The ragged trousered philanthropists
By: Robert Tressell ; with introductions by Alan Sillitoe and Gary Day
Series: Harper Perennial modern classics
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 2005
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 590
ISBN-13: 9780007204502
Subjects: Working class; Fiction; Socialism; Social conditions
Description: Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a classic representation of the impoverished and politically powerless underclass of British society in Edwardian England, ruthlessly exploited by the institutionalized corruption of their employers and the civic and religious authorities. Epic in scale, the novel charts the ruinous effects of the laissez-faire mercantilist ethics on the men, women, and children of the working classes, and through its emblematic characters, argues for a socialist politics as the only hope for a civilized and humane life for all. It is a timeless work whose political message is as relevant today as it was in Tressell's time. For this it has long been honoured by the Trade Union movement and thinkers across the political spectrum.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.