As detailed throughout the text, Engels feels that the condition of the urban working class in England at the time of industrialization was horrid. The poor lived in small one room cellars grouped together into the slums. Overcrowded, damp, dirty, and without proper furnishings, household necessities, or even a good meal, the poor were left to work in horrible factories that tired them to the point of utter exhaustion to keep their cursed lives going. Men had a hard time finding jobs, so the women were usually sent to work in factories while the men became the women of the house and did household chores as their work. Many suffered from hate of this situation of powerlessness over what they cold do with their lives. A family should be able to support themselves in a way that leads to a good living. With the mother of the house trying to support the family, she has no time for her children, which isolates them from the family feeling like outsiders. The mother can also not provide healthy food for her children to consume. This led to malnourishment in the working class. Engels thought that a family should be supported by the father figure and the mother should take care of the children. The life of the urban poor completely flips the idea to the exact opposite.
The industrial revolution did advance the output of what people could create. However, it created a huge conflict. The ones working the factories to produce the goods suffered greatly in the face of progress. With the polluted atmosphere of the city and the cramped dirty conditions the poor had it harder than before when they were begging in small towns. This led to a two sided view on industrial improvement; it is beneficial to society, and it is hazardous to the health of the populace.
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