Analysis - The Phoenix and the Carpet

One thing that I noticed throughout the story was how rude the children were to the servants. The first time this is really talked about is in Chapter 3 when  it says, "No one could be expected to feel very kindly towards the cook, since it was entirely though her making such a fuss about a little foreign mud that the carpet had been taken away." Here, the cook is upset because when the children went on their adventure to the Topless Tower, they got mud all over the new carpet. Over the next week, the children were not especially nice to cook. And then they take her and leave her on the Sunny Southern Shore. Only Anthea is concerned enough to go and check on cook again to make sure she is happy after they leave. 
Later, after the adventure with the cats, rats, cow and burglar, the housemaid, Eliza comes home. She had left the house to go and be with her family and party with her friends while the family was away. When she comes home the children are very rude to her and threaten her with telling their parents. They use their power over her to get her to do what they want which is make them lunch and clean up after their mess. I find it interesting that Nesbit writes about the children being rude to the servants. At this time in London, it was not uncommon for middle class families to have cooks, maids and housekeepers. The fact that Nesbit is able to illustrate that through the eyes of the children shows a lot about how this time period was run and what was acceptable. The children must really think they are superior to Eliza and the cook for them to treat the help this way. In a time that is so concerned with being proper and manners, the children really take advantage of their social position.