Sir Author Conan Doyle, in his novel Sir Nigel, begins by outlining post Bubonic Plague England. He says “Yet, it was there, in that stream of death, in that reek of corruption, that the brighter and freer England was borne. There in that dark hour the first streak of the new dawn was seen. For in no way save by a great upheaval and change could the nation break away from that iron feudal system which held her limbs…
…there was much to do and few left to do it. Therefore, the few should be free men, name their own price, and work where and for whom they would.”
Who would have thought that a novel by an emperialist would lay bare the essence of ant-work.