Mr. Mill's Struggle

The reason why Pip wants to be a "gentleman (upper-class people)" is due to changes in the surrounding environment. Later, the surrounding environment also caused his apathy or even dislike of Joe. From this point, the novel tells people that the human mind is easily lost to secular influences, so it is even more commendable to have a noble and pure soul than to own wealth and status. The British society in the novel was in the 19th century, when the social wealth rapidly expanded under the influence of the Industrial Revolution. The emergence of industrial capital has increased the temptation of wealth to people and widened the gap between the rich and the poor in society, especially between cities and villages.

Rockefeller was so powerful that even the government feared him. By making secret deals with railroad companies and holding extreme price... ... middle of paper ... ... Although industrialization brought about new inventions and discoveries, it created a divide between the rich and the poor. Unskilled immigrants had no choice but to work in unsanitary factories for extremely low pay. Theodore Roosevelt and Jane Adams were just two Progressive Reformers that sought to improve the unity of the nation by closing the gap.

Suppressed by the wealthy elites and mainstream newspapers, the growing Labor Movement of the late 1820’s and early 1830’s, created the labor press papers that projected the voice of the working man which had previously been muffled. Headed by The Mechanics Free Press and the Working Man’s Advocate, the labor press looked to achieve political power for the working class and to criticize politicians for their total disregard of the working-class people. The Industrial Revolution and emergence of capitalism provided many jobs for the working class, but forced the laborers into terrible work conditions. The labor papers provided the working class a forum to voice issues such as child labor and 12-hour work days, that impacted the lives of workers but were previously ignored by the established newspapers. As the movement continued to grow, the mainstream press continued to ignore the issues the laborers raised but they could no longer ignore their presence.

The Individual and Society in the Communist Manifesto The end of 19th century, Western Society was changing physically, philosophically, economically, and politically. It was an influential and critical time in that the Industrial Revolution created a new class. Many contemporary observers realized the dramatic changes in society. Among these were Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels who observed the conditions of the working man, or the proletariat, and saw a change in how goods and wealth were distributed. In their Communist Manifesto, they described their observations of the inequalities between the emerging wealthy middle class and the proletariat as well as the condition of the proletariat.

Perhaps one of the greatest flaws of capitalism is the creation of classes based on wealth, which were the rich and the poor, also known as the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Class conflict and the exploitation between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat were main issues that were discussed. Some of the most influential writers during this time period were Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Andrew Carnegie, who each provided a different perspective on the effects of capitalism on society. Each author provided their own ideas on how the ideal society should run, with or without capitalism. The man whose writings “most reflects and explains the character of the early Industrial Revolution” was enlightenment thinker Adam Smith (Sanders 223).

Sadly, workers were mistreated and the workplace was a dangerous place to be, but that did not stop the average people from fighting for their rights. New political ideas came about and the United States turned upside down into a whole new era. America’s large abundance of natural and human resources is what enabled the nation to develop so greatly in such a short amount of time. During the nations metamorphosis into the worlds industrial leader, the gross national product became eight times greater than after the civil war. New inventions also played a vital role in the country's industrial revolution.

When one looks at the many changes wrought by the industrial revolution, the working conditions of those in the newly industrialized industries are always a central focus. The new paradigm of the factory system changed more than simply how people worked, it changed their very sense of identity. It gave them a class-consciousness that would later help stimulate the rise of both democracy and communism. Disregarding for the moment, however, the future societal consequences of this newfound class-consciousness, and looking at the revolution solely from the perspective of an industrial worker, it is easy to questions the benefits of this revolution. Working conditions were often so grueling and fraught with real danger in the early decades of industrialization that one is justified in wondering if industrialization was actually beneficial - at least for the first few generations of workers that experienced it (Misa, 2011, p. 90).

Marx and Engels responded to the pleas of the exploited working class with the publishing of the Communist Manifesto. It spoke of the booming urban population, the boundless metropolitan poverty, and the outrageous social inequalities. The manifesto was simply a reaction to the class struggle between the rich and the poor, the Have’s and the Have-Not’s. It was a call to action to end the exploitation of the proletariat, to overthrow the capitalists and create a perfect communist society. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century gave the societies of European states a new appearance by bringing about rapid transformation in both the workplace and the household.

Revolution of the working man is discussed and many principles are brought out to dictate the way that many of these workers were treated during this time. Karl Marx’s theory of economic evolution addresses some of these points that are brought out in “Hard Times.” Marxism and economic theory of Marxism was formulated in the 19th century. Karl Marx is said to be the greatest thinker and philosopher of his time. His views on life and the social structure of his time revolutionized the way in that people think of socialism. He created an opportunity for the lower class to rise above the aristocrats, but failed due to the creation of the middle class.

These fences shaped and formed his relationships with his son. Due to his conscious efforts to not become what he did hold that were his father?s. The narrowness of his thoughts and ideas about life made him an almost impossible person with whom to have a relationship. These flaws permanently changed the lives of the people around him and built barriers which were too solid to ever be broken. Works Cited Wilson, August.