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Victorian Viewpoints Discussion Guide Logical appeals: or arguments that use reasons and evidence to support a position Emotional appeals: which create strong feelings, such as pity or fear, to influence readers’ opinions Ethical appeals: which invoke shared values and principles

Evidence of Progress Summary In his critical commentary, Macaulay asserts that history justifies optimism about England’s future. Just as previous generations could not foresee current strides, this generation cannot anticipate future advances. Macaulay advises rules to focus on their duties of keeping the peace and leave economic progress to business and individuals. Vocabulary Support Countenance: facial expression Debase: to lower in value, quality, or dignity; to cheapen Lucrative: producing wealth or profit Prophesy: to predict something by or as if by divine guidance Stoicism: not caring about pleasure or pain Lines 1-9 Discuss In what way does the opening of Macaulay’s commentary (lines 1–9) relateto the title, “Evidence of Progress”? In his opening, Macaulay lays out his thesis that progress is a natural process and that past history provides a basis for optimism about England’s future progress. Close Reading Question 1 page 1032 Reread lines 1-7. Does Macaulay appeal to more logic or to emotion in this paragraph? Explain your response. Macaulay uses both logical appeals, as in “we see the wealth of nations increasing” (line 5) and emotional appeals, as in the loaded language of “nearer to perfection,” “grossest corruption,” and “wildest profusion” (lines 6-7). Vocabulary Support Annals: record of historical events Famines: serious and widespread shortages of food Conflagrations: large destructive fires Squander: waste Grossest: worst, most obvious In Lines 1-12 Connect: What reaction would you expect a factory worker to have to Macaulay’s introduction?

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Factory workers might be grateful for the increase in jobs, especially if they have come to the city from rural areas. Or, you could dispute Macaulay’s view considering the harsh conditions of the factories. Analyze: Why does Macaulay address both past struggles and current distress in his introduction? Macaulay addresses past and present challenges in order to put the present in context and support his view that the present distress is an improvement over the great struggles of the past. Evaluate: Is this passage an effective introduction to the essay? Why or why not? Personal interpretation. Lines 19-27 Discuss: In lines 19-27, what predictions does Macaulay make about the progress he expects during the following century (1830 – 1930)? Macaulay predicts that England’s population will reach 50 million (line 19), that people’s basic needs will be better met (line 20), that wealth will be more widespread (lines 21-22), that agriculture will be vastly improved (lines 22-23), that new technology will be available to everyone (lines 23-24), that railroads and steam engines will replace horses and sailboats (lines 24-25), and that current debt will seem reasonable in retrospect (lines 25-27). Close Reading Question B page 1034 Reread lines 19-40. Notice how Macaulay creates parallelism by starting each subordinate clause with that. What two basic comparisons does Macaulay make in this passage? Macaulay compares the future (1930) to the present (1830), and the present (1839) to the past (1720). Understand Macaulay’s Recommendations for England’s future: Lines 68-77 Recall: To whom does Macaulay look with confidence and hope? Macaulay looks with confidence and hope to the prudent and energetic English people. Analyze: According to Macaulay, what are the best ways to promote progress? Macaulay recommends promoting progress by allowing a free market economy, avoiding war, and keeping a tight rein on government spending. Recognize Ideas: Close Reading Question C page 1035 What idea is conveyed by the rhetorical question in lines 65 – 67? What details in the paragraph support this idea? The rhetorical question conveys the idea that people should have more faith in progress because of the successes of the past. Macaulay points to increases in wealth (lines 29-30), improvements in transportation (lines 37-40), and worries about debt

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(lines 31, 35-36) to illustrate progress that occurred in the past despite similar concerns.

The Condition of England Summary: In his critical commentary, Carlyle argues that England’s progress and prosperity are illusory. He cites swelling ranks of unemployed workers confined to workhouses and excluded from the benefits of progress. Carlyle further argues that prosperity yields material rather than spiritual benefits, even for the wealthy. Lines 1 – 13 Discuss: In lines 1-13, according to Carlyle, why is England “dying of inanition” (line 5), despite her material progress? Carlyle means that the workers who create England’s material progress do not reap its benefits, leading to the nation’s weakness and lack of vitality. Lines 1-15 Recall: According to Carlyle, what are England’s strengths. England’s strengths are its immense wealth, huge supplies of material goods, bountiful agricultural produce, and vast force of able-bodies workers. Interpret: What “baleful flat” (line 11) does Carlyle refer to? What does he mean? Carlyle refers to the reality, as if by some magical decree, that the fruits of their labors are not truly accessible to workers or even to their masters. Carlyle means that no one, from worker to wealthy industrialist, is benefiting from England’s great strengths. Synthesize: What will Carlyle say is the effect of the “baleful flat” on the poor? On the rich? Personal interpretation. Close Reading Question D p. 1038 Reread lines 1-17, ignoring clauses and focusing on the main subject and verb of each sentence. What idea is Carlyle trying to get across? Carlyle’s main idea is that England grows more and more prosperous because of its huge, able-bodied workforce. Fewer and fewer people actually work. Close Reading Question E p. 1038 Identify words and details in lines 18-43 that appeal to the reader’s emotions. Does Carlyle state a logical argument in these lines? Explain your answer. Words and details include the image of 50 men sitting on benches, strong and honest looking, pushed into a state of emotional stupor by lack of work (lines 29-43). Carlyle’s appeal is largely emotional as he paints this baleful picture of England’s two million unemployed but able-bodied workers. Within this emotional appeal is a logical argument that the workhouse system demoralizes and debilitates workers.

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Vocabulary Support Asunder: apart Deliverance: rescue Pent up: confined Bounteous: plentiful, overflowing Robust: strong Manifold: assorted Destitution: hardship Anodyne: medicine that relieves pain Valiant: brave Indisputable: unarguable Arraigned: charged Solitary: isolated Scarcity: shortage Lines 77-86 Discuss: In what terms does Carlyle characterize England’s progress in lines 77-86? The gains are illusory, as the value of money, the quality of goods, and the capacity to enjoy life have all declined. Close Reading Question F p. 1039 Verbal ambiguity is a kind of word play in which a writer deliberately allows more than one meaning to be in play at the same time. It often centers on a word that has more than one meaning. Normally, good prose writers are careful to ensure that readers know exactly which meaning they intend to use for a given word. But, sometimes, the tension produced by ambiguity can help a writer communicate a deeper meaning. In lines 54-59, Carlyle repeats the phrase “poor law” four times. Which two meanings of poor are in play? What does the ambiguity of this phrase add to the writer’s message? In this passage, poor means both “lacking in quality” and “people who lack adequate resources to live.” Close Reading Question G p. 1040 Reread lines 87-92. Note how Carlyle uses a series of rhetorical questions to get his message across. A rhetorical question appears in lines 116-117. The other questions in these lines are not rhetorical, because Carlyle answers them in line 109.