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The Ragged Trousered PhilanthropistsRobert Tressell

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

by OpenStories

Original author: Robert Tressell

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"The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell is a semi-autobiographical novel published in 1914. Set in a fictional English town, it follows house painters struggling to survive on poverty wages while their labor generates profit for employers. The title ironically refers to workers who accept their own exploitation. Through debates and the famous "Great Money Trick" demonstration, socialist painter Frank Owen tries to awaken his fellow workers to capitalism's inequities. A scathing critique of Edwardian society, it became a classic of working-class literature.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #3608.

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  • 61chapters
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61 Chapters

  1. 1.Front Matter864 words
  2. 2.Chapter 17,052 words
  3. 3.Chapter 2: Nimrod: a Mighty Hunter before the Lord6,969 words
  4. 4.Chapter 3: The Financiers6,968 words
  5. 5.Chapter 4: The Placard1,753 words
  6. 6.Chapter 5: The Clock-case2,463 words
  7. 7.Chapter 6: It is not My Crime6,960 words
  8. 8.Chapter 7: The Exterminating Machines4,726 words
  9. 9.Chapter 8: The Cap on the Stairs2,330 words
  10. 10.Chapter 9: Who is to Pay?884 words
  11. 11.Chapter 10: The Long Hill2,611 words
  12. 12.Chapter 11: Hands and Brains2,189 words
  13. 13.Chapter 12: The Letting of the Room1,000 words
  14. 14.Chapter 13: Penal Servitude and Death2,871 words
  15. 15.Chapter 14: Three Children. The Wages of Intelligence1,794 words
  16. 16.Chapter 15: The Undeserving Persons and the Upper and Nether Millstones7,660 words
  17. 17.Chapter 16: True Freedom3,384 words
  18. 18.Chapter 17: The Rev. John Starr5,106 words
  19. 19.Chapter 18: The Lodger1,923 words
  20. 20.Chapter 19: The Filling of the Tank4,867 words
  21. 21.Chapter 20: The Forty Thieves. The Battle: Brigands versus Bandits3,438 words
  22. 22.Chapter 21: The Reign of Terror. The Great Money Trick6,110 words
  23. 23.Chapter 22: The Phrenologist4,135 words
  24. 24.Chapter 23: The “Open-air”3,932 words
  25. 25.Chapter 24: Ruth6,682 words
  26. 26.Chapter 25: The Oblong (1)8,796 words
  27. 27.Chapter 25: The Oblong (2)4,173 words
  28. 28.Chapter 26: The Slaughter2,771 words
  29. 29.Chapter 27: The March of the Imperialists1,541 words
  30. 30.Chapter 28: The Week before Christmas3,623 words
  31. 31.Chapter 29: The Pandorama3,191 words
  1. 32.Chapter 30: The Brigands hold a Council of War2,186 words
  2. 33.Chapter 31: The Deserter634 words
  3. 34.Chapter 32: The Veteran700 words
  4. 35.Chapter 33: The Soldier’s Children2,792 words
  5. 36.Chapter 34: The Beginning of the End5,442 words
  6. 37.Chapter 35: Facing the “Problem”2,230 words
  7. 38.Chapter 36: The O.B.S1,872 words
  8. 39.Chapter 37: A Brilliant Epigram3,811 words
  9. 40.Chapter 38: The Brigands’ Cave1,759 words
  10. 41.Chapter 39: The Brigands at Work3,016 words
  11. 42.Chapter 40: Vive la System!4,079 words
  12. 43.Chapter 41: The Easter Offering. The Beano Meeting3,835 words
  13. 44.Chapter 42: June3,031 words
  14. 45.Chapter 43: The Good Old Summer-time (1)8,846 words
  15. 46.Chapter 43: The Good Old Summer-time (2)8,877 words
  16. 47.Chapter 43: The Good Old Summer-time (3)2,248 words
  17. 48.Chapter 44: The Beano (1)8,835 words
  18. 49.Chapter 44: The Beano (2)3,588 words
  19. 50.Chapter 45: The Great Oration (1)8,701 words
  20. 51.Chapter 45: The Great Oration (2)8,345 words
  21. 52.Chapter 45: The Great Oration (3)1,741 words
  22. 53.Chapter 46: The “Sixty-five”3,229 words
  23. 54.Chapter 47: The Ghouls6,651 words
  24. 55.Chapter 48: The Wise men of the East10,067 words
  25. 56.Chapter 49: The Undesired1,355 words
  26. 57.Chapter 50: Sundered2,874 words
  27. 58.Chapter 51: The Widow’s Son2,923 words
  28. 59.Chapter 52: “It’s a Far, Far Better Thing that I do, than I have Ever Done”1,933 words
  29. 60.Chapter 53: Barrington Finds a Situation1,850 words
  30. 61.Chapter 54: The End5,047 words