In The Half-Caste, the narrator of the story finds herself in a little bit of a quandary concerning the income of both she and her mother. Cassandra must find work in order to support herself and her mother, so she is thrust into the job of governess. She did not go to school to become a governess, but from the education she received because of her class status, she is able to scrape by and become an adequate governess for the Pryors. However, in appendix C–which deals with the role of the Victorian Governess–we find out more about the contemporary qualities that were desired in a governess at the time: “There are strong objections in the minds of some, to a lady who is compelled unexpectedly to teach, and to teach just for a living” (Craik, 144). According to this source, the circumstances that lead Cassandra to become a governess were less than ideal. She was not fully equipped to assume the role of governess. Despite some of these sentiments floating around at the time, Craik creates Cassandra to be an adept governess that looks out for the well-being of her pupil, Zillah.

Craik, Dinah Mulock. The Half-Caste, edited by Melissa Edmundson. Appendix C, From Emily Peart, A Book for Governesses (Edinburgh: W. Oliphant, [1868]), 9-22. Broadview Editions, 2016.