Reference no: EM133252466

Assignment:

Primary Source Document Collection MISSION 4: "City of Immigrants" 1 "The Story of a Sweatshop Girl" Immigrant worker Sadie Frowne's story was originally published the New York Independent, a reform-minded newspaper, and later collected into the 1906 book The Lives of Undistinguished Americans as Told by Themselves. The book was remarkable in a time when most biographies or memoirs were by and about political leaders, prominent writers, or wealthy industrialists. In this section, she describes her life outside of work, including a very busy social life. Aunt Fanny had always been anxious for me to get an education, as I did not know how to read or write, and she thought that was wrong. Schools are different in Poland from what they are in this country, and I was always too busy to learn to read and write. So when mother died I thought I would try to learn a trade and then I could go to school at night and learn to speak the English language well.

It cost me $2 a week to live, and I had a dollar a week to spend on clothing and pleasure, and saved the other dollar. I went to night school, but it was hard work learning at first as I did not know much English. Sometimes we go to Coney Island, where there are good dancing places, and sometimes we go to Ulmer Park to picnics. I am very fond of dancing, and, in fact, all sorts of pleasure. I go to the theater quite often, and like those plays that make you cry a great deal "The Two Orphans" is good. Last time I saw it I cried all night because of the hard times that the children had in the play. I am going to see it again when it comes here.

For the last two winters I have been going to night school at Public School 84 on Glenmore avenue. I have learned reading, writing and arithmetic. I can read quite well in English now and I look at the newspapers every day. I read English books, too, sometimes. The last one that I read was "A Mad Marriage," by Charlotte Braeme. She's a grand writer and makes things just like real to you. You feel as if you were the poor girl yourself going to get married to a rich duke. I am going back to night school again this winter. Plenty of my friends go there. Some of the women in my class are more than forty years of age. Like me, they did not have a chance to learn anything in the old country.

It is good to have an education; it makes you feel higher. Ignorant people are all low. People say now that I am clever and fine in conversation. I pay 25 cents a month to the union, but I do not begrudge that because it is for our benefit. The next strike is going to be for a raise of wages, which we all ought to have. But tho I belong to the union I am not a Socialist or an Anarchist I don't know exactly what those things mean. There is a little expense for charity, too. If any worker is injured or sick we all give money to help. TEACHER'S GUIDE Primary Source Document Collection MISSION 4: "City of Immigrants" 2 Some of the women blame me very much because I spend so much money on clothes.

They say that instead of a dollar a week I ought not to spend more than twenty five cents a week on clothes, and that I should save the rest But a girl must have clothes if she is to go into high society at Ulmer Park or Coney Island or the theatre. Those who blame me are the old country people who have old-fashioned notions, but the people who have been here a long time know better. A girl who does not dress well is stuck in a corner, even if she is pretty, and Aunt Fanny says that I do just right to put on plenty of style. I have many friends and we often have jolly parties. Many of the young men like to talk to me, but I don't go out with any except Henry. Lately he has been urging me more and more to get married - but I think I'll wait.

Source: "The Story of a Sweatshop Girl," Independent, 25 September 1902, 2279-82.

Cite and briefly quote the excerpt, there are no page numbers to list.

Questions:

1) What impression does the "Sweatshop Girl" excerpt leave on the reader? Why? Explain.

2) What can the modern American learn about the pre-WWI era by reading this excerpt? Explain.