Summary Of The Novel Lyddie By Katherine Paterson: Making Individual Decisions

Making Individual decisions. It’s hard to do for most people. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not. You have to think about what you need. Not what others will think. The fictional novel Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson explains the hard life of Lydia Worthen. Petitions have come up a few times since the beginning of the novel. Now, Lyddie has to make a big decision. Should she sign the petition or not? Some people believe that Lydia shouldn’t sign the petition because she wouldn’t make as much money. But she should sign the petition. Lyddie has been sensitive about whether or not to sign the petition to make working hours shorter. Betsy signed the petition. “Now you’ll be blacklisted and what will I do without you?” Betsy is one of the most important things to Lydia. It would break Lydia’s heart to lose her.If lyddie signed the petition, she wouldn’t work as many hours. “She was too tired.” If she doesn’t work as much she wouldn’t be as tired anymore. THe girls in the house have had absolutely enough of the dust, illness, and long hours. “...maybe i could sign the cussed

She needs to take care of an entire family, and herself. Lyddie’s work started to decrease. “She needed the money. She had to have the money.” She used to work four looms but now she works two. The less looms, less product. Less product, less money. BUt that doesn’t mean she cant work twice as hard to make as much money. Lyddie thinks about how she should or shouldn’t sign the petition. “But we’d be paid less.” Yes, they would be paid less because of the hour shortening. But if she gets enough rest at night, she would be able to work twice as hard and make twice as much product. NOw that lyddie has moved Her way from vermont, she thinks about how she can make more money. “She was making far more money rhan she ever had in vermont or even was likely to.” Lyddie is trying as hard as she can to help her mother and siblings with their financial