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The Wealth of Nations · Character

A Workman

The artificer whose workshop is his only harvest: when he marches off to war, nature does nothing for him, and the public must pay his way.

supporting

Also known as himself, a workman

First appearance: VIII: Of the Wages of Labour

As a supporting figure in The Wealth of Nations, A Workman is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Generic worker used in the pin-making example to illustrate the contrast between specialized and unspecialized labour.
In the storyOf the Division of LabourOpen this moment free

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In Of the Division of Labour: Generic worker used in the pin-making example to illustrate the contrast between specialized and unspecialized labour. Later, in Of the Principle Which Gives Occasion to the Division of…

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See A Workman in VIII: Of the Wages of Labour

Character Web

19 connections

A slice of how A Workman sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

JHJoseph HarrisDSDugald StewartJRJohn RaeSISilverTMThe MasterAWA Workman

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Labor and wage dynamics
  • Diverse authorities and generic roles
  • Ancient authorities and examples

+14 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Smi…

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In the story

A Workman appears across 16 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See A Workman in VIII: Of the Wages of Labour
Who is A Workman in The Wealth of Nations?