# To the Working-Classes of Great-Britain explained — The Condition of the Working Class in England

> Chapter companion for The Condition of the Working Class in England by Friedrich Engels.

## What happens

Friedrich Engels dedicates his work to the working classes of Great Britain, expressing his commitment to understanding their condition through direct observation and interaction. He criticizes the middle classes for their hypocrisy and self-interest, and praises the workers for their internationalism and humanity, urging them to continue their struggle for progress.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class Conflict

Engels explicitly outlines the opposition between the working class and the middle class, whose interests are diametrically opposed.

### Bourgeois Hypocrisy and Philanthropy

Engels accuses the middle classes of professing goodwill while actually exploiting workers for profit and ignoring their grievances.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The author, Friedrich Engels, speaks directly to the working classes, dedicating his work and sharing his experiences.

### The English

Referred to as the working men of Great Britain, the intended audience of the dedication.

### The Masters

The middle-classes are described as the opponents of the workers, whose interests are diametrically opposed.

## Key lines

> I forsook the company and the dinner-parties, the port-wine and champagne of the middle-classes, and devoted my leisure-hours almost exclusively to the intercourse with plain Workingmen

I abandoned the luxurious social events of the wealthy and spent my free time with ordinary workers.

_Engels emphasizes his choice to engage directly with workers rather than the middle class._

> the middle-classes intend in reality nothing else but to enrich themselves by your labour while they can sell its produce, and to abandon you to starvation as soon as they cannot make a profit by this indirect trade in human flesh.

The middle classes only want to profit from your work and will leave you to starve when they can no longer make money from it.

_Engels accuses the middle class of exploiting workers for profit and discarding them when they are no longer useful._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/to-the-working-classes-of-great-britain
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters