The Ludicrous Position of Samuel Smiles in his book Self-Help.

The argument Samuel Smiles makes in his book, Self-Help, is one that is still not entirely true today, but was blatantly incorrect during his time period. Smiles blames the poor for their own poverty, and considers all societal problems to stem from "individual idleness, selfishness, and vice" (86). Particularly during this time in history, the classes in society were set and relatively immovable. The nobility had oppressed the lower classes for centuries and exploited them for their own profit. Moving from poverty to middle class was incredible, and moving from poverty to nobility was impossible. The poor were the most hard-working class of the time. They got up 6 days a week and worked anywhere from 11-16 hours a day. They were by no means lazy; they simply lacked the means to change their lives. It was necessary to work constantly simply to survive, leaving them no time to think of becoming truly successful. Blaming the nobility for their suffering may not change anything, but it was rightfully the nobles who should have been blamed. Even though the poor practically fueled society with their labor, they were payed next to nothing. To change one's life, one had to have money. The only way to have made more money would have been to be educated so as to secure a better job. However, since the children of impoverished adults began work sometimes as young as 8 or 9, education was not an option. For many children, school was simply not offered. In this way, poverty created a cycle that was almost impossible to escape. Even today in America with our mobile social classes, once a person has entered into poverty it is very hard to get out. The poor today are somewhat more to blame for their own situation, as they can move classes very easily and their are many opportunities for those who work hard, but it is still easier said than done.