Synthesis Essay On Child Labor

Presently there are laws to prevent child labor, but a century ago it ran ramped. Many factories had jobs that required children to fulfill them, such as collecting cotton under large machines where adults could not fit. Also in the time period many families needed the children of the home to work in order to feed themselves. Often people forget that child labor was not always frowned upon as it is now. When one examines objects from the past, one must realize that their opinion is a completely different perspective. The three sources given to represent child labor, both support and contradict each other. The photos fail to support each other in the emotions the people portray. The letter a young girl writes to her father describes her enjoyment …show more content…
The letter of the young girl, Mary, portrays her as enjoying and appreciating the job she occupies when she states, “I get along very well with my work." This contradicts the emotions that are portrayed in both the photos as one has a relatively happy mood and the other depressed. The first source is the opposite of the two images in view of the emotions expressed. The photos and letter are similar when one examines the working conditions. The letter describes a twelve hour shift for a young girl in less than desirable conditions. The photos also portray this as the second has a girl down a narrow path between cotton machines wearing no shoes. Perhaps this is so the laces do not get caught in the machinery and cause an accident, but still wearing no shoes can be just as hazardous. The first photo depicts three boys and a man, the boy who is sweeping looks particularly fatigued. Factory jobs for children often became a factor in the death of the child, being a working accident or not having enough money to eat. Poor clothing seems to also be a theme as the boys' clothes are stained and the young girl is