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3.5 Prevailing orthodoxies and important individuals., STRENGTHS AND…
3.5 Prevailing orthodoxies and important individuals.
SAMUEL SMILES
Smiles was a strong supporter of the co-operative movement in Leeds which were the Leeds Mutual Society and the Leeds redemption society.
He was originally a supporter of Chartism but then became aware of the the growing militarism of Chartists.
In 1950s Smiles became disappointed with the lack of progress towards parliamentary reform so he turned to writing.
In 1859 he wrote "Self help" which was a guide on how paupers could get out of poverty. He believed that only the destitute needed help.
He also wrote biographies for people like George Sampson who had achieved success from complete poverty.
Henry Mayhew
He co-founded a satirical magazine.
In 1849 he wrote a series of articles for the morning chronicle where he described the Lives of the Poor in London (these were later published in a book). He went to paupers and noted what he saw smelt and heard.
Mayhew divided the population into 3 groups.
Those who will work, those who will not work, and those who cannot work.
CHARLES DICKENS
Dickens voiced two opinions:
the poor had hopes and dreams like everyone else and the workhouse system was dehumanising.
Dickens experienced poverty first hand as due to the imprisonment of his father he had to work in a blacking factory.
Dickens released monthly instalments of sketches which revealed the reality of poverty and frequently used cliffhangers to gain attention. His works were popular with both the middle classes and the poor.
Oliver Twist 1837-1838 was one of his most popular publications and revealed the brutality of the workhouse and captured the sympathy of the middle classes.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF INDIVIDUALS
WEAKNESSES
The Dicken's novels may have been seen purely as entertainment and people may have overlooked the more important message.
They led to no changes in legislation.
Categories that Mayhew gave were undermining
Strength
They gave paupers a way out of poverty eg Self help and the Biography on George Sampson,
They increased the awareness for the plight of the poor through writing
