Dehumanization In Martha Hodes '' The Sea Captain's Wife'

The Industrial Revolution was an incredibly important time in American history. It brought with it the technological advancements that are still used to this day. However, not everything about this time was happy. Along with advancements and growth came even more of a disregard for workers. Their labor and treatment became dehumanizing in a way that had previously only been used for slaves. Very few people were able to escape this treatment for every day more and more people were left with no other option but to be in this type of employment. This essay will describe the process by which people came to this position, the way they were treated, and consequences of their management. When America began to industrialize it changed what was important. People could no longer get by with their farms and simple living. There was a heavy migration to cities in hopes of obtaining a job. So many people went that there was very little room for everyone. They were forced to live in small, unsanitary quarters. They were forced to work in even …show more content…
There have been multiple comparisons between the menial laborers and slaves. While this comparison is not completely accurate as the workers we able to leave and did get paid, there were many similarities. The work was dehumanizing and took away parts of their lives.
In Martha Hodes’ The Sea Captain’s Wife, Eunice was forced to remain working in a factory even after she was married. In previous years women would marry and, especially if their husbands had a stable trade like shoemaking, they would stop working and take care of the home. However, technological advancements brought with them cheaper and easier ways to make things that used to be a specialty. Eunice had to move into tight, dirty quarters to live while she worked. She was not able to live with her husband or son. She was forced into a life completely different than was expected at this