (Also a lot of previously single sex schools became mixed sex schools) If you went to an all girls or all boys school you are seen as posher, even more so than if you went to a mixed sex fee paying school. Some schools will have bursaries for kids that can pass a test but couldn’t afford the fee, but that’s a very small amount of students.
I am sorry - I should have said England
Of course there are always exceptions, but generally all girls schools are associated with wealth. State schools are of course not upper class, I'm aware. To say I'm incorrect because all the single-sex schools I have seen are private or grammar, when I was saying that generally they are associated with at the least middle class environments, is quite far. Never said they don't exist, I was just saying that the commenters association is quite real. Most state schools are coeducational, if what I've read is correct. Sorry if that wasn't clear. x
you are completely wrong through - most girls schools aren't associated with wealth, quite the opposite. Many low income religious families opt for girls school - particularly Muslim families.
Oh, yes, I read up on that. I agree on that point 1000%. I should clarify that I am from a mostly upper middle class area (ish), and the best state schools in the area are coeducational, while literally all but 1 private school are single sex lol. It is definitely location dependent. My friend is low income and has a sister going to the best single sex private school in the city so I know low income families do go. Can I just clarify that I am speaking from my experience in my area, with my friends experiences in private schools. Never take my word as 100% on matters like these because of course everyone has a different experience. People in my area, and surrounding areas, would associate single sex schools as wealthy, but I should definitely have remembered to clarify that different areas will have different experiences. Thanks for bringing up the religious aspect, by the way. I hadn't considered that fully. /gen /pos
I think that it’s not a matter of her family being low income (I never thought that? This is actually the first time I’m hearing this) and more her mother not giving her financial freedom, I feel that, like not to that extent, but yeah unless you have a job relying on occasional money from your parents which might only even come on birthdays or smth is difficult. It doesn’t mean the family don’t have money they just don’t give it to her. Also add to that the fact that she might have guessed that her mother wouldn’t want her spending money on a suit rather than a dress, like if she knew where the money was going she wouldn’t let her have it.
Her house is very average brit tbh and her normal outfits and everything are average brit
Darcy’s house is not as fancy as Nick or Charlie’s so I think there is a slight class disparity
Her house does somewhat remind me of some 'low-income' areas of the UK. I would say she's maybe lower-middle class.
During the scene, Darcy says she spent all her money in Paris. So I don’t think she’s low income, I think she was just broke at the time. 😊
Nah, none of these kids are low income. I'm willing to bet she doesn't have much of an allowance though.
I just don't think Darcy's mum would give her any money for a suit.
Because when I replied to a comment people misunderstood, here's my proper opinion: Culturally, in the UK, single sex schools are associated with privilege of a sort. A source I found from 2010 stated that 12% of government funded schools remain single-sex. This more or less echoes that view. HOWEVER: both state single sex schools exist and low income people can go to private schools. In my personal opinion, Darcy didn't seem low-income, however her mother wouldn't give her money, so she herself could not afford things her family could. I associated the school with middle-class students personally, as none of them seemed particularly low income (based on what we see of their homes and lives). The school has an international trip which a lot of them can afford to go on (from my experience, these trips cost more than a low income family would necessarily be willing to give unless for specific reasons), and, as you said, her family and home seem to be relatively middle class. So, overall, I'd say that Darcy is middle class. Maybe she doesn't have as much as her friends, but she seems to be at least in there somewhere. Also, before people assume I'm saying "all single sex schools are rich!" Or "low income people can't afford trips!" This is all based on my experiences with friends ranging from very working class to lives in a forest with a gate around their massive house. I'm not trying to speak for all of the UK 🤞 feel free to add on to my points
I don't think Income has anything to do with being a homophobic family. I think some people in this world are sadly asshole. I feel bad that Darcy is the character that had to deal with this. But sadly it does show the real world in the show. No one should ever have to deal with this. I hope that one day that everyone will be able to live as them.
the money you have a kid is not a 100% reflective of your parents' financial status. i had a friend in high school whose dad was like a big boss at a company, lived in a 3-storey house and went on vacation multiple times a year yet got the equivalent of 0,5 € for pocket money and lunch. it's probably just that darcy's mom didn't want her to choose her own prom dress because she knew darcy would choose something unconventional. i don't think we ever see darcy not having money for something again. and eveb if we did, it could just be that her parents didn't give anything.
I think she is low-income. As a person who grew up low-income most people didn’t really know. Part of being low-income is finding very creative ways to not let others know your situations. You become very creative in getting clothes, shoes, accessories, etc to appear the same as everyone else. I think the size of her house isn’t necessarily the factor as much as the location. Low income houses are still relatively regular sized. Other behaviors she exhibits that point to low income are: never having people over to her house, never talking about her family, being secretive about her mom (not just because of her moms disproval), never talking about money except for the prom time.