Frederick Engels’ life has some connection to his writing. As a young teenager, his father pushed him to join the business world and to reject the political ideas Engels kept thinking and writing most of his articles about. Instead, Engels continued writing and publishing articles and opinions over time despite what his parents wanted. There was even a letter sent by his mom begging him to stop his continued publications and return to the business world his father wanted him to join all this time. However, Engels was quick to reject that world and rebel against his parents’ wishes. I believe he identified with the working class’ oppression by the bourgeoisie mentally, physically, and morally.
In the selected text for this homework, Engels describes the environment the working class had to endure. The feces that were not properly disposed of were thrown on the streets, piling up to the point where they were disease breeding grounds. The cramped rooms with a dozen living in one room also led to perfect places for diseases to be rampant and spread. He also cites various medical physicians and sources that strengthen his argument that the poorly ventilated air led to many lung diseases for the working class. He continues to describe other diseases like scurvy and rickets that he shows to be linked to the malnutrition and food deprivation most kids were prone to.
Mainly, he pushes for the idea that the upper class, or property owning class, can be held responsible for many of the ailments and diseases that are rampant among the working class. Were it the steady loss of hope, their unfortunate child death accidents, their resorting to stealing or suicide, or their resorting to liquor for consolation, the upper class are to blame for their choice of how to educate the working class, how to set up the homes and infrastructure, and the amount of work they place on the working class.
Engels once said “To get the most out of life you must be active, you must live and you must have the courage to taste the thrill of being young … ” (1840), and I believe he spoke up for the working class because he felt they weren’t being allowed to get the most out of life. Their opportunities to taste the thrill of being young were being prohibited by the property-owning class. Engels spoke up for others most of his life and fought for revisions for the sake of public health. It is therefore unfortunately ironic that he passed away from throat cancer.
Chhada Nathan Kabariti
