19th Century DBQ

Outline:
Thesis: While the late 19th century was a time of great change for workers, especially through the creation of unions and people using Marx's new way of thinking to form other types of societies, the figures show different scenes because of the change of style from Realism to Impressionism in art, not necessarily the change in reality.
I. Introduction
II. Marxism and Communism
III. Unions
IV.Realism and Impressionism
V. Conclusion

Essay:
In the late 19th Century, Marx's theories about time and how society should be run were being twisted and changed into new branches of ways to run societies.  Unions were become stronger, and capitalism was not longer running the show.  Instead of having a feudal-esque society, classes seemed to be less extreme in terms of differences.  One of the biggest changes in that time was the change from Realism to Impressionism in art, which greatly effected the artwork that has been provided for this DBQ.  While the late 19th century was a time of great change for workers, especially through the creation of unions and people using Marx's new way of thinking to form other types of societies, the figures show different scenes because of the change of style from Realism to Impressionism in art, not necessarily the change in reality.

Marxism had been introduced recently at this point, and Communism was a new way of thinking.  While society could not switch over to pure communism without any warning, the intellectuals and workers took Marx's ideas to heart, coming up with improvements of their own.  The intellectuals: writers, artists, etc., were on the side of socialism.  They believed that capitalists should be run out, and that a social democracy should take the place of their current situation.  However, very few of them belonged to unions, so the workers had a different idea.  They were more on the side of unionism, and they didn't want to overthrow the capitalists; instead, they wanted to bargain with them.  Figure 1 and Figure 2 show very different sides of life, and they were from different perspectives.  Figure 1 was the life of the lower class, most likely workers.  However, Figure Two could have easily been middle class intellectuals or upper class.  Based on the difference between classes, it was no wonder that intellectuals were not as concerned about the time it would take to work out a new system as the workers.  While the intellectuals didn't have to rely on unions for their work, workers did, and could not risk that.

The unions were one of the most important aspects of the workers' lives in the late 19th Century.  Unions made it possible for the workers to have a voice, as the government would not grant them one.  Unions were mainly used to put pressure on the employers of workers, and with that came changes in the way that working conditions were decided.  The unions brought workers one step closer to the democracy that socialists wanted while allowing them to continue working. The fact that workers had better conditions also allowed for more productive work, even though they were working for less time.  This pushed art forward as the entire society moved in a new direction.  The difference in feeling and style of theses two pieces shows the changes in society, and provides an example of how influential the happiness of workforce can be.

The paintings themselves say much more than their subject matter about the lat 19th Century.  Figure 1 was from age of Realism, which focused on details of life that you may not notice.  It also focused on details in the painting itself, and was always crisp and clear as far as colors, lines, and shapes go.  This was happening while the unions were coming into predominance, and was still in a time where the workers were not completely free of the feudal type system that their employers had put in place.  Describing the time and the painting, "industrious" would be the best word.  They both seemed to be productive, but lacking feeling.  However, Figure 2 is from the age of Impressionism.  Obviously, Impressionism is far more abstract, because the age is no longer just about the details and being exact.  Workers were given rights, and were being treated as if they were human beings, not replaceable drones.  This allowed new freedom in art and expression, which was where Impressionism came in.  It was full of emotion and the deeper feelings of the situation.  Instead of being frozen in time, Impressionistic paintings seem to be a moment still in motion.

The late 19th Century was full of changes for every class, but especially workers.  They had unions that allowed them rights and freedoms that they had never had before.  Marx's theories were used in a new way that helped give those in the lower classes hope for the future.  Realism changed to Impressionism, and they both produced artwork that defines the time.  These figures show changes because of Marx and unions, but they show deeper changes in art itself due to these factors.