“The Chief Features of the Industrial Revolution” is an extract from a lesson written by the teacher Arnold Toynbee. This text was written in 1884 and it deals with the “historical process” of the Industrial revolution, pointing out changes in the society from a economical, political and social point of view.

The text is organized  into ten paragraphs they treat different aspects of the revolution’s society. Besides, the author gives  a detailed report of the society before, during and after the revolution, to help us to understand why and how this process changes the first 1800’s England.

In the introduction, that concurs with the first two paragraphs, there is a presentation of the main topic followed by a definition of industrial devolution. The writer supports this own definition with four famous writers’ definitions. Using quotations A.Toynbee shows the topic in different ways and enforces his thesis: “the industrial revolution is the substitution of competition for the medieval regulations”.

In the development part are analysed, one by paragraph, all the aspects of the revolution. Mostly in this part the language is full of technical terms and the argumentation are full of datas. In  the first part of the development the historian analyse the increasing and the movement of people always supported by facts. The most important purpose of this part of text is probably to show the very big amount of people this process involve.

In the second part of the development A.Tonybee focuses his exam on the technological discoveries and how technology could change life of everyone.

Last paragraphs are the conclusion drawn, where the teacher describe the effect on people and econmy of the revolution, completing the test with his last personal opinion on the Industrial Revolution.

All the paragraphs are linked by linking words, as it is peculiar of the argumentative text.  The structure follows perfectly the logical order  of A.Tonybee argument: in the first part he presents the topic; in the middle part he shows changes due to the revolution; in the last part he gives his own opinion. So, the text seems an objective text, but actually it is a personal opinion of the author as the last phrase shows.

The style used in this text is prevalent technical, without rhetorical figures, full of datas and very pour of adjectives. A device that A.Tonubee uses to  give truthfulness and power to his argumentations is the quotation from literature.

In my opinion this text is very clear and detailed cross-section of the Industrial Revolution, that gives important datas end explain cleary all the process have caused and have follone to this important historycal process. Last but not least it is helpfull to understand the present economical society and  current society division.

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