The Condition of the Working Class in England

The book opens with a note by Friedrich Engels addressed directly to the English working class in which the author dedicates his book to the proletariat. He also shares some of the details and motivations behind his work and methods. Dissatisfied with the information found in official and public documents and reports, Engels dedicated his personal free time, while stationed in Manchester, to talking with various members of the working class rather than spending it with his peers at dinner parties and other social events. Appalled by the poverty and terrible conditions he observed, Engels aims to bring justice to the workers and convey to the English “money-monger” that the rest of the West European nations condemn the behavior of Britain’s middle and upper classes (27).

Additionally, Engels concludes that the proletariat cannot expect help or support from the upper-middle class. Their interests cannot be reconciled, even if factory and mine owners try persuading their workers otherwise. The proof is the lack of action on the part of the bourgeoisie in support of better conditions for the proletariat. Thus, the upper-middle classes in England have no interest in being objective when it comes to the effects of