Skip to main content

What are some benefits of signing the petition in the book Lyddie?

A petition is being circulated among the girls and women who work at Concord Corporation by the Female Labor Reform Association. Lyddie's friend Diana is very active in the Association and tries to get workers to sign the petition, which calls on the factories to reduce their work days from thirteen hours per day to ten. The primary reason workers would want to sign the petition is that it would pressure the factories to all...

A petition is being circulated among the girls and women who work at Concord Corporation by the Female Labor Reform Association. Lyddie's friend Diana is very active in the Association and tries to get workers to sign the petition, which calls on the factories to reduce their work days from thirteen hours per day to ten. The primary reason workers would want to sign the petition is that it would pressure the factories to all change their hours, allowing all the workers at all the factories to have more time for themselves. Although Lyddie had previously worked sixteen hours a day at the tavern, for much less pay, the fact is that a thirteen-hour work day means that the workers are almost slaves. Yes, they are paid for their work, but when they have only a few waking hours a day to call their own, not much separates them from slaves. Additionally, the long work days at the factories are bad for the workers' health. Workers seem to be able to keep up with the pace initially, but the girls get worn out and some succumb to serious sicknesses due to the long hours and poor air quality in the mill. If the petition was successful in causing the manufacturers to shorten the work day, workers would have more time to pursue their personal interests, such as education, and would have a better chance of staying healthy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Follow the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. They endure over two hundred days of hardship together, but in the end Richard Parker leaves...

When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that... When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that he also needs Pi to survive.  At one point in the book, Pi's starvation and thirst reduce him to a st...
Post a Comment
Read more