The Rhetoric Of Child Labor

Kelley commences her speech by providing a shocking statistic that “two million children under the age of sixteen years” strenuously work to support themselves and their families in order to create a forceful sense of emotion within her audience. By doing this she illuminates the rate of child labor to stress the severity of the problem. The author repeats “increase” to emphasize and describe that the American workforce is increasingly composed of girls/women in order to highlight their role and the growth of their participation in the workforce. Juxtaposing how girls spend their time with how

Throughout the beginning of her speech, Kelley makes use of disturbing anecdotes that appeal to women's emotions. She first illustrates that while they “sleep, several thousand little girls” are “working in textile mills” throughout the night. This use of little girls working highlights that children all around the United States are not sleeping but are operating machines: making clothes for the adults to purchase. She incorporates this factor in order to encourage the concerned mothers to help alter labor laws so that their children are not working twelve-hour shifts. Kelley continues to describe how little girls of “six or seven years,” who are “just tall enough to reach” the machines, will be working eleven hours a day. Kelley’s use of the children's height emphasizes how as soon as children reach a certain height, they are being deprived of their childhood and sent to work in the factories. She continues to repeat the phrase that “while [they] sleep” little girls and boys “will be working” in the mills. Kelley’s continual use of this phrase evokes sympathy in the women so they can help change the lives of children by amending the harsh child labor laws.

Beginning her speech, Kelley applies her credibility by placing statistics regarding the controversy of child labor laws, revealing that she is informed about this topic. Her credibility has a great connection to her purpose, she claims that the number of working girls doubled from census to census and girls from twelve to twenty years are working when they should not have to. Kelley then manifests her concern over these working girls by explaining that, “tonight,” while everybody else is snoozing away in bed, “these several thousand little girls will be working in textile mills,”(16-17). These words make her audience feel pity concerning those young girls and are a great reason to act against the unfair laws and regulations that violate both their human and women's rights, especially when they aren’t even getting paid fairly. By appealing to their emotion Florence Kelley wishes to push the women to act on her proposal of joining together and helping the poor young girls of their nation. Kelley continues to approach and influence the women’s sentiments and- hopefully- their actions by including her scandalized argument that in “Georgia there is no restriction whatever! A girl of six or seven years, just tall enough to reach the bobbins, may work eleven hours by day or by night,” (29-31). She decides to include the ‘bobbins’ of sewing machines in factories to illustrate how short and how young they are to be working in dangerous factories where their rights are ignored, girls at that age should worry more about going to school instead of sacrificing themselves to bring money for bread to their homes. One would understand that many families are living through poverty due to the economy being at a very depressing state and they need the most they can do to increase their financial position to survive in their society, then again, girls should be

The speaker begins her speech with introducing the topic of child labor by stating powerful facts that support her case and using poignant diction to create sympathy; these devices work together to bring attention to the problem of children being overworked from very young ages, and attempt to win the audiences allegiance to her cause. Kelley refers to a census regarding the different groups of people making up the “wage earning class,” and saying that “no contingent so doubles from census period to census period…as does the contingent of girls between twelve and twenty years of age.” The rate of young girls working, earning a living, increases faster than any other group of people. The reference to a census, tells the audience that, not only has the speaker done research on her topic using credible sources, it indicates she is serious about it. Utilizing the census’ data, the speaker does well. In addition to using fact, the speaker also uses diction to reveal that she would like to make a

After industrialization in America, the Progressive Era (1890 – 1920) began. Lives were changing and people wanted the rules to as well. They did this by passing reforms. Some reforms were written on the subjects of child labor, women’s rights, and monopolies and trust.

Initially Kelley conveys her message about the corrupt child labor laws by criticizing the practices of the states in a way that incites change by using examples and rhetorical devices. She begins by providing specific evidence of child labor statistics to add to her credibility. Explaining that “two million children under the age of sixteen” are working just to survive, alludes to the

Improving undesirable working conditions for women and eliminating child labor was an impassioned issue for female reformers during the time of industrialization in the United States. Florence Kelley, a united states social worker and reformer, opposes the appalling work environment children as young as six would toil through and relays her speech to the National Woman Suffrage Association to propel her audience to demand changes that are necessary to stop countless hours of hard-work the youth struggle to complete. Kelley adopts a fervid tone in order to convince the audience that political action is needed to adjust the laws that allows child labor to continue in many states with her use of pathos and rhetorical questions meant to stir action

Child labor during the progressive era was a monstrosity and a plague upon the children of the industrial revolution. Whilst Mother Jones bounced from factory to factory across the United States examining children’s experiences, she never became numb to the horrors that industrialization brought upon very young children, and in some instances, even newborn babies.

Kelley begins her speech by stating, “We have, in this country, two million children under...states”. Not only does this statement touch upon the issues of child labor, but she establishes credibility by stating factual information. This makes the audience believe that Kelley is knowledgeable about the topic at hand. Kelley continues to state statistics by talking about child labor laws within states to contribute to her credibility. For example, “In Alabama the law …..night.” She includes this information to illustrate the lack of restriction of state laws when it comes to child labor. This information enables the audience to comprehend the foolishness of child labor laws, persuading them to make changes.

Kelley states, “We have, in this country, two million children under the age of sixteen years.” This rhetorical device will help convince the audience to believe she has much knowledge on the child labor issue and the effects it leaves by giving an exact number. Kelley included strong credibility in her speech which defends her argument and reinforces her knowledge and facts.

There are many ways that Florence Kelley uses rhetorical devices to convey her message about child labor to her audience. One way that she does this is through appealing to the audience’s emotion. Kelly states that”... while we sleep little white girls will be working tonight in the mills those states, working eleven hours at night”(Kelly). This appeals to emotion because the thought of a little girl working in a dangerous mill, while others are sleep is sad and depressing. Another reason that this is part of the text appeals to emotion during this time frame she gave the speech is because the thought of a little “white girl” working in the Mills was more important and more appealing than a little black girl

During the progressive era the conditions of the factories that children worked in were extremely brutal. Children Worked in very hot factories and some were only at the age of 4 ("Child Labor" Britannica). The reason factories were hot were because there were so many children confined in the factories. This means that there were sweaty, hot children working 16 hours a day. In the book Children at work, there was a child working at a furniture factory and he had dozens of infected wood splints. This is bad because it shows how cruel people were to children during the progressive era. This affected children modern days because if child labor kept on going on children would not be able to attend as often much school as they do now.

United States social worker and reformer, Florence Kelley, in her speech to the convention of National American Woman Suffrage Association attempts to convince the audience that child labor laws should be abolished. Kelley adopts a shaming tone in order to persuade the members of the Woman Suffrage Association that child labor laws are wrongful. Florence Kelley begins her speech by conveying the idea of underage children around America, who are currently working under harsh conditions. She first appeals to the listener’s logic using logos by referring to the children that are ages six and seven and who work “in the cotton mills in Georgia” as well as eight, nine and ten year olds who work “in the coal-breaking of Pennsylvania” (paragraph 1,

Speaking at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention, Florence Kelley voiced her opinion on child labor to her audience. The rhetorical strategies Kelley used to appeal to her audience included repetition, parallel structure and oxymorons. Kelley exercised with the use of parallel structure and repetition in her speech to show that age nor gender mattered in the workforce and many children were suffering because of this. When she says, “Men increase, women increase, youth increase, boys increase in ranks of breadwinners.” , it shows how age is not relevant in the workforce and how any age was appropriate for work not matter what the job was (Lines 10-11).

The speaker begins her speech by introducing the topic of child labor, stating powerful facts that support her case and using poignant diction to create sympathy; these devices work together to bring attention to the problem of children being overworked from very young ages, and attempt to win the audience’s allegiance to her cause. Referring to a census regarding the different groups of people making up the “wage earning class,” Kelley declares that “no contingent so doubles from census period to census period…as does the contingent of girls between twelve and twenty years of age.” The rate of young girls working, earning a living, increases faster than any other group of people. The reference to a census, tells the audience that, not only