Comparing Marx and Smiles: How might Marx and Smiles criticize each other’s views? What common ground might they find?
Considering the appeal of Marxism: Why might ordinary working-class men and women, such as Elizabeth Bentley and Ellen Johnston, be attracted to the ideas of a middle-class intellectual like Karl Marx? Do you think that artisans, such as the silk weavers of Coventry, would find his ideas equally appealing?
Understanding class: How do these documents, coupled with the Portrait of Ellen Johnston, help you to understand the experience of “class” during the early industrial era?