Question

The text below was written in 1918:. . \"Your Honor, years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.\". . What social class does Eugene Debs sympathize with? A. the middle class B. prisoners C. the working class D. the upper class

Answer 1

Eugene Debs sympathize with the working class in this text.

Answer 2

The correct answer is: C. The working class

In the excerpt Eugene Debs states that he identifies with lower class and with the criminal element. Usually those elements (poverty and criminality) are related with the working class in 1918. On those times the working class worked mostly in the factories and had only the essential things to survive, sometimes not even that. When hunger striked their only chance to survive was to commit a crime, therefore most of criminals at that time belonged to lower class.

He clearly says lower class, so options A and D are incorrect as you can't belong to more than one class. Option B is incorrect because "prisoners" is not even a social class, they belong to one of the classes mentioned in the options.