History 111: Western Civilization II

San Francisco State University Spring 2006

Essay assignment

1. Both Marx and Zola provide portraits of class relations in Europe, Marx from the "top down," Zola from the bottom up. Using the novel Germinal, Marx and Engels’s Communist Manifesto, your textbook, and lecture notes, write an essay comparing the different social classes of 19th century Europe, in particular, the bourgeoisie and the working class. How did their lives differ? Did the different classes think differently? What are the changes that were occurring in class relations? What are the causes and consequences of those changes?

Be sure to be specific when citing examples, whether from the textbook, the novels, or lectures.  This should be done by footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetic citations showing the author's name, and the page number.

You must refer to to both books within your paper to obtain a passing grade.

Typed, double-spaced, 4-5 pages with one-inch margins, 12-point maximum font size, paginated with your name on each page. Due March 2nd.

Please make sure that you keep a copy yourself; this is for your benefit as well as the instructor’s.

For a short introduction into matters of writing and style, consult the instructor's Writing Guidelines.