Religion and social ranking had a large factor in how you lived in the community, for instance women had a very low social status until they were married even then it was lower than their husband’s. Their position would rise higher if they were to marry a wealthier man, but it would still rise some regardless of who she married.
For others their social standing would rise due to wealth and owning land, the more money and land you had, the higher in society you would rise. For example, during the Salem witch trials portrayed in the novel, Giles Corey tries to reveal