Lyddie by Katherine Paterson
The novel Lyddie was published in 1991. The author, Katherine Paterson, has
written over forty books and won numerous awards. Lyddie was recognized
as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, along with other honors. Lyddie is a
young adult historical fiction novel, using a fictional set of characters to take
a closer look at real historical events and circumstances. The novel tells the
story of Lyddie, a teenager who works in a factory mill to earn money to pay
off her family's debts. The novel takes an illuminating look at Lyddie's
personal story as well as at the working conditions for children and teens in
New England in the mid-nineteenth century.
Setting of Lyddie
Lyddie begins in November of 1843, and spans a period of about two years.
Lyddie is a thirteen year old girl who lives on a rural farm in Vermont. After a
tragedy, she goes to work at Cutler's Tavern in a nearby town. When she
hears that there is a chance to earn money as a factory girl, she takes a
stagecoach to Lowell, Massachusetts, and gets work in a fabric mill. She
boards at a company-owned house on the mill property. At this time,
America is at the very beginning of the Industrial Revolution, as the
production of everyday items (such as fabric) becomes mechanized. Lowell
is a central location for the textile industry, and over 8,000 girls are employed
in these factories doing the same work that Lyddie does in the novel.
Characters in Lyddie
Lyddie is written in the third person, mainly from the viewpoint of the
protagonist, Lyddie Worthen. In her journey to Lowell and back again, Lyddie
encounters a number of important individuals. The following table describes
key characters from the novel.
Character
Description
Lyddie
Worthen
Aged 13 at the beginning of the novel; oldest child; determined to
keep the family farm, to bring her family back together, and above all
to be free.
Mattie
Worthen
Lyddie's mother. Mattie lost her ability to function when her husband
left. She lets the farm, sends her children to work, and goes to live
with her sister and brother-in-law. Within a couple years she dies in
an asylum.
Charles
Worthen
Lyddie's brother, aged 10 when the story begins. Charles stays with
Lyddie through the first winter alone on the farm. He then goes to
work at the mill, where he is later adopted by the Phinney family.
Agnes
Worthen
Lyddie's youngest sister, aged 4 when the story begins. Agnes dies
within a year.
Rachel
Worthen
Lyddie's sister, aged 6 when the story begins. Rachel is sent to the
mill to work with Lyddie, then is adopted by the Phinney family with
Charlie.
Luke
Stevens
A Quaker and the son of the neighbor family. Luke watches over the
Worthen farmhouse while Lyddie and the family are gone.
Ezekial
Abernathy
An escaped slave Lyddie finds squatting in her home. Lyddie gives
Ezekiel money to aide his escape, and he returns it at just the right
time.
Triphena
The cook at Cutler's Tavern and Lyddie's friend.
Diana
Goss
Lyddie's first friend at the mill. Diana is infamous for her activity with
the group lobbying for better working conditions.
Mrs.
Bedlow
Mistress of the boarding house where Lyddie stays.
Betsy
Lyddie's roommate at the boarding house. Betsy is working to put
her brother through college, then longs to go to college herself.
Amelia
Lyddie's roommate at the boarding house. Amelia reminds the others
constantly to pursue ladylike behavior.
Brigid
An Irish Catholic girl whom Lyddie must teach to do the work at the
mill.
Although each of these characters are part of Lyddie's story, in the end she
finds herself on her own, free to choose her own path.
Lyddie Summary
Lyddie's journey throughout the novel passes through several stages.
The farm: Lyddie relates a close call with a bear that incited her mother
to take Agnes and Rachel to her sister's house. Lyddie and Charles
spend a winter at the family farm alone, but then receive a note from
their mother letting them know that she has let the farm to neighbors.
Charles must go to the mill and Lyddie to the tavern to work and earn
money to pay off the family's debts. A neighbor, Luke Stevens, offers to
look after the house for them while they're gone.
Cutler's Tavern: Lyddie works hard as a maid and befriends the cook,
Triphena. When the Mistress is away, Lyddie goes for a visit home. She
meets an escaped slave, Ezekial, who is squatting in her home. When
she returns to the tavern, she is fired for leaving.
Concord Corporation: Lyddie takes the stage coach to Lowell, MA, as
she has heard rumors that she can earn money working in the cloth
factory there. She befriends the coachman on her journey, and he takes
her to the boardinghouse run by his sister Mrs. Bedlow.
Lyddie meets her roommates and begins factory work. The work is
hard and the hours are long, but Lyddie adapts. She relishes the
fact that she is earning money by choice.
Lyddie listens with some skepticism to her friend Diana, who
attends meetings and is circulating a petition to shorten the
workday and improve working conditions.
Lyddie is captivated by her roommate's reading of Oliver Twist. She
gets the book from the library and studies it, copying pages to read
while she works.
As working conditions decline, people start leaving the factory.
Girls become ill due to the poor conditions. Lyddie receives word
that her sister Agnes has died.
Lyddie gets a visit from her uncle, who tells her that he is putting
her mother in an asylum and selling their farm. He brings Rachel to
work with Lyddie.
Lyddie becomes sick for a few weeks. When she recovers and
returns to work, Rachel goes to work as well, but quickly begins to
get sick.
Charlie comes and lets Lyddie know the farm will definitely be sold.
He has been adopted by the Phinney family at the mill, and they
want Rachel also. Lyddie knows it's best for Rachel, even though
she is devastated to let her go. Charlie also brings a letter from
Luke. Luke's father has bought the farm, and Luke wants to marry
Lyddie.
Left alone, Lyddie continues to work. She buys books for herself,
and also teaches Brigid, a girl from work, how to read. Her friend
Diana leaves the factory to have a baby. Lyddie also learns that her
mother has died.
Mr. Marsden, the mill manager, had made an inappropriate pass at
Lyddie several months previously, and Lyddie stomped on his foot.
When she catches him cornering her friend Brigid, she hits him
with a bucket. For this, Lyddie is fired.
Lyddie visits Diana, then Triphena, then returns to her family home.
She encounters Luke there and tells him she intends to go to
college. Perhaps she will see him again when she returns.
While Lyddie experiences many hardships, she is only sixteen when the story
closes. However, she has fought through difficulty to a place of freedom.