Material Conditions of Family Life

“Material Conditions of Family Life”, written by Raffaela Sarti, is a reading that examines the characteristics that differentiate one class from another at different time periods. Two of these, such as living conditions and eating, distinguishes what life was like for families who lived in rural villages in 1700 and for those living in cities in 1850. Clearly, in the short span of 150 years, what one might have seen as progression in a rural environment is completely different of what one experienced in an urban area. For families who lived in rural villages in 1700, the property they owned wasn’t much and the lives they lived were modest. People lived in small crowded houses, fires were lit into holes on floors, and animals were kept inside to provide extra warmth. Life was hard, but it eventually took a turn for the better. Soon enough they experienced many transformations. Houses were built much more spaciously and of better quality. The style of a house all of a sudden started become important too, as well as the materialistic possessions one chose to furnish their house with. The difference between a day laborer and wealthy man’s house could be easily seen since they usually lived alongside one another. For those with money, homes were more than just a household - they were something for the owners to take pride in and something they felt symbolized their social standing in society. Those from lower classes weren’t far behind; though they moved at a slower rate, they too started to accumulate material possessions for their homes. Of course, even if people living in these rural areas were experiencing progression, life was completely different for those living in towns and cities. Unlike in villages where there was spacious living and people of different classes living alongside another, houses in urban areas were crowded and stories tall. Many immigrants had flowed in and because it was so crowded it was common for people to pass diseases to one another