How Books Helped Bring About Social Change In Victorian England

A handful of 19th century British writers were able to see at first-hand what everyday

life and working conditions were really like during the Industrial Revolution, of great significance were the increases in both the quantities of production facilities and of the individuals ready to labour in them. Consequently the proprietors made massive profits by preserving overheads, which included wages, small. This created a massive split between the money of the factory bosses and the poverty of the staff.

Mill towns were most often dirty smelly places inhabited by 1000s of men and women, significant numbers of whom are likely to have been working at the factories. A great number would have travelled into the towns from the countryside to seak work, as mechanisation of agriculture resulted in joblessness for them there. The housing being frequently bad and overcrowded filled with open drains in the roads leading to illness or perhaps death. Those who had fallen on hard times had no state system to turn to and before long became extremely poor. As a last chance they could go into the workhouses. Situations would have to be incredibly critical to make them do this as the labour routine and separation made living very strenuous, but at least meals were given and there were health professionals on the premises.

Poorer class families tended to have high numbers of kids and although this meant they had extra people to feed, it likewise meant that those who didn't ail were put to the job becoming extra money earners. When in employment conditions were very bad; the weaving sheds dominated cities and the owners could manage workers however they wanted, as there was usually a regular supply of people willing to take on work. Relations between staff and the mill owners were generally very poor. Owners thought of the workforce simply as hands to handle looms for their advantage; they thought the men and women ought to be entirely under their regulations in or out of the factories. There was usually a stigma against people who were illiterate and lower class.

In employment people could receive beatings or have their wages docked for the most minor wrongdoings. Quite a few couldnt afford clocks plus they were not allowed to carry pocket watches, which made punctuality difficult, but were penalised if they were late. They toiled for very prolonged hours, often in hot fibre-filled situations, this resulted in sickness, often breathing-related.

In contrast the middle-classes of the period might count on decent houses with staff to help run them. Due to the significant surpluses they earned they would not have needed to be anxious about food, garments and keeping warm. Their young ones were well fed and looked after and would be accustomed to a far better lifestyle than their working class equivalents.

Among the authors working throughout these times were Charles Dickens (1812-1870) and Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865). They both equally drew on real life for their ideas and in their own lifetimes they were hugely popular if not controversial novelists. Gaskell wrote Mary Barton in 1848 and North and South in 1855 whilst Dickens wrote Hard Times in 1854. All the above observations might be observed in the sections of these and other novels. Through their books and the written matter they were associated with, both Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell can be credited with helping to convey the plight of the poor masses to the attention of the individuals with influence, in particular the authorities. This also went a long way in contributing to the social improvements of the times.

by: Bruno Blackstone

POST COMMENT

The Impact Of Books In A Child How To Buy Quality But Cheap Notebooks The Tricks Employed By Established Authors To Market Books Quickbooks Hosting Makes Quickbooks More User-friendly Yearbooks Evoke An Inevitable Nostalgia Spiritual Books E-books On A Kindle Writers: App Store Has Pirated E-books Examining Textbooks On A Device Preparation Books For Ibps Exam Accounting Becomes Very Easy With Quickbooks Hosting The Shelf Where The Yearbooks Lived Quickbooks - Balancing The Standard Bank Statement