Lucy Larcom's Life As A Mill Girl

No I do not think her feelings towards working in the mill were typical. Lucy Larcom was born March 5, 1824 in Massachusetts. Her father was a sea caption and her mother stayed home and took care of the kids. She grew up on Wallis Lane her entire life, in a rural area. When her father died in 1832, the family was facing form money problems. It was at this time, at the age of 12, they moved to Lowell and Lucy and her sisters had to work at a mill, to maintain a steady income. A typical person would dread going to an unsafe, dangerous, and unsanitary work place, like a factory. They would be tired and have long days with little pay, even though many people back then were happy with their pay. Lucy Larcom, on the other hand, thought being a mill girl benefited young women in many ways.

She believed it gave more women free time and independence. To have independence it means you don't rely on other people. Working as a mill girl you could earn more money and have more time to yourself, even though she worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Her feelings were joyful. She loved being a mill girl because she felt like she could do everything and not want help from other people. The wages were better then what you get for farming a day. Although every mill girl was being watched extremely closely inside and outside of the mill factory by their employees, it was a better alternative then being a servant. They didn't have to be told what to do every second of the day. They would show up to work and already know what to do. Having independence for these young women meant a lot to them. Lucy once