"A novel that depicts the harsh living conditions of the working class in England, with a thesis that argues for action" --Provided by publisher.

The social and financial problems of class-ridden Victorian England are depicted vividly, and against this background the romance of Egremont, an aristocrat, and Sybil, the daughter of a poor Chartist leader, develops.

"This dehumanisation of society was a theme pursued in later books, such as Past and Present, in which Carlyle contrasted life in a Medieval monastery with modern society.

The social and financial problems of class-ridden Victorian England are depicted vividly, and against this background the romance of Egremont, an aristocrat, and Sybil, the daughter of a poor Chartist leader, develops.