The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Illustrated

Robert Tressell

• Publisher: Asimis Books
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• eBook ISBN:
  9786178790363
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell is a powerful social novel that offers a vivid and uncompromising portrayal of working-class life in early twentieth-century Britain. Written in 1910 and first published posthumously in 1914, the book has become a classic of socialist literature and an enduring critique of economic inequality and labor exploitation. The novel centers on a group of house painters struggling to survive in the fictional town of Mugsborough. Through their daily hardships—long hours, low wages, unemployment, and insecurity—Tressell exposes the harsh realities faced by working men and their families. At the heart of the story is Frank Owen, an idealistic worker who attempts to awaken his fellow laborers to the injustices of the capitalist system and to the possibility of collective social change. Blending realism, satire, and political argument, Tressell reveals how deeply ingrained beliefs and misinformation keep workers trapped in cycles of poverty. The ironic title refers to laborers who, despite their own deprivation, continue to support the very system that exploits them. Scenes such as Owen's famous "Great Money Trick" provide clear and accessible explanations of economic exploitation while remaining grounded in everyday experience. Despite its strong political message, the novel is rich in character and humanity. Tressell portrays his characters with empathy and humor, capturing their camaraderie, frustrations, and small moments of dignity. The book's emotional power lies in its honest depiction of struggle rather than in abstract theory. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists remains a compelling and relevant work, offering readers insight into the roots of modern labor movements and a timeless call for social justice, solidarity, and human dignity.

Table of contents

• Chapter I. An Imperial Banquet. A Philosophical Discussion. The Mysterious Stranger. Britons Never shall be Slaves
• Chapter II. Nimrod: a Mighty Hunter before the Lord
• Chapter III. The Financiers
• Chapter IV. The Placard
• Chapter V. The Clock-case
• Chapter VI. It is not My Crime
• Chapter VII. The Exterminating Machines
• Chapter VIII. The Cap on the Stairs
• Chapter IX. Who is to Pay?
• Chapter X. The Long Hill
• Chapter XI. Hands and Brains
• Chapter XII. The Letting of the Room
• Chapter XIII. Penal Servitude and Death
• Chapter XIV. Three Children. The Wages of Intelligence
• Chapter XV. The Undeserving Persons and the Upper and Nether Millstones
• Chapter XVI. True Freedom
• Chapter XVII. The Rev. John Starr
• Chapter XVIII. The Lodger
• Chapter XIX. The Filling of the Tank
• Chapter XX. The Forty Thieves. The Battle: Brigands versus Bandits
• Chapter XXI. The Reign of Terror. The Great Money Trick
• Chapter XXII. The Phrenologist
• Chapter XXIII. The “Open-air”
• Chapter XXIV. Ruth
• Chapter XXV. The Oblong
• Chapter XXVI. The Slaughter
• Chapter XXVII. The March of the Imperialists
• Chapter XXVIII. The Week before Christmas
• Chapter XXIX. The Pandorama
• Chapter XXX. The Brigands hold a Council of War
• Chapter XXXI. The Deserter
• Chapter XXXII. The Veteran
• Chapter XXXIII. The Soldier’s Children
• Chapter XXXIV. The Beginning of the End
• Chapter XXXV. Facing the “Problem”
• Chapter XXXVI. The O.B.S.
• Chapter XXXVII. A Brilliant Epigram
• Chapter XXXVIII. The Brigands’ Cave
• Chapter XXXIX. The Brigands at Work
• Chapter XL. Vive la System!
• Chapter XLI. The Easter Offering. The Beano Meeting
• Chapter XLII. June
• Chapter XLIII. The Good Old Summer-time
• Chapter XLIV. The Beano
• Chapter XLV. The Great Oration
• Chapter XLVI. The “Sixty-five”
• Chapter XLVII. The Ghouls
• Chapter XLVIII. The Wise men of the East
• Chapter XLIX.The Undesired
• Chapter L. Sundered
• Chapter LI. The Widow’s Son
• Chapter LII. “It’s a Far, Far Better Thing that I do, than I have Ever Done”
• Chapter LIII. Barrington Finds a Situation
• Chapter LIV. The End
• Appendix