A Child of the Jago (1896) by Arthur Morrison is intrinsically linked to the social class system and poverty. The novel is set and published during the late Victorian age, a period in which the working class experienced an incessant struggle against the harsh realities of social and working conditions. Furthermore, in his article The Working Class in Britain 1850-1939, John Benson highlights the disparities between the poor and the economy during that era, as a result of the industrial revolution and urbanization (Benson, 2003, p.30). However, Benson's argument is valid when focusing on a social novel like A Child of the Jago; because during his childhood the protagonist Dickie Perrot commits heinous crimes and becomes incredibly rebellious in the old Jago; On the other hand, Benson's argument does not explain how and why an individual would succumb to these acts. Morrison makes it clear in his preface to his readers and critics that he wrote the novel to expose the paths and tribulations of the poor and the sad reality of slum life through the characterization of Dicky Perrot "It was my destiny to meet a place in Shoreditch". , where children were born and raised in circumstances which gave them no reasonable chance of living a life of dignity: where children were born condemned to a criminal or semi-criminal career" (Morrison, 1897). Although the novel is set in the fictional genre, elements of Morrison's personal life are prevalent throughout the text. Morrison comes from a working class background and worked with Reverend Osborne to campaign for a series of social reforms and slum clearance in Old Nichol (Matlz, 2003). Therefore, the novel is based on the conception of reality rather than fiction... middle of paper... and health in Britain, 1800-2000. Bristol: Policy Press.Sowers, KM and Dulmus, CN 2008. Comprehensive handbook of social work and social welfare. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Rawlinson, B. 2006. A Man of Many Parts. Amsterdam: Rodopi.Steinbach, S. 2012. Understanding the Victorians. New York: Routledge.Walkowitz, Judith R. (1996) City of Terrible Delight. Chicago: University of Chicago press.Wolffe, J. 1997. Religion in Victorian Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press in association with the Open University