Life in the Iron Mills: Editor's Introduction
One thing shocked me upon reading the editor's introduction to Life in the Iron Mills. I had expected Davis to be a member of the working class. I think if I had known that bit of information before reading the novella, I would have probably read it differently. I am certain that more questions would have been raised. The question I would have had most frequently is "How does she know that?" I am actually glad that I didn't know that she was a member of the middle class before reading it. I think I got more out of it with the assumption that she was a working class woman--thinking she was there. However, I did enjoy getting a little background on the Iron Mills and other literature from Davis's time. I think that cleared up any small questions I had. Mostly dealing with the time period in which I knew nearly nothing about.
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills. Introduction: Cultural and Historical Background. Bedford Books, 1998.
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills. Introduction: Cultural and Historical Background. Bedford Books, 1998.
posted by Maria at 9:30 PM
1 Comments:
That's interesting that you would have found the story less credible if you had known her class background. Readers at the time probably would have known--and probably would have accepted it. At the same time, it does raise questions about veracity and motivation.
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