When thinking of the advancements made by the human race, there are a few major times in history where more invention and improvement have occurred than any other. One of these points in history is the Industrial Revolution. With the creation of large factories and the mass production of products the Industrial Revolution improved the lives of many people. The exceptions to this new improvement in living were the lives of the poor living during the Industrial Revolution, the factory workers.
Present in both Engel's History of the Working Class and Dickens' Hard Times were the descriptions of the lives of the poor. It is very apparent in both writings that the lives of those who worked for the factories in large cities were not great. The condition of the city or town that the workers lived in was terrible. Smoke covered the sky, conditions were crowded, and there was coal and dirt covering every building. The poor had to live in horribly dirty conditions both inside and outside of their small homes. Also apparent in these towns was the lack of anything that was not related to work. Giant factories surrounded by small houses built for the employees were a large part of cities. These factories did not support their workforce with their revenue, but instead supported their benefactors. The pay was very low for those who did the work.
These three characteristics of the lives of the working class were seen in both of the reading. Hard Times did not give too many specifics. However, Engel's writing supported the same ideas of how horrid the conditions of the poor were.
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