petite bourgeoisie

playing revolutionary is a natural calf's hide under the borrowed lion's skin of the Convention.

Recast in definition form from: “And the Montagne, which instead of tearing this web of deceit to pieces took the parliamentary comedy tragically in order to play in it the role of Fouquier-Tinville, did not betray its natural petty bourgeois calf's hide under the borrowed lion's skin of the Convention!”

saw with horror that by striking down the workers he had delivered himself without resistance into the hands of his creditors.

Recast in definition form from: “The petty bourgeois saw with horror that by striking down the workers they had delivered themselves without resistance into the hands of their creditors.”

wishes, as always, for nothing more fervently than to see the battle fought out in the clouds over its head between the departed spirits of parliament.

Recast in definition form from: “The democratic petty bourgeoisie, for its part, wished, as always, for nothing more fervently than to see the battle fought out in the clouds over its head between the departed spirits of parliament.”

can keep a revolutionary attitude toward the bourgeoisie only as long as the proletariat stands behind it.

Recast in definition form from: “Thus they themselves blasted the background against which their party stood out as a power, for the petty bourgeoisie can preserve a revolutionary attitude toward the bourgeoisie only as long as the proletariat stands behind it.”

wants not to transform society but to make the existing one as tolerable and comfortable for itself as possible — and to bribe the workers with a disguised form of alms.

Recast in definition form from: “The democratic petty bourgeois, far from wanting to transform the whole society in the interests of the revolutionary proletarians, only aspire to a change in social conditions which will make the existing society as tolerable and comfortable for themselves as possible.”

hesitates, fearful and inactive, as long as the fight lasts; when victory is certain, it claims it, tells the workers to go back to work and avoid 'excesses', and excludes them from the fruits.

Recast in definition form from: “… also, the petty bourgeoisie, to a man, will hesitate as long as possible and remain fearful, irresolute and inactive; but when victory is certain it will claim it for itself and will call upon the workers to behave in an orderly fashion, to return to work and to prevent so-called excesses, and it will exclude the proletariat from the fruits …”

as small property is big property's vassal, and when the shopkeepers elect a June insurgent the moral influence of capital is broken, because the vassal seeks salvation in the camp of the propertyless.

Recast in definition form from: “The June insurgent of Paris elected by the shopkeepers of Paris as their representative! this means that the moral influence of capital is broken; this means that the bourgeois assembly now represents only the bourgeoisie; this means that big property is lost, because its vassal, small property, seeks its salvation in the camp of the propertyless.”

fluctuates between proletariat and bourgeoisie, forever renewing itself as a supplementary part of bourgeois society and forever being hurled down by competition, until overlookers, bailiffs and shopmen replace it.

Recast in definition form from: “...a new class of petty bourgeois has been formed, fluctuating between proletariat and bourgeoisie, and ever renewing itself as a supplementary part of bourgeois society. The individual members of this class, however, are being constantly hurled down into the proletariat by the action of competition, and”

petite bourgeoisie, n.Definitions

petite bourgeoisie