Great Expectations

Rich vs Poor

Adam Kashwa

19th Century England

During the 19th century the factory system gradually replaced the system of people working in their own homes or in small workshops. In England the textile industry was the first to be transformed. The changes caused a great deal of suffering to poor people.

19th century towns were dirty, unsanitary and overcrowded,London was busy and overpopulated. The city was full of crime as uneducated people had no other qualifications for jobs.

Lambert, Tim. "Life in the 19th Century." A World History Encyclopedia. Tim Lambert , n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. <http://www.localhistories.org/19thcent.html>.

The RichMen where seen as better working and more intelligent then women. They were paid higher wages and had better jobs. A man’s main goal was to be known as a gentleman.

The rich lived in large houses and often had a number of female servants. They were respected tremendously by the other social classes and were in some ways almost feared.

Murray, Venetia. An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2000. Print.

The PoorThe poor struggled in everyday life. Most of them worked on farms, as blacksmiths and other uneducated jobs. The poor where seen as diseased by the upper class as poor living conditions lead to a lot of illness in poor areas of London.

The rich would employ the poor as servants. They had a significantly lower salary then the higher class and any chance of becoming successful was basically 0. Many of them became criminals due to a lack of education.Bland, Celia. The Mechanical Age: The Industrial Revolution in England (World History Library). New York: Facts on File, 1995. Print.

JobsRICH

• Educated jobs• High paying • Lawyers, accountants, doctors government officials.• Social recognized

POOR• Uneducated jobs• Just enough money to stay alive• Farmers, Blacksmiths and often rogues (criminals)• Unrecognized by society.

Bland, Celia. The Mechanical Age: The Industrial Revolution in England (World History Library). New York: Facts on File, 1995. Print.

Contrasting ViewsThe poor and the rich both viewed each other in completely different ways. The rich viewed the poor as diseased, uneducated and unsuited to certain aspects of life. The rich employed the poor as servants and for jobs that did not require any education. They paid them small and almost useless wages. The middle class were employed for the jobs that needed education.

The poor on the other hand stayed out of the way of the upper class. They accepted their wages that the rich paid them and they carried on with their lives. Most of them didn’t dare try to better themselves out of fear and future generations of poor families usually stayed poor.

Pips fortune Pip was a poor, uneducated kid. He had no job and no qualifications. He came from a poor background and didn’t live in the greatest conditions. He lived out in the country side away from London. Pip was considered nothing more than a kid. Pip was then sent to become

an apprentice and gentleman. He got his fortune and soon peoples views towards him change and the way he was treated changed. His whole life changed simply because of money and becoming a gentleman.

Bibliography

Murray, Venetia. An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2000. Print.

Lambert, Tim. "Life in the 19th Century." A World History Encyclopedia. Tim Lambert , n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. <http://www.localhistories.org/19thcent.html>.

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Bland, Celia. The Mechanical Age: The Industrial Revolution in England (World History Library). New York: Facts on File, 1995. Print.