# The English — The Condition of the Working Class in England character guide

> The English in The Condition of the Working Class in England by Friedrich Engels.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** The English Socialists, The Socialists

**First appearance:** 0002-the-condition-of-the-working-class-in-england

## Snapshot

The English working class in the aggregate: a people whose nationality has been annihilated by industrialism, leaving them with passions as strong and mighty as any foreigner's.

## Who they are

They are the book's true protagonist, a collective whose inherited respect for property was conquered by want, whose earliest rebellion took the form of crime, and whose energies now turn toward open opposition to the whole condition of their lives. Engels insists they are no longer calculating Englishmen but men whose feelings have been overborne by unrestrained passion, and this is precisely what makes them noblest and most worthy of sympathy. Their revolt, passing through phases from theft to organized protest, is the arc the reader is asked to follow.

## Relationships

### [The Irish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/characters/the_irish)

_rivalry_

The English view the Irish as a competitive, disruptive labor force that lowers wages and living standards.

### [The French](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/characters/the_french)

_rivalry_

The English compare their industrial conditions with the French, often viewing them as competitors or inferior.

### [Thomas Carlyle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/characters/thomas_carlyle)

_psychological_

Thomas Carlyle's critiques of industrial society resonate with and shape the English workers' self-perception.

## In the story

### [To the Working-Classes of Great-Britain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/to-the-working-classes-of-great-britain)

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

### [The Condition of the Working Class in England](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-condition-of-the-working-class-in-england)

The English working class is the central subject of the chapter, whose suffering and resistance are documented in detail.

### [The Industrial Proletariat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-industrial-proletariat)

Referenced as the society experiencing the industrial changes and the Labour Movement.

### [The Great Towns](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-great-towns)

The English workingmen are described as coining the term 'social murder' to describe the society's role in their suffering.

### [Competition](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/competition)

English workers are depicted as being in competition with the Irish and with each other, with their standard of living being dragged down.

### [Irish Immigration](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/irish-immigration)

The English working class is portrayed as being degraded and undercut by Irish competition, forced to compete with a 'competitor upon the lowest plane possible.'

### [Results](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/results)

The English working class is described as becoming a race apart from the bourgeoisie, with distinct dialects, thoughts, and customs.

### [The Remaining Branches of Industry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-remaining-branches-of-industry)

Mentioned as the workers who are being undercut by Saxon competition, leading to their starvation.

### [Labour Movements](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/labour-movements)

Described as practical people who express their protest through action rather than theory, and whose workers are noted for their courage and determination.

### [The Agricultural Proletariat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-agricultural-proletariat)

Referenced in the context of 'agricultural distress' and the general condition of the rural poor.

### [The Attitude of the Bourgeoisie Towards the Proletariat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/chapters/the-attitude-of-the-bourgeoisie-towards-the-proletariat)

The English bourgeoisie is described as deeply demoralized, selfish, and incapable of progress.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/characters/the_english
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_condition_of_the_working_class_in_england_se/characters