John Ruskin (1819 -1900) was an English art critic and social thinker, also remembered as a poet and artist. He wrote a number of essays on art and architecture that became extremely influential in the Victorian era. He takes material for his lecture "Work" from the existing economic revolution which is generally referred to as the "Industrial Revolution". Apart from its advantages and benefits, it brought great destruction to the poor people. The writer reveals the general facts and harsh realities which were ignored even by those who themselves were the main victim of revolution. What is the Working Class? Ruskin, in the very beginning, is going to clarify the matter that what it is meant by "working class". Most probably it is the opposite of "idle class". Then "idle class" will be the synonym of "upper class". At this point, Ruskin asks a question to his audience whether he is correct in drawing this distinction or not. The question is asked only with the intention to gain the sympathy of his audience so that to convince them about his own arguments. Then, he rejects the above-mentioned distinction because the idle people may be found in both rich and poor classes. There is a working-class among both rich and poor and there is also an idle class among both rich and poor. So the distinction between the working class and the upper class has been proved to be wrong. As the topic of his lecture is work, the writer sticks to the working class. He draws organized distinction between the two classes in various respects. Ruskin draws distinctions between the two classes in four major respective. ● Work and Play ● Poor and Rich ● Work by hand and brain ● Wise work and Foolish work First Distinction This distinction is between two classes; those who work and those who play. It can be understood easily after knowing the difference between work and play. "Play" has been derided for the purpose of pleasure with no determined end while work is something totally different which is intended to earn benefit and is done with some determined end. The writer critically analyzes some popular works of England that are worthy to be called "games". "The first English game is making money" This is an ironical statement for those who earn money blindly. Such people don't know why they are earning money and what they will do with it? They are in fact players, playing the game of minting money. The aristocratic ladies of his time were also indulging in the most expensive game of "dressing". Ruskin satirically encodes their behavior saying these are the "poor women" with no proper clothing. Had the garment-budget of these ladies distributed among the poor people of the third world, it would have sufficed them to fulfill their basic needs. However, the distinction between work and play is not exclusively mutual; a single thing can be equally "work" and "play" according to its primary and secondary purposes. Second Distinction The writer draws another distinction between the rich and poor. The first spends a large amount of money even on cheap and ordinary things while the latter has to endeavor his basic needs. Ruskin quotes two instances from a newspaper. The first says that in Russia a man of good fortune entered into a hotel to take his breakfast. He paid there fifteen francs only for two peaches. The second story states the miserable state of a dead person whose body was lying on a dung heap with no person paying any heed towards him only because he belongs to the poor class. Some dried pieces of "bones" were taken out of his pocket thus intensifying the misery of the poor person. Lawful Bases of Wealth The lawful basis of wealth is that a worker should be paid a fair amount of his work and he should also be given liberty regarding his money; whether spends or saves for some rainy day. After implementing this law in a true sense there would be no "poor person" except for those lazy people who stay at home lazily instead of doing some work. Such kind of poor are doubly poor; lacking not only worldly possessions but also the moral strength. Those who follow this law are real rich irrespective of the money they have in their possessions. False Base of Minting Money Duty is the main thing that should be given priority. Those who care more about their salary or fee than the work they have been assigned, though, can become rich but on a false basis. Ruskin critically refers to such kinds of people terming them "uneducated class", "inferior in intellect" and "coward". At this point, Ruskin has proved his philosophy by giving an analogy. He says the primary purpose of a soldier's life must be to win battles. Similarly, teaching goodness should be the sole purpose of a clergyman's life. Both of these persons are paid well for their duties but that is at the secondary level. If this becomes their primary objective then they would be "coward" and "stupid". Next Ruskin talks about the work by hand and work by head. Both types of work are important and necessary for the maintenance of life. Everyone should be honest to his work. Rough work can be done by rough men and gentle work can be done by gentle people. The same men cannot do both work at a time. He tells the working men a grand proverb of Sancho’s that nothing is achieved by empty promises or flattery. Both class of working should respect each other work because a man setting in a room with all facilities does have no idea about the work of a man sitting in front of furnace or a driver driving against the wind. But the problem is that the rough work is real and honest and though generally no useful but the gentle work accompanies deceit and cheating. When both works are equally done with honesty then head’s work is honorable than hand’s work. All work should be done with orderly manner, lawful way and human way not in the doggish way or disorderly. He criticizes the war and recruitment of war once again. We enlist people for labor that kills. We should enlist people for labor that feed. Then he talks about justice in great detail. He emphasizes on justice between people, between working class in every action of life. In the fourth section of his speech he talks about the wise work and foolish work. Here tries to differentiate between sensible work and non-sensible work in daily occupation. In bold words he says that wise work is that which is done for and work with God. But on the other hand the work which is against God is foolish work. Work with God means to enforce God’s law of order and ensure justice. Order and justice are two great human deeds; there are two deeds against that are devil’s inequity and devil’s disorder. A sensible human must fight against these two Satan’s deeds. So far if a person does not fight against means work for him. All wise works can be described by threefold in character. The very first character of wise work is HONEST. Honesty is very much important aspect of wise work. Ruskin implores to the working men to be honest with their work. He says that without honesty we will not be able to do anything for you and you yourself will fail also to do anything for yourself. All things are vain without honesty. So you must put your heart together. Put your hand in hand and you will win at all. The second attribute of wise work is USEFUL. Wise work is useful. There must be something in the end of your hard work if nothing comes this is hardest. If all your bees business turns to spiders; this is the unkind result for the worker. It would be the greatest waste for a worker if he commits the waste of his labor. The next of wise work is CHEERFUL. It is as cheerful as child’s work. He says that God’s kingdom is not to come outside but it lies inside of our hearts. It is within us. If we want to enter into the kingdom of God or bring it into our life we must adopt the character of children. If we want our work to be cheerful we must adopt child’s character. These characters of children we want. The first character of a child is that it is Modest. Modest child does not think that it knows everything, always ask a question, and wants to know more. Well like the child the first character of a wise and good workman is that he knows very little ask questions and tries to learn more and more. The second important character of a child and wise workman is to be faithful. A good child always perceives that his father knows better what is best for it. it trusts him wholly, and this is the genuine characteristic of the good and wise working man in any field. They must be faithful to their captains. The third character of a good child is to be loving and generous. All these characters of a good child is the characters of good and great workers. Analysis: The recent essay Work is one from the speeches of Ruskin’s book “Crown of wild olive”. He delivers this speech to workingmen in the working institution at Camberwell. The essay is the socio-economic criticism of European industrialization and the outcome of the industrialization. This essay shows Ruskin’s rage against the machine and it dehumanization in an industrial era. When machines were invented and factories and industries were established there was no value for workers working by hand. This industrialization created a competition among industrial people. Ruskin gives value to the product by hand and he says the thing created without toil is worthless and “Machine ornaments are no ornaments at all”. The industrialization of Europe created class distinctions among people. Here Ruskin talks about eliminating this class differences by the justice and honesty with the work.
