Rebecca Harding Davis, ‘Life in the Iron Mills’ (1861)
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Rebecca HardingDavis, ‘LifeintheIron Mills’(1861) “Acloudyday:doyouknowwhatthatisina townofiron-works?Theskysankdownbefore dawn,muddy,flat,immovable.Theairisthick, clammywiththebreathofcrowdedhuman beings.ItsMflesme.Iopenthewindow,and, lookingout,canscarcelyseethroughtherain thegrocer'sshopopposite,whereacrowdof drunkenIrishmenarepuffingLynchburg tobaccointheirpipes.” “Acloudyday:doyouknowwhatthatisina townofiron-works?Theskysankdownbefore dawn,muddy,flat,immovable.Theairisthick, clammywiththebreathofcrowdedhuman beings.ItsMflesme.Iopenthewindow,and, lookingout,canscarcelyseethroughtherain thegrocer'sshopopposite,whereacrowdof drunkenIrishmenarepuffingLynchburg tobaccointheirpipes.” IndustrialRevoluMon(s) Longperiodfrom1790sto1860s à ButheightenedaVertheWarof1812 à Movefromimportertoproducereconomy Centralcomponents: • TransportaMonnetworks • Harnessingofpaleotechnologies(coal,gas,oil) • RaMonalizaMon “Acloudyday:doyouknowwhatthatisina townofiron-works?Theskysankdownbefore dawn,muddy,flat,immovable.Theairisthick, clammywiththebreathofcrowdedhuman beings.ItsMflesme.Iopenthewindow,and, lookingout,canscarcelyseethroughtherain thegrocer'sshopopposite,whereacrowdof drunkenIrishmenarepuffingLynchburg tobaccointheirpipes.” ImmigraMontothe UnitedStates Twomainphases: 1. 1790s-1870s:mainlyfrom WesternEurope 2. 1870s-1920s:mainlyfrom EasternandSouthernEurope WorkersdrivetheindustrialrevoluMon Immigrants=cheaplabour!moreprofit!biggercorporaMons!need formorelabour!needformoreimmigrants... “Massesofmen,withdull,beso`edfaces benttotheground,sharpenedhereand therebypainorcunning;skinandmuscle andfleshbegrimedwithsmokeand ashes;stoopingallnightoverboiling caldronsofmetal,lairedbydayindensof drunkennessandinfamy;breathingfrom infancytodeathanairsaturatedwithfog andgreaseandsoot,vilenessforsouland body…” “Massesofmen,withdull,beso`edfaces benttotheground,sharpenedhereand therebypainorcunning;skinandmuscle andfleshbegrimedwithsmokeand ashes;stoopingallnightoverboiling caldronsofmetal,lairedbydayindensof drunkennessandinfamy;breathingfrom infancytodeathanairsaturatedwithfog andgreaseandsoot,vilenessforsouland body…” Ageofreform KarlMarx • TheCommunistManifesto(1848) • JournalismfortheNewYorkTribune(1850s-60s) CharlesFourier • Utopiansocialism • BrookFarm,Massachuse`s(1840s) Unionmovement • NaMonalLaborUnion(1866) • KnightsofLabor(1869) AgeofReform(conMnued): TheaboliMonistmovement ‘Wageslavery’andanalogiesofsubservience “Forheinallcountriesisaslave,whomustworkmorefor anotherthanthatothermustworkforhim.Itdoesnotma9er howthisstateofthingsisbroughtabout;whethertheswordof victoryhewdownthelibertyofthecap?ve,andthuscompel himtolaborforhisconqueror,orwhethertheswordofwant extortourconsent,asitwere,toavoluntaryslavery,througha denialtousofthematerialsofnature…” ThomasSkidmore,founderoftheWorkingman’sPartyofNew York “Fromtheback-windowIcanseeanarrow brick-yardslopingdowntotheriver-side, strewedwithrain-bu`sandtubs.Theriver, dullandtawny-colored,(labelleriviere!) dragsitselfsluggishlyalong,Mredofthe heavyweightofboatsandcoal-barges.What wonder?WhenIwasachild,Iusedtofancya lookofweary,dumbappealuponthefaceof thenegro-likeriverslavishlybearingits burdendayaVerday.” “Fromtheback-windowIcanseeanarrow brick-yardslopingdowntotheriver-side, strewedwithrain-bu`sandtubs.Theriver, dullandtawny-colored,(labelleriviere!) dragsitselfsluggishlyalong,Mredofthe heavyweightofboatsandcoal-barges.What wonder?WhenIwasachild,Iusedtofancya lookofweary,dumbappealuponthefaceof thenegro-likeriverslavishlybearingits burdendayaVerday.” SlavenarraMves: • Reformistliterature • Addressedtomiddle-class readers • Genericallymixed TheGenresof‘LifeintheIronMills’ SenMmentalism: EmoMons,notraMonal reflecMon,thesourceof morality RomanMcism: Intensepersonaland emoMonalfeelingsgiverise toaestheMcsense;nature andthe‘folk’central “Deeperyetifonecould look,wastherenothing worthreadinginthis wet,fadedthing,halfcoveredwithashes?no storyofasoulfilledwith gropingpassionatelove, heroicunselfishness, fiercejealousy?” WhatistheKorlwoman? TheGenresof‘LifeintheIronMills’ Realism: • Emergesaround1860sinUSwriMng • ReacMontosenMmental/romanMctradiMon • RejectsarMficialconvenMonsandpolarisedmoral worldview • Addressescontemporaryreality–industrial, modernworld–ratherthanhistoricalor fantasMcalsubjects DavisonRomanMcwriters:“Whiletheythought theywereguidingtherealworld,theystoodquite outsideit,andneverwouldseeitasitwas.” “Thereisacuriouspointforyoutose`le, myfriend,whostudypsychologyinalazy, dile`anteway.Stopamoment.Iamgoing tobehonest.ThisiswhatIwantyouto do.Iwantyoutohideyourdisgust,take noheedtoyourcleanclothes,andcome rightdownwithme,—here,intothe thickestofthefogandmudandfoul effluvia.Iwantyoutohearthisstory…I wanttomakeitarealthingtoyou.”
