ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA 

 TABLE XX Concluded 



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From Table XX it is plain that the professional classes 

 produced many times their proportionate number of liter- 

 ary persons. The business classes also produced more than 

 their numbers alone would lead one to expect. On the other 

 hand, the agricultural class furnished somewhat fewer lit- 

 erati than might have been expected from so large a body; 

 while the class of mechanics, clerks, and laborers produced 

 relatively very few men of letters. 



It is apparent that birth into one of the so-called higher 

 social classes gave the literary aspirant exceptional opportu- 

 nity. In many cases the parents themselves were well edu- 

 cated, and simple association with them was an education 

 in itself. At any rate, such birth secured a relatively easy 

 entrance into educational and educated circles, and must 

 have been of great advantage in beginning a literary career. 



Odin studied the social position of parents of literati in 



