¶ … Sweatshop Girl: Sadie Frowne
In "The Story of a Sweatshop Girl," Sadie Frowne describes her life journey from peasant farmer's daughter to factory worker. Her description includes details of her daily life, and the difficulties she faces as a sweatshop girl in the early 20th century. Her narrative also illustrates prevalent social values of the time, as well as her individual values. Her focus on the specific details of her situation show that she is writing this account so that people will understand what life is like for a factory girl, and to gain sympathy from readers for the difficulties facing factory workers.
Frowne's piece begins by recalling her family history and how she came to the United States. Many readers of her time can probably relate to her experience, having come from traditional Eurpoean cultures themselves, or having relatives who were immigrants. When Frowne praises her mother's strength and positive attitude, she elicits readers'...
So from the beginning, Frowne is able to appeal to the emotions of her audience, by painting a recognizable picture through the image of her mother.
The next stage in Frowne's narrative includes details about how she came to work in a factory and how she begins to adjust to American society. Here the reader sees an adolescent girl transitioning into adulthood, and sympathizes with her playful attitude as she joins the world of adults. Another point of sympathy here is Frowne's determination to educate herself -- even though she works all day, she goes to school to learn English at night. This trait would appeal to middle and upper-class readers who would appreciate that a working-class girl would have so much enthusiasm for improving herself. In addition, this example illustrates Frowne's desire to assimilate into American culture, which would also be met with approval from…
