Table of contentsThe professional 'criminal class': a frightening concept in Victorian social observationsHenry Mayhew's London Labor and the London Poor”: exploring the criminal classConclusionReferencesIn the 19th century, the Victorians used the word “slum” to describe devastated areas and public misery. At this time, Britain was primarily industrial and considered by many to be the world leader in progress and significant change in traditional practices in agriculture, manufacturing and transport. Britain was renowned for being a powerful state, one of the richest in the world; consequently, this has led to overcrowding in city centers, misery, hardship and deprivation for many. Deprived areas of Britain in the 19th century were synonymous with popular opinions which led to the formation of the word "slum". Definitions of the term "slum" vary, but many include the idea that poor neighborhoods are the source of criminal behavior and responsible for thriving crime rates. At this time, many Victorians embraced the idea of ​​the existence of a "criminal class". It was the product of industrialization and urbanization, which then forced people facing devastating poverty to survive primarily on the proceeds of crime. To this day, there is still debate around the idea that the Victorian "criminal class" might have been nothing more than a myth. This essay will address the depiction of Victorian slums by middle-class writers and discuss the relationship between Victorian slums and crime. He will also discuss the meaning of the term “slum” to determine whether or not it gives an accurate representation of poor neighborhoods at that time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get the original essayThe Professional 'Criminal Class': A Frightening Concept in Victorian Social ObservationsIn 1883, the Reverend Andrew Mearns published a pamphlet entitled ' The bitter cry of pariah London. This pamphlet quickly became very popular because it contained information about the poorest areas of London. At that time, middle-class readers were eager to learn more about these notorious slums, as they had never had the opportunity to visit these neighborhoods themselves. Throughout, Mearns gives you the impression that the slums were overcrowded, cramped, unsanitary and full of crime. For example, during his visit to Collier's Rents (south-east London), he found that the slum dwellers were "largely occupied" and found the sanitary conditions "indescribable". This pamphlet confirms that the poorest areas of London were immensely populated and filthy beyond belief. Mearns also describes the houses in these neighborhoods and their inhabitants. For example, he writes that there was "many low-rise housing in the neighborhood of the worst type." Some of them are “created primarily by thieves.” This pamphlet suggests that the poorest areas of London were made up of the worst types of people, some of which included criminals. This point is then validated through the descriptions of the houses. For example, he writes that some houses were connected by narrow passages and that they provided "an easy means of escape in the event of police interference." This quote suggests that the general public believed in the idea that a"Criminal class" existed because of the assumption that the crossings were used as a means of evading the police. Although there is evidence in the articles suggesting that Victorian slums were real, if they were? In the 1990s, historian Alan Mayne published several articles and books claiming that 19th-century slums were "mythical". Although some of his arguments are now relatively archaic, they remain relevant in determining whether or not the Victorian "criminal class" was a myth. In the first line of his book "The Imagined Slum", Mayne says that "slums are myths", that "they are constructs of the imagination". But soon after, he contradicted himself. For example, he writes: “I don’t mean to say that slums didn’t exist. After all, they were a universal feature of big cities. This quote implies that his main argument was not about the existence of slums or the areas themselves, but rather about the term "slum" and the negative attributes attached to it. Additionally, Mayne suggests that the term “slum” appeased the middle class. For example, he writes that "slums were used by both reformers and artists as a powerful trigger that mobilized bourgeois interest." This quote implies that middle-class writers' depiction of the slums and the "criminal class" might be inaccurate or deeply misunderstood. It also implies that middle-class writers dehumanized and stereotyped the poor and did so for the sake of entertainment and profit. In the 19th century, social observers feared that a criminal world was developing in London. As a result, many Victorians began speaking of a professional "criminal class" that survived on the proceeds of crime and targeted the wealthy. In the early 1800s, English writer Charles Dickens published a fictional novel called “Oliver Twist” which painted a realistic picture of organized criminals in a criminal underworld. For example, one of the main antagonists of the novel was an "old gentleman" named Fagin, a urchin (trainer of young thieves). During Chapter 9, Dickens asks Fagin to play a "game" with the Dodger and Bates, in which he dons a tight coat filled with expensive goods and challenges the two boys to steal these goods without him knowing. realize it. Throughout this chapter, Dickens portrays Fagin as an organized criminal who cunningly grooms and exploits young boys. Although it is not clearly stated, the reader can understand that Fagin is teaching young boys to pickpocket. Furthermore, Dickens' novel highlights the living conditions of the poor by convincingly depicting human misery, blight and misery. However, this restored the belief among many Victorians that a professional "criminal class" existed and that these types of criminals came from the poorer classes. Henry Mayhew's "London Labor and the London Poor": Exploring the Criminal Class In 1882, sociologist John Binny wrote a section of Henry Mayhew's book "London Labor and the London Poor" to describe the training of young pickpockets. At the beginning of this section, he expresses how young people in small housing are responsible for pickpocketing. He suggests that it is the product of negative influences and neglect on the part of parents. For example, he writes, "they often start stealing at the age of six or seven, sometimes as early as five, and commit petty theft, as well as picking up handkerchiefs from men's pockets." Due to the age of the children, this means that other people in the.