A Second Peep at Factory Life, Lowell Offering, Vol. V (1845): 97-100
The Lowell Offering was a monthly literary magazine published (primarily between 1841 and 1845) by women factory workers in the textile mills of the planned industrial community of Lowell, Massachusetts. For many of the women and girls who worked in the factories, working at Lowell offered an opportunity to earn the highest wages of any women workers in America while becoming part of a community. In addition, despite their long work hours, the Lowell workers could devote some of their time to attending evening classes and lectures, accessing Lowells circulating library, or working on the magazine.
Now look out--not for the engine--but for the rush to the stairway. O mercy! what a crowd. I do not wonder you gasp for breath; but, keep up courage; we shall soon be on terra firma again. Now, safely landed, I hope to be excused for taking you into such a crowd. Really, it would not be fair to let you see the factory girls and machinery for nothing. I shall be obliged to hurry you, as it is some way to the boarding-house, and we have but thirty minutes from the time the bell begins to ring till it is done ringing again; and then all are required to be at their work. There is a group of girls yonder, going our way; let us overtake them, and hear what they are talking about. Something unpleasant I dare say, from their earnest gestures and clouded brows.
"Well, I do think it is too bad," exclaims one.
"So do I," says another. "This cutting down wages is not what they cry it up to be. I wonder how they'd like to work as hard as we do, digging and drudging day after day, from morning till night, and then, every two or three years, have their wages reduced. I rather guess it wouldn't set very well."
"And, besides this, who ever heard, of such a thing as their being raised again," says the first speaker. "I confess that I never did, so long as I've worked in the mill, and that's been these ten years."
"Well, it is real provoking any how," returned the other, "for my part I should think they had made a clean sweep this time. I wonder what they'll do next."
"Listeners never hear any good of themselves" is a trite saying, and, for fear it may prove true in our case, we will leave this busy group, and get some dinner. There is an open door inviting us to enter. We will do so. You can hang your bonnet and shawl on one of those hooks, that extend the length of the entry for that purpose, or you can lay them on the banisters, as some do. Please to walk into the dining room. Here are two large square tables, covered with checked clothes and loaded down with smoking viands, the odor of which is very inviting. But we will not stop here; there is the long table in the front room, at which ten or fifteen can be comfortably seated. You may place yourself at the head. Now do not be bashful or wait to be helped, but comply with the oft-made request, "help yourself" to whatever you like best; for you have but a few minutes allotted you to spend at the table. The reason why, is because you are a rational , intelligent, thinking being, and ought to know enough to swallow your food whole; whereas a horse or an ox, or any other dumb beast knows no better than to spend an hour in the useless process of mastication. The bell rings again, and the girls are hurrying to the mills; you, I suppose, have seen enough of them for one day, so we will walk up stairs and have a tete-a-tete.
You ask, if there are so many things objectionable, why we work in the mill. Well, simply for this reason,-every situation in life, has its trials which must be borne, and factory life has no more than any other. There are many things we do not like; many occurrences that send the warm blood mantling to the cheek when they must be borne in silence, and many harsh words and acts that are not called for. There are objections also to the number of hours we work, to the length of time allotted to our meals, and to the low wages allowed for labor; objections that must and will be answered; for the time has come when something, besides the clothing and feeding of the body is to be thought of; when the mind is to be clothed and fed; and this cannot be as it should be, with the present system of labor. Who, let me ask, can find that pleasure in' life which they should, when it is spent in this way. Without time for the laborer's own work, and the improvement of the mind, save the few evening hours; and even then if the mind is enriched and stored with useful knowledge, it must be at the expense of health. And the feeling too, that comes over us (there is no use in denying it) when we hear the bell calling us away from repose that tired nature loudly claims-the feeling, that we are obliged to go. And these few hours, of which we have spoken, are far too short, three at the most at the close of day. Surely, methinks, every heart that lays claim to humanity will feel 'tis not enough. But this, we hope will, ere long, be done away with, and labor made what it should be; pleasant and inviting to every son and daughter of the human family.
There is a brighter side to this picture, over which we would not willingly pass without notice, and an answer to the question, why we work here? The time we do have is our own. The money we earn comes promptly; more so than in any other situation; and our work, though laborious is the same from day to day; we know what it is, and when finished we feel perfectly free, till it is time to commence it again.
Document Analysis
Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer.
According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system?
What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving?
1. The portrait the writer paints is essentially one of aversion to the factory system. Although she notes the perks (if you can call it that) of working in the factory, the overwhelming majority of the excerpt points to the misery and destitution the women of the factory endure. Hardships like waking up in the early hours of the morning, scarcely having enough time to socialize with peers, the ever present lowering of wages, and the short hours they are allowed to eat. These objections, like many other things in life, they say has its trials that must be borne. But like these other instances in life, there are also limits as to what people will take, and the women feel that a time has finally greeted them that will allow for change in this inhumane system. 2. According to the text, the words of the writer, the main rewards for working in such a system are: money is rewarded promptly, they do have time for themselves, and a certain degree of consistency in the day to day work of the women. 3. I believe an integral problem to the planned industrial community concept was the lack of regard placed on the workers day to day life. Those in charge, in my opinion, didnt do enough to keep the workers happy. Very simple and miniscule things like extending time allowed for meals, or providing breaks or even giving the women longer periods to socialize would have pleased the workers and possibly offset the cries of injustice when wages were lowered or harassment was made. I dont feel they tried to understand the adversity the women went through and attempt to lighten the load. Many times, they just worsened the problems by lowering wages or by angering the working population.
1. To me it sounds essentially positive.She explains that like most other situations in life mill work too has problems and difficulties that must be lived and dealt with.Although mill work has conditions that all of the women dont very much like they know that day after day it is the same and do their jobs without needing to change their routine and it also allows them to get in some time for their own personal leisure.Another fact is that they fight for better conditions but they know that unlike most other jobs, theirs provides money promptly like clockwork.
2. The rewards are that the women know what is expected of them and go about their task knowing that when they are done they are free until work commences again.Another reward is that of money which is provided to them on time and always the same time unlike many other jobs.These types of jobs also offer a community in which they can share experiences and time with each other and form bonds.
3. I see home-sickness and boredom as the major problems of a planned industrial community.To prevent the workers from leaving I would first try to either be in an area or build the surrounding area which would provide all the needs and wants of a hometown community such as a local town where the workers could go to and enjoy themselves.I would also try and promote the sense of community within the workers themselves by initiating programs or events which would keep the workers happy but not distract them from work when it was time to work.
1. Although thoughout her whole story she talks about all the negatives of her job she thinks having this job is a postive thing. She fights for better hours, longer lunch break, higher wage, and better working conditions. "There is a brighter side to this picture, over which we would not willingly pass without notice, and an answer to the question" She is strong with what she believes and she will not let it go without notice until these conditions are met.
2. The primary awards for working in such harsh conditions is the fact that the money comes promptly and they have the satifaction of making their own income.Although the conditions are tough it also gives women a chance to intract with other women and converse with other people. Last it gives them a sence of freedom until work comences again
3. I see harsh working conditions, long hours and bordom as the major problems in the working conditions. I would clean up the area more, work on getting the pollution out of the building's making it a more safe enviornment. Also i would shorten the hours if the job gets easier then it will attract more people for work. Thus getting rid of not only the problem of long harsh hours but also get more people off the street and into the mill. Last the people working at the mills went back day after day doing the same job for 10 hours a day. I would allow them to go out of the mill to get their own supplies and alow them to have a couple of breaks inbetween so they arnt in the same environment day after day for 10 hours stright.
1.She found herself saying mostly negative things about the factory system. She was saying how the wages were reduced every few years. Also the workers living quarters were not very pleasant. They were dirty and very unkempt. The lunch breakers were not long enough for them because they had to swallow their food whole. For the hours they worked, their wages were not high enough to support them.
2.Some of the rewards for this job is that the time that they do have is their own. The money that they do get comes in promptly. Their work may be hard and strenuous but its the same everyday. They feel comfortable with what they do, and they know that when they are done they are free, until the next day.
3. They major problems are that the workers do not get paid enough for the labor they are doing, and they do not have enough time in their schedule to eat. If they got more pay and had enough time to eat, I think that they would work harder and be more willing to work. If they feel like they are being appreciated for the work that they are doing, and had the energy to work they would probably do better and work harder than they had been in the past.
Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer. The writer describes an awful, stressful, and exhausting atmosphere, yet she seems to see it in a possitive light saying every situation in life, has its trials which must be borne, and factory life has no more than any other. like its not a big deal. She says one of the main reasons why she works there is that the time we do have is our own. The money we earn comes promptly; more so than in any other situation; and our work, though laborious is the same from day to day; we know what it is, and when finished we feel perfectly free
According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system? Although the description of the factory seems dismal, boring and monotonous, the writer says that the strictly scheduled work regimen is actually helpful because though laborious is the same from day to day; we know what it isand perhaps even more rewarding is how when (working) finished we feel perfectly free.
What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving?
One major flaw in this industrial design is how constricted and isolated the individual employees feel. Like a rat trapped in a cage, he will try to break free at the first opportunity they get. Whether it is through strikes, finding other jobs, or just the inability to work (or work effectively) through deteriorating health due to overworking and stress employees will not stay working loyally for very long. Using this system (and this time period) as a template Id say that allowing the employees even a little more time in the real world would do wonders to keep them working for me. This extra free time allows them to unwind and recuperate after work, reducing stress (which in turn improves their overall health) and helping them feel less isolated, which targets (in my opinion) the top reasons for employees leaving work.
Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer.
The writers portrayal of the factory system is negative. The mill workers at this time were having their salaries decreased every few years. The workers also worked long hours, and during that time they barely slacked. The employees worked very hard from the beginning of their shifts to the end. Stated in the text This cutting down wages is not what they cry it up to be. I wonder how theyd like to work as hard as we do digging and drudging day after day, from morning till night, and then, every two or three years, have their wages reduced. I rather guess it wouldnt set very well. This statement basically clarifies the claim that the factory system is negative.
According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system?
The primary reward for working such a tightly regimented system is that the workers got paid, not much but anything little sum is better than nothing. The job was also a step for women because they had a stable job rather than staying home. It was a tiny step to being as independent, rather than relying on men constantly.
What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving?
The major problem of a planned industrial community would probably be the long hours. I think workers would get fed up quickly. They are working hard and their salary isnt a reflection of that.
Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative?Explain your answer.
The writers portrait of the factory system is negative.Throughout the document, she provides the reader with all of the negative conditions that the women are subjected to.She explains the short lunch period where everyone rushes to the stairway.She goes on to talk about the 30 minutes that are given to leave the factory eat lunch and return to the machine.When she sees a group of girls she writes that they must be discussing something unpleasant.There is mention of the poor wages and one woman who has worked there for 10 years tells us that she has not had a raise during the entire time that she has worked in the factory.She writes that there are many things that the women factory workers do not like such as the number of hours that they work and the low wages that they earn.The women also complain that they do not have time to improve their mind.They do not have time for pleasure or to do anything to enrich and store their minds with useful knowledge.
According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system?
The primary rewards for working in the regimented system were the money earned comes promptly, more so than it does in other work situations; the work that they do is the same from day to day and when their daily work is done they feel free until it is time to start again.
What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community?What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving?
I think that some of the problems are long working hours, too short a time for lunch, low wages and overcrowded workspace.In order to change some of the conditions and to keep the workers from leaving, I would shorten the workday to 8 hours a day. Put in a cafeteria so that the workers would not have to spend their lunchtime going off site to eat.I would have different lunch shifts for all of the workers so that they would not all crowd into the cafeteria at one time.I would also have newspapers available in the cafeteria area so that the workers could expand their knowledge of current events.I would also set up the work area so that the workspace was not overcrowded.
Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer.
According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system?
What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving?
1. The writer's portrait of the factory system in which she found herself is essentially negative. In this passage, the writer goes on to talk about the unfair wages that she receives from working in the mill. She also talks about the timing she has to eat, and to sleep and finds it unfair that she must work there year after year, only to have her wages lowered.
2. The rewards for working in such a tighlly regimented system are the money they receive for their work is theirs, and always arrives on time, they know the work they are doing and they are used to doing it, and finally they are free once they finish their work until they have to do it again the next day.
3. A major problem of the planned industrial community would be the workers would get sick and tired of redoing the same things everyday. Also, their boardinghouses were overcrowded, their wages were too low, and they didn't receive enough time to eat and sleep. To keep the workers from leaving, I would keep their wages the same, and I would give them more time to sleep and eat to keep them happy and comfortable.
1.Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer. - Throughout the document the writer discussed mainly negative aspects of working in the factory. She talked about how she had inadequate wages that were cut every few years, the unfairly short lunch breaks, and the poor living situation. She also mentions the long tedious hours she spends at her machine. However she does mention that the money does come on time and she knows what shes doing when it comes to her job.2.According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system? - She discusses certain rewards such as payment (even a low amount) is better than nothing and that it is always on time especially compared to other types of work. The writer also feels grateful for steady pay, which is more than some other people could say they had. She also mentions that she knows what to do and how to do it so she feels good about the work she does. 3.What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving? - The major issues I found were the long hours, boredom from doing the same task over and over, day in and day out, and the untidy living spaces. To prevent workers from leaving I would spruce up the boardinghouses, allow more time for lunch and cut working hours and maybe have a rotating schedule where they experience different parts of the textile industry.
1. I beleive the writer's portrait of the factory system is negative because, they are treating the workers as if the were lower than low. The writer uses a lot of clear sarcasm to show the unethical treatment of labourers. "you are a rational , intelligent, thinking being, and ought to know enough to swallow your food whole; whereas a horse or an ox, or any other dumb beast knows no better than to spend an hour in the useless process of mastication." They lower wages without ever raising them, they give them short amount of time to eat, and their work hours leave them maybe two hours to themselves.
2. "The time we do have is our own. The money we earn comes promptly; more so than in any other situation; and our work, though laborious is the same from day to day" It provides them with a stable means of living.
3. I think the major issue is the time alotted for the worker to have to themselves. With more time alotted for the workers to have to themselves they could make time for knowledge or proper nourishment. With the money the company gains from pay cuts they could extend the lunch time and shorten the day of labor. Sure the profit would be lowered a slight bit but then the factories would have loyal workers who they can count on.
1. Is the writers portrait of the factory system in which she found herself essentially positive or negative? Explain your answer. The writers portrait of the factory system is negative for the most part with a positive spin on things. She mentions the fact that their working as hard as ever and every few years they cut down the wages, but the boarding houses are nice. She mentions the short lunch breaks while the bells are ringing as well as that the time that they do have is to themselves. 2. According to the excerpt, what are the primary rewards for working in such a tightly regimented system? The primary rewards are that the time they do have they have to themselves, the money that they earn comes promptly more so than in any other situation and our work through laborious is the same from day to day. 3. What would you identify as the major problems of a planned industrial community? What steps would you take to keep the workers from leaving? In a planned industrial community you have to do the exact same hard work every day, every year, and after about 3 years you get paid less for it. More time to yourself means more time to pick up other crafts and trades making the posibility of escaping easier. To prevent workers from leaving i would try to create a work enviornment that they wouldn't want to leave. Appropriate break time, inbetween work activities, and a not so strict boss. Happy workers make busy bees!
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