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From: John DeFilippis
T1: GeorgeDeFi@worldnet.att.net
Date: 4/5/98
Time: 10:00:27 PM
Remote Name: 12.68.133.210
Langland's story of Piers the Ploughman is one that represents the social issues of his time and one of these prevelent issues was labor. The disputes seem to be a strong representation of the dictatorship that occurs with a ruling king. The lower classes incur the brunt of hard times and during the Black Plague they were not spared any. It is unbelievable that the working class was treated as though they were not individuals who had to work extremely hard to support their families and to satisfy the demands of their faith. In chapter VI of Piers..., the different laborers that were hired to work the land were depicted as lazy. This is done by Langland so he could point out the harshness that would be levied against those who did not apply themselves seriously to the task at hand. Hunger is summoned by Piers as a punishment and this strikes great fear in the lazy workers. Between the Statute of Laborers and the way in which Piers and Hunger punished the workers, it all seems a little too strict and is very much in accordance with the old ways of living in complete fear of the Bible's preachings.