The Trappan D Maiden, An Analysis

In the modern world, there is a tendency to fetishize hard work. Manual labour is viewed by those who may not necessarily practice it as a noble enterprise, giving its own unique satisfaction. Though this is true in many cases, the unfortunate reality is that working hard all day, every day exacts a brutal toll on body and mind. Not only does work often take away energy that might otherwise be spent on constructive personal pursuits, it historically paid only the bare minimum needed to keep workers coming back to the factory, mine, or mill, regardless of their ability to survive, let alone thrive on such meagre compensation. Constant danger, active and passive oppression by local and national power structures all contribute to the deprivation …show more content…
Indentured servitude was the common recourse to a labour shortage in the colonies, and was characterized by institutional support and harsh punishments (Watson 394-397). Though servants had legal recourse in the event of overly harsh treatment, lasting punishments for their masters were uncommon, and courts overwhelmingly worked to keep workers within the system (Watson 402-403). Consequently, working literature on the topic overwhelmingly works to encourage individuals in the British Isles to stay out of the system. In the case of the “Trappan’d Maiden,” the author emphasizes the long hours and terrible conditions, saying “So soon as it is day, to work I must away...” (Coles, Zandy 6). The author also notes that “Instead of drinking Beer, [she] drinks the water clear… which makes me pale and wan, do all that e’er I can...” and that “When [her owner] sits at Meat, then I have none to eat…” which emphasizes the low quality of her rations (Coles, Zandy 6). “The Poor, Unhappy, Transported Felon” adopts a more narrative approach than the “Trappan’d Maiden,” relating the author, James Revel’s “...years in virtue’s path…” and his subsequent fall into “...wicked company…” which leads to his transportation to Virginia as an indentured servant (Coles, Zandy 7-9). In spite of certain differences in content, especially Revel’s sale to a master who “...used [him] so tenderly and kind…” and his eventual return to England, the two works condemn the practice of indentured servitude by providing an account of its harsh conditions from the point of view of individuals caught up in the system (Coles, Zandy 12). Condemnation of the practice, rather than direct calls to reform the whole institution dominate these works as a result of disenfranchisement enshrined in the colonial political structure, which generally allowed only white,