For William Morris, medieval architecture, art, crafts, and how objects were made inspired him and allowed him to become a great designer. As the nineteenth century progressed he became more political, and realised that a return to the arts and craft of the Middle Ages could not end the exploitation and oppression of the mass of people, so he took the giant step across the 'river of fire' and became a socialist. Hassan Mahamdallie argues here that the socialism of Morris grew out of his view of the past and his hatred for a system of 'shoddy' production. The author also argues that William Morris was a revolutionary Marxist during the last decades of his life, throwing all his energy into the struggle to change the world.
