Lyddie Sign The Petition Analysis

Mr. Payne’s testimony contrasted all the points that Ann Eggley and Patience Kershaw made in their testimonies. Payne first said that children started work at age 8, yet Eggley began work at age 7. Payne said that the children worked for 6-7 hours per day, yet Eggley worked 12 hours constantly, starting at 4am; except on Saturdays. Kershaw worked 12 hours also, starting at 5am. Payne believed that “‘[the children were] not ill-used or worked beyond their strength’”, yet Eggley said “‘the work is far too hard for me; the sweat runs off me all over sometimes’”. Patience “‘[hurried 11] corves a mile and more under ground and back; they weigh 300 cwt,’” which is

In the middle of the speech, Florence Kelley states the situation regarding the legality of child labor in many states, using firm facts, doleful repetition, and ironic diction to arouse within the audience a sympathetic response to want the children removed from their harmful situations along with the logical response of wanting to repeal the laws associated with allowing children in damaging manufacturing industries. Kelley employs several examples of different laws in different states allowing children to work long hours at young ages. One example given describes even the lack of restrictions on child labor whatsoever. “In Georgia there is no restriction whatever! A girl of six or seven years…may work eleven hours by day or by night.” Utilizing

Throughout the 1700’s and the early 1800’s child labor was a major issue in American society. Children have always worked for family businesses whether it was an agricultural farming situation or working out of a family business in some type of workplace. This was usually seen in families of middle or lower class because extra help was needed to support the family. Child labor dramatically changed when America went through the Industrial Revolution. When America’s industrial revolution came into play, it opened a new world to child labor. Children were now needed to work in factories, mills, and mines. These were not ordinary jobs for young children, these jobs required much time, effort, and hard work. “American

The novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson is about a poor farm girl who finds herself working in a factory in Lowell, Ma. Lyddie is forced to find employment when her family could no longer afford the farm. Lyddie finds working conditions at the factory to be very difficult. Some girls want to write a petition to the government to ask for an improvement in conditions. Should Lyddie risk her employment by signing the petition? Lyddie should not sign, although others believe that she should.

And they do so tonight, while we sleep.” (Kelly, 10). In a like manner, Kelly uses specific phrases to create an image in the heads of the audience. Through the example of the girls reaching for a bobbin on the tall shelf, the author is able to incorporate the reader by making them think of past experiences similar to that given. She is able to make the audience relate to that character and in turn feel for that character. With the use of a few well thought out words, Kelly is able to prey on the audience's emotions and persuade them to her side. An additional occurrence of imagery in the speech is in lines 46-54 when she says, “In Pennsylvania, until last May it was lawful for children, 13 years of age, to work twelve hours at night. A little girl, on her thirteenth birthday, could start away from her home at half past five in the afternoon,........and could work in the mill from six at night until six in the morning, without violating any law of the Commonwealth.” (Kelly, 10). For the purpose of emphasis, Kelly adds in the girl’s thirteenth birthday. It helps her make the reader connect her speech in a

During the industrial revolution in Britain, the usage of child labourers dramatically increased as it became a cheap and easy form of labour. This lead to the continued abuse of many children in textile factories. In 1833, the Factory Act of 1833 was put forth which dictated that no children under the age of nine would work. Children ages nine to thirteen wouldn’t work more than nine hours a day and children ages thirteen to eighteen wouldn’t work more than twelve hours a day. In addition it introduced the circulation of four factory inspectors who were to enforce the new legislation. They were to certify whether children had received their compulsory education of two hours each day and report conditions to the government. This act brought forth attention and sparked debates from the public which made stronger note of the working conditions for children.

In document 4, a 17 year-old testifying in front of the British Parliament. This 17 year-old started working at the age of seven and the physical strain of working and standing for 15 hours a day has left him unable to walk again. In document 5, a medical obverver warns against the effects of factory labor, especially in young workers who are still physically developing. He states that the whole body of a person loses height by the bending of limbs and the retention of the spinal column as a result of standing for long hours, a staple of factory labor during the time. In document 7, Betty Harris shares her experiences as a drawer who removes loose debris and coal from a mine shaft.

This was a little bit on the extreme, children who operated in factories work 12-14 hours with 1 hour break. Not only were these children subject to long hours, but also, they were in horrible conditions. Large, heavy, and dangerous equipment was very common for children to be using or working near. Many accidents occurred injuring or killing children on the job. Not until Florence Kelly helped win the passage of the Illinois Factory Act in 1893. The law prohibited child labor and limited women’s working hours. The law became a model for other

While working in the mill, Lyddie lived with her roommates, Betsy, Amelia, and Prudence, whom all became friends and they kept company for each other. Due to terrible working conditions, Lyddie’s friends were forced to quit the factory job because of their health or family. For instance, Paterson admits “I’ll see the doctor if you’ll promise to stay until summer.” This quote shows the dialogue of Betsy to Amelia, where Betsy promise to see the doctor about her cough, but Amelia needs to stay until the summer. By going through the torturing factory life, Betsy began to develop a severe bloody cough that would keep her roommates awake. Also, the factory managers are making the girls tend the looms at extremely fast pace, where Amelia cannot catch up anymore. If Lyddie signs the petition, it would have change working conditions for the better and prevent Lyddie to lose her friends. Additionally, Lyddie should sign the petition to protect her rights from being taken away. During the incident with Mr. Marsden and Brigid, Lyddie was unfairly fired from her job. According to the text, it states, “ I am forced, sir, to ask her dismissal. It is a matter of moral turpitude.”(167) This quote shows Mr. Marsden is making up a lie about the reason to fire Lyddie. Since the corporation’s bosses are ruling over the girls’ lives, there are no rights left for the workers to stand up for themselves. Therefore, the bosses like Mr. Marsden are taking advantages and punishing Lyddie for his own wrongdoings. For this reason, Lyddie should sign the petition that would have help Lyddie protect her friends and personal rights as a worker. On the opposing side, others say Lyddie should not sign the petition, since it would endanger losing her job. There were many cases where girls who sign the petition would be fired. As stated in Lyddie, “Should you sign the petition, Betsy, they’ll dismiss

One detail from the novel that supports this reason is that “They’d take July off, go back to the farm, the two of them, but it was a vain dream Lyddie knew there would be nothing to eat there. Lyddie wishes that she could go home and relax and spend time with Charlie and Rachel. Another detail from the book that supports this reason is that “...Which was why the machines were speeded and why the girls hardly dared take time off even when they were feverish…” When the factory girls worked on the machines, they get exhausted causing a fever. One more detail that supports this reason is “Oh! I cannot be a slave, I will not be a slave…” In this quote, it shows that Lyddie will never be a slave to anyone. This shows that it is another specific reason for signing the petition. Because of Rachel’s sickness, Lyddie wishes that she could care for Rachel so she could get

By signing the petition, it would assist in setting laws that would give workers less time of working with good wages. With the free time, Lyddie can rest after a full week of work and do other extracurricular activities. According to the text, Paterson mentions Betsy’s dialogue, “If only I had two more free hours of an evening-- what I couldn’t do.” (91) This quote shows that free time is more significant than money; since, there are other priorities besides money and work. In this scenario, Lyddie can continue her education, including studying and even attending the Oberlin women college; instead of being stuck in a factory working endlessly. Moreover, Lyddie can visit her family without getting fired without an honorable charge. In chapter eleven, Paterson claims, “If she left, even to see the cabin and visit for an hour or so with Charlie, she would lose her position.” (81) This quote shows that if Lyddie decides to visit her family, she would be putting her job on the line. However, if Lyddie decides to sign the petition, there will be changes in the working hours, so she would have extra time to see her family without getting blacklisted from her job at the textile mill. As a result, Lyddie should sign the petition to have extra time handle other priorities other than

13 hours of work, in a hot, dusty air, no family, no friends, that’s Lyddie Worthen’s life. Lyddie Worthen is a girl who has to support her family especially since she and her family are in debt. They are about to lose their farm and Lyddie younger sister Agnes has passed away. She goes to a tavern named Cutler’s Tavern to work to try to get money to pay off the debt. But, she later gets fired and decides to go work at the Lowell Mills. Her cabin is located in Vermont and the Mills are located in Lowell, Massachusetts. This all takes place from 1843-1846. Lyddie and the other mill girls defective conditions cause many problems and protests. There was a petition for better work conditions circulating the mills by Diana Goss, but some got blacklisted

Decisions are something you have to think about and decide whether or not you do it. In the novel, “Lyddie” by Katherine Paterson there is a girl named Lyddie who struggles at working at a terrible factory with a dirty environment and dirty equipment. Harassing overseers, awful wages, and long working hours. Lyddie’s mother and some of Lyddies siblings went off and Lyddie and her brother, Charlie are trying to get money to buy medicine for her sick sister, and to get money so they don’t have to sell their farm for money. So Lyddie is trying her hardest to get the money, struggling, working, but success will come her way. While there are reasons Lyddie should not sign the petition, there are more reasons why she should. Lyddie should sign the petition because the treatment of workers. Workers are being harassed by the overseers, so the workers have to say something about it before it only gets worse.

Lyddie should sign the petition because she will get better working conditions like cleaner air and machines so she will have a lower chance of getting sick or hurt “you,ve got to get me out of here Betsy said between caughes (pg 99). Pay is the only reason lyddie is still at the factory with more looms she will get more pay “she had two looms to tend

People make critical decisions every day. And Lyddie, a Lowell Factory in the novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson has a decision to make right now. Lyddie, a 15 year old girl, has to make the same decision as any adult. Sign the petition organised by her close friend Diana Goss for better working conditions, or don’t sign. Play it safe. Looks like this girl from the industrial revolution is going to teach all of us a lesson. There are indeed reasons she shouldn’t sign; like the family debt. But there are more important reasons that say she should. Like her unsafe work conditions that put her life at risk.