How Does Industrialization Affect The Bourgeoisie

Industrialization in the 19th century replaced rural life for an urban society filled with machinery and mass production. This new industrialized society brought riches and an increase in the standard of living for the bourgeoisie while creating dreadful working and living conditions for the poor. These conditions forced the working class into a desensitized state in which they no longer felt the exploitative conditions of industrialization and fell into senseless obedience. Although, the bourgeoisie did benefit tremendously from the exploitation of the working class, it is important to note that industrialization had similar damaging effects on the bourgeoisie and the rest of society as well. Both Dickens’ Hard Times and Marx’s The Communist …show more content…
In fact, Marx asserts that the bourgeoisie, which is controlled by industrialization, “has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations…and has left no other bond between man and man than naked-self interest.’” It is for this reason that the bourgeoisie exploits the homogenous mass because society has been so corrupted that exploitation of others for monetary gain seems completely reasonable. However, class exploitation has now transcended to other social relationships such as family. Marx goes on to further state that “the bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation,” where there is no room to share feelings or love each other as a family should. In fact, this is exemplified in Gradgrind’s relationship with his children. For example, when his daughter goes to him for advise on whether or not she should marry Bounderby, a family friend, Gradgrind tells her that she should “[confine herself] rigidly to Fact” meaning that she simply has to answer yes or no and that “nothing can be plainer than that.” Gradgrind fails to see that his daughter is hesitant about her decision and instead of helping her he simply tells her that the question is simple implying that marriage is a mere insignificant relationship, which ultimately leads her into a miserable marriage and miserable life that she immediately tries to escape. Moreover, it is also important to note that due to constant exploitation by the bourgeoisie of the homogenous mass, the workers themselves become a mass production of empty commodities, while the bourgeoisie similarly becomes a cold machine obsessed with production and profit. For example, when Dickens first describes the workers he describes them alongside the town in which they work in, Coketown. The town