The condition of England, Past and Present - Thomas Carlyle (1843)

Thèmes abordés

The condition of England, Thomas Carlyle, anglais, LLCE Langues Littératures et Civilisations Étrangères, British society, industrialisation, industrialization, travail

Résumé du document

Ce document est un devoir portant sur un extrait du livre « The condition of England » de Thomas Carlyle, historien et essayiste écossais. Il est composé de 7 questions/réponses (contexte, résumé, essai...).

Extraits

[...] Carlyle points out that they are "Poor Law prisons" because people have no other choice than going there in order to survive. Workhouses were houses created to help poor people and especially agricultural workers to survive. During the 19th century, these houses were under Poor Law authorities. They used agricultural workers who had difficulties finding a job because of new technologies. They were assigned harsh tasks such as breaking stones for example. The living standards in these houses were poor and the discipline very strict. 5. [...]

[...] Politicians at that time aimed at developing economy and not supporting the population. For example, The Corn Laws in Britain (1815 to 1846) were designed to favor British producers, but raised the costs of living for the population with dramatic consequences for people. Carlyle explains that England is "full of wealth" but at the same time "dying of inanition". What is meant is that the behavior of the working class suffered from the decisions of politicians to develop industrial workshops and economic growth with no consideration for the workers. [...]

[...] Carlyle helped in developing the concept of the "two nations" - the rich and the poor. Politically, the awakening of social conscience in England was also a result from the pamphlet Carlyle wrote. That led politicians to reform the system of poor relief and the introduction of hygienic measures, but also improvement of education in England. 7. Before laws were voted, the passage from a farm-based economy to the Industrial Revolution was to the detriment of the British working classes. [...]

[...] The condition of England, Past and Present - Thomas Carlyle (1843) 1. What are the nature and the source of the document? This document is an extract from the first chapter of the book one of "Past and Present", written by Thomas Carlyle in 1843. It talks about "The condition of England". 2. What was the context? The context of the document can be understood at the light of the growing industrialization of England. The change in society affects all people in labor organization but also from a more philosophical point of view. [...]