Critical Analysis of Past and Present Book-1 By Thomas Carlyle

 Thomas Carlyle Scottish historian, critic, and sociological writer was born in December 1795 and died in 1881 February. Past and present by Carlyle is a piece of prose work that focuses on the conditions of the economical downfall of England.Book-1 proem (introduction to the conditions of England) consists of six chapters Midas, The sphinx, Manchester insurrection, Morrison's pill, Aristocracy of talent, and Hero worship. He gave these chapters symbols and signs of time to create a mythic framework for his analysis of the conditions of England.

Past and present elaborates its mythical work by comparing England to Midas "full of wealth.. yet.. dying of initiation". Carlyle alludes to the economic depression that he saw as tearing apart the British social and spiritual fabric. "The successful industry of England..has yet made nobody rich it is enchanted wealth and belongs to nobody". In simple words, England has more richness than any nation had before yet it's strange that their successful industry is useless. Thomas compares nation money with the gold of Midas which is of no use. "We can spend thousands, where we once spent hundreds but can purchase nothing good with them". Furthermore, for the masters of England, it was the best time but for poor people, it was the worst of times. In last he relates the fable of Midas to England's conditions and he is surprised by the accuracy of the old fable and how perfectly it resembles the present conditions of England.

In the chapter, The sphinx Carlyle says that English men's life is like the riddle of the Sphinx. "Nature is like the sphinx[...] is a goddess but one not yet dis imprisoned". England has fallen prey to atheism, the injustice had spread all over England and people are dying of hunger. Thomas Carlyle says "Await" is the only issue, people are waiting for a miracle that can change everything like Oedipus solves the riddle of sphinx for the city of Thebes. But they don't know they are the only ones who can change conditions for themselves. Carlyle last gave the wake-up call to the people of England that they are the power of the country, not parliament. While in chapter Manchester insurrection he tells the story of misfortune workers in the summer insurrection of 1842. "A millions of hungry operative men[..] rode all up came all out into the streets and stood there[....] their wrongs and grief were bitter". The evil they suffered cannot be abolished. Poor people of England are in the same conditions as the Manchester insurrection people were. The master has dollars that generations of generations can eat, whereas the poor are crushing for single bread. Master idlers are as deaf as a pot of gold, their brutality towards the poor is an example of an 1842 incident.

In Morison's pills chapter, Carlyle asks the question that is there any possibility to prescribe any remedy like James Morison's pill which cures every disease in people, will cure the disease from which England is suffering? Carlyle suggests the patient (England) will be only cured by alteration of their regimen and way of life. He further says that he had no pill like James Morison to cure the England people. In the final chapters, Carlyle talks about heroic worship and aristocracy talent. He says the new concept of heroes should take the lead in the country and English men must choose themselves as a true hero and not sham heroes or quacks. Further, he says that old captains of the nation, the nobility, and aristocratic landowners had long ago degenerated into captain idleness. He believes that the new natural aristocracy of talent is capable of creating prosperity and establishing a social hierarchy based on loyalty and mutual respect between classes.

Conclusion:

Thus book-1 deals with the conditions of England where poverty was rising in the poor class and greed was never-ending among rich people in England. The wealthy were regarded as idols to look up to, whereas in reality, they were fools. This piece of prose focuses on the downfall of society.