1. Reading 4.3 explains that the difference between owners and employees is where their money comes from. Owners make money from things like stocks, rent, or businesses they own. They don’t have to work to earn money because they live off what other people produce for them. Employees, on the other hand, have to work to survive. They get paid through wages or salaries. For example, someone who owns multiple buildings and makes money from rent is part of the owning class. But someone who works at a hospital, restaurant, or store is part of the working class, even if they make good money, because they still depend on a job.

2. The quote by Adam Smith is basically saying that labor is what gives something value. A tree by itself isn’t worth much, but once someone cuts it, turns it into wood, makes it into furniture, and ships it out, it becomes valuable. All of that comes from labor. I think this quote is showing how important workers are. They create the value, but they only get a small portion of the money. The rest goes to the owner or company, even though the owner didn’t actually do the physical or mental work to create the product.

3. I agree with the argument in Reading 4.4 that class isn’t just an identity. It’s not like race or gender where it’s about how you feel or how people treat you. Class is about who owns stuff and who has to work to survive. Just because someone says they’re middle class doesn’t mean they’re part of the owning class. If you rely on a paycheck and don’t own big investments or a company, then you’re part of the working class. The reading made me realize that class is more about power and control, not just a label people use to describe themselves.

4. When the reading says class is based on a “close form of dependency,” I think it means that workers and bosses need each other, but not in an equal way. Workers depend on the boss for a job and a paycheck, but the boss depends on the workers to keep the business running. An example of this is Amazon. The company depends on their workers to pack and ship products, but the workers depend on Amazon to get paid. If the workers go on strike, Amazon loses money. So even though the boss has more power, the workers still have the ability to fight back if they’re organized.