Poverty, politics, and gender in the working-class literature: Walter Greenwood's 'Love on the Dole' and Robert Tressell's 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'

master's thesis

• Author: Adriana Barešić
• Mentor: Martina Domines Veliki (mentor)
• Committee member: Borislav Knežević (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Hrvoje Tutek (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Martina Domines Veliki (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2023-10-04, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

Poverty as a topic in literary analysis has risen in popularity in recent years with the
development of a new field called the New Poverty Studies. The field of study is still in its
developing stages, but its main concern is researching the effect writing about poverty had on
the public perception of the poor. This thesis is concerned with working-class writers and their
works with the focus being on the two working-class novels: 'Love on the Dole' written by
Walter Greenwood and 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' by Robert Tressell. It offers a
brief historical overview of the original working-class writers and their development into the
early 20th-century working-class novel. The work further focuses on recognizing the causes
of poverty as well as the consequences it leaves on one's body, mental well-being, and the
perception of their gender. Through the analysis of the two novels concepts such as
capitalism, socialism, poverty, and class have been elaborated as well as the role they have
played in the continuation of the abuses of the working class. The thesis shows the destruction
of the working class through the abuses of the capitalistic system, and the lack of recognition
of the part the poor themselves play in perpetuating the torturous system. Moreover, the
analysis will demonstrate the daily lives of the poor and the authors’ personal connection to
poverty. Most of the poverty writing was brought into focus by those who were not of the
working class and had no experience or knowledge of the reality that the poor are faced with.
It made their portrayal of the poor unreliable and oftentimes sensationalistic and comic
instead of authentic. It frequently caused damage of misinformation, presenting the poor as
lazy thieves, and idlers. The working-class writers brought a new, realistic, and perception-changing dimension to poverty literature.

• Keywords: poverty; working-class; capitalism; new poverty studies
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:138772
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Literature and Culture; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2023-10-09 13:46:12