Final answer:
The social standing of characters can often be determined through stage directions which provide context about their actions and settings. References to societal expectations and class distinctions in dialogue, as well as visual cues such as attire and positioning, also help to discern a character's social rank.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing the stage directions at the beginning of a passage to infer the social standing of characters, we observe their actions, the environment, and how they are presented. For instance, in the synopsis provided, two elderly women of the lower middle class follow a man with gestures that they deem eccentric, highlighting their fascination with the behavior of those who are well-to-do. This scenario illustrates the women's lower social status as they are described as 'frankly fascinated' by potential eccentricity in higher social classes, a common sentiment among those lower on the social ladder who oftentimes viewed the rich with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
Furthermore, references to societal expectations, such as adherence to class distinctions in conversations between characters or how an environment delineates those distinctions, aid in determining social standing. A character like Miss Daisy Miller in James's novella may be perceived as low on the social scale by other characters such as Mrs. Costello through their dialogue, reinforcing perceptions of class. Similarly, in visual arts, background cues like attire or position in a scene can also signal a character's social standing, as seen in the depiction of a man with a nobility-restricted gat hat observing women from a distance, suggesting higher social rank.