Free Paper Sample: How Four Prominent Authors Would Interpret a Short Story

This essay will discuss how the four prominent authors can respond to and interpret Rebecca Harding Davis's short story "Life in the Iron Mills." It talks about the disgusting environment, and working and living conditions, for the workers in the industrialized cities, including the unspecified city where both heroes Hugh and Deborah stay. Due to these hardships, the people residing within these cities embarked on substance abuse and other related crimes to cope with the pain. Relating to the discussed ideas by Rebecca Hardings Davis, there are four prominent writers that this essay will show how they could respond to this story about "Life in the Iron Mills."

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Concepts from this story involve environmental pollution from the industrialization of the cities where these people reside. Popping through the window, the author indicates that you could see a brickyard slanting downcast towards the river indicating the destruction of the ecosystem; displayed butts and tubs beside the river are colored in that they appeared dull and tawny. This destruction of water sources came from the goods transporting heavyweight boats, among other coal barges. The unfiltered polluted air from the industries gets into the environment causing dangers to human life. Such incident originates from the industries in that from the story it is evident that immediately after the grimy task done from the muddy graveyard within a hole, there was no fresh air to breathe and destroyed trees; there were no green fields nor curious roses, which is a source of life for habitats beneficial to humankind. The residents employed in these industries found in these cities incur housing challenges where six people rent a single house. It happens to be unconducive due to the prevailing contamination of the environment besides personal privacy. The workers, Welsh emigrants, and Cornish miners again face health problems in that the author indicates that they trifled with filthy in addition to having sturdy muscles to the extent of being more stoopy. Due to such challenges, they tried to ease their pain by indulging themselves in drunkness. However, due to their healthy weakness, they hardly make noise. Despite wolves staying in the cities for more than thirty years, they still suffered incessant labor, housing difficulties for having slept in rooms that were kennel-like housing facilities, and consuming rank pork and molasses.

Taking the same ideas that Rebecca Hardings Davis had in this story, Mary Rowlandson will respond actively in interpreting the story. According to Rowlandson's perceptions of conflicts arising among human beings, she believes that a solution must come immediately to solve a solution. Her belief that it is a must to survive the captivity and embark on civilization being not intimidated by slavery by Indians shows the possibility of triggering these cities' actions for these city residents rather than creating mere awareness. She could probably develop dependent ways for these residents to make self-owned money to improve their health status. Exposure to unconducive working and living conditions by industrial employers goes against her understanding that God's providence makes things possible besides grace. It is, therefore, dependent on their initiative to rectify the problems encountered by these residents.

Regarding this story, Franklin could respond by indicating possible measures to help resolve these problems that the city residents underwent due to industrialization. He could respond by making impactful initiatives like improvising the existing housing facilities to cater to more suitable settling places when considering his invention abilities witnessed in his previous workings. Franklin takes a problem positively by earning a chance to prove his capabilities in giving back to society but not blaming the sources of the problem as is the case with Rebecca in this story. He successfully resolved the huge smoke and sparking fires in his invented stove could positively interpret the situation (Arch, Stephen Carl 223). This action could be possible by making new approaches that could bring a good solution for purifying the air produced by the industries before getting released into the air. Similarly, water pollution could get a solution to resemble the rectification of air pollution.

According to him, Douglas has personal freedom and primary economic freedom, which are the central objectives that emanate from his ideas. Looking back at his retirement from the engineering job immediately after World War 1, he could respond to this story with a piece of good news for these employees (Boon et al. 246). He can support them by urging for reforms in these industries, which could resolve air and water pollution. Working conditions for the employees in these industries could be reformed after pushing for working policies reform. Mostly full-time workers could get favor and have something to celebrate. For instance, the lady from the cotton mills supports herself with the gas post due to health issues and long working hours. Douglas's reaction to these themes discussed in the story will indicate positive results not coming to his initiatives but pushing for reforms to solve these problems.

Conclusion

Finally, Thoreau's fundamental ideas concerning this story are civil disobedience criticism, conscientious objection, straightforward environmentalism action, and simple life anarchism. He can respond to this story by identifying the major problems highlighted in the story and triggering powerful demonstrations that could help workers get the rights they deserve besides helping normal residents (Moskowitz 230). It only takes the creation of awareness among the residents, and everything works correctly. Positive approaches towards these problems can help the residents gain knowledge about taking positive methods of solving problems but not taking drugs that worsen their problems.

Comparing the ideas that all these four authors have, it is evident that they have a mentality of solving problems that humankind faces. In particular, they act as human rights activists. They possess powerful abilities and belief in their principles; thus, mostly, their ideas are achievable, and thus the same case applies when they respond to Rebecca's story.

Works Cited

Arch, Stephen Carl. "Benjamin Franklin: Printer, Editor, and Writer." A Companion to American Literature 1 (2020): 217-232. Published on 3rd April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119056157.ch14 accessed on 6th October 2020.

Boon, Wouter PC, Jakob Edler, and Douglas KR Robinson. "Market formation in the context of transitions: A comment on the agenda of the transition." Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 34 (2020): 346-347. Published March 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.11.006 accessed on 6th October 2020.

Moskowitz, Alex. "Economic Imperception; or, Reading Capital on the Beach with Thoreau." American Literary History 32.2 (2020): 221-242. Published 22nd May 2020, https://doi.org/10.1093/alh/ajaa008 accessed on 6th October 2020.