HIS145 2 Class Consciousness- Blincoe History Essay

Class Consciousness- Blincoe
Student’s Name
Institution
Class Consciousness- Blincoe
The memoir of Robert Blincoe shows evidence that the author, John Brown, had developed class consciousness. In describing the horrific experiences young Blincoe and other apprentices went through in the cotton mills, in contrast with the conditions of the masters and mill owners, it is clear that he was aware of the class struggle the children went through. The words used by the author to describe the conditions of the cotton mills and the oppression by masters confirm that he understood their social and economic class in relation to the masters. This essay presents evidence from the memoir of Blincoe to show that the author had developed class consciousness and that his description of class struggle conforms to arguments advanced in the lecture.
At the beginning of the memoir, the author describes how masters conspired to oppress and vilify him for exposing the atrocities that went on in the mills. He notes that they wanted to destroy his papers “…to prevent the enormities of the cotton masters being exposed…” (Brown, 1832, p.9). The fact that the author perceives the cotton masters as opposed to him, given their intention of destroying his payers, shows that he had developed class consciousness. In addition, being in a position to expose the class struggles shows that he was indeed aware of the depressing conditions of workers in the cotton mills.
Another evidence to show that the author had developed class consciousness can be seen in his description of the callousness of the masters. The author notes that “the most abhorrent cruelties were notoriously known to be exercised, by owners of co...