When I realized that I would finally be getting my chance to escape the old country I was ecstatic. I had grown weary of living the penniless existence on my weary family farm, the same farm that five other generations of Preschuwitz's had wasted away never knowing anything different. By some stroke of good fortune I was going to be the first in my family to be sent, it ought to have been my brother, but my family could not have managed the farm without him. My mother thought that as a strong, young woman finding a job and earning a steady income would be easy for me. In a way I suppose she was right, in another completely wrong.
As soon as I stepped off the boat in the New York harbor I became concerned. I thought I had come to the land of acceptance and opportunity, yet when I informed the man in the dark suit I was Jewish he frowned, and when I told him my name he shook his head and said you are Esther Klein now. I spent the first night crying in a dark alley. I did not know what else to do, I knew no one and could not read the street signs to find the lodgings my parents had told me to go for housing The next day was slightly better, I purchased my breakfast in the streets and found another girl my age. She too spoke my native language (as hard as I had tried to learn English it still felt foreign against my tongue). Her older sister was already here in America, that she had a good paying job in a textile mill making shirts alittle farther north. Jenna (her American name) said that I was welcome to go with her and find a job at this mill too.
Getting a job at the mill was easy, and it was nice to be paid for my work. Slowly I realized though that while the conditions had seemed better, they really were not. While I was making a much higher wage than I could have ever fathomed back home, the money was spent much faster too. The lodgings I was forced to live in were horrible and ridiculously expensive, they were owned by the mill. Supplies, food, everything cost more here. Not only was I often harassed at work; hit and screamed at by the managers for not working fast enough, I had no comforts to come home to. Every night I went back to my dark room alone, and every morning I left early. My days here are long, I would guess I work fourteen hours a day, six days a week though I can not observe the sabbath day in the Jewish tradition, the mill looks down upon it. I was also disappointed to find out that I will never be able to move into a higher position in the mill. I thought that if I worked hard perhaps one day I would be allowed to move up into one of the overseeing positions. One where I no longer had to sew buttons all day, but rather taught others how. I think I would do a better job than the men who do it now, I would have much more compassion. When I questioned this possibility I was laughed at, women do not move up in the mills. In fact the only people who ever change their job are the children, yes children. There are children working in my factory who could only be three or four years of age, it is shocking. It is also sad, they are often hurt and easily manipulated. I see them here day after day, sick, tired, and looking like women and men of fifty, not five. I weep for them.
Many nights in the past month I have attended meetings held to help organize other girls who have the same feelings as me. We are hoping that if we can ban together we can fight the industry that enslaves us. However, even with all the fervor I feel for this cause I am worried. We must meet in secret constantly, no one can know about this society of labor organizers. I know that there were others besides us, at least two other groups for sure. There was a fourth, but they were found out. We have never seen any of those girls since that horrible Thursday when their screams tore through the still night.
I don't exactly know what to do. I feel like I came to a land in hopes of something better but I have only found more work with less comfort. Mothers letters assure me that it will get easier, and it is nice to slowly but surely fill my drawer with money to bring the rest of my family to me. I'm sure she's right. The rude comments an discrimination are becoming common place here. I just wonder if this America is the same one I dreamed about, often times I think not.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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What, in your own words, is Social Darwinism? How was it used to explain a variety of circumstances (e.g. economic and racial/ethnic) in the late 19th century? Do you hear any of the same sentiment echoed today? Evaluate the theory. Do you find it valid? Why or why not?
Social Darwinism is the concept that the strongest and most fit members of society should be allowed to flourish and prosper while the menial lower classes should cease to exist. It is an extremist ideology parallel to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest. Social Darwinism was a regurgitated theory found many times as the regurgitated excuse for prejudice or unfair advancement throughout the 19th century.
A prime example of Social Darwinism is the mistreatment of the freed African Americans. Under the belief of Social Darwinism the African Americans are lesser beings that cannot equate the white man. The African American slave or even freedman cannot adapt to superior standards of the white race, thusly they should not be given the chance or the help to rise above their circumstances and prosper. It was seen that theoretically if the African American could be overpowered by the white man and put into bondage, than it because he is the weaker race of the species and should inevitably work to promote the stronger and more powerful white man, or die in the process. This dichotomy of stronger upper class versus weaker lower class was embraced by the powerful and prosperous and could only benefit from the institution of slavery.
Another example of the Social Darwinist theory in the late 19th century is the capitalistic monopolies in big business. As in the railroad companies built by Vanderbilt who was able to buy out any smaller companies that could challenge his power, he proved to be the stronger opponent and despite the potentially destructive effect such a monopoly could have on the American economy; Vanderbilt was only concerned with his own gain. The same goes for Carnegie and his steel production though in this case Social Darwinism does not only comply building monopolies, but by the exploitation of his lower class workers by refusing to allow them to form a union.
Sadly these sentiments can still be found in our society today. Big business can create complete monopolies. A modern example of this is the Wal Mart Corporation. Not only has Wal Mart depleted the pool of competition (their prices are far to low for any mom and pop store to even attempt to match) the company exploits its human resources. Outsourced companies taking jobs and revenue away from the American economy create many of the products, while the employees labor for low pay and few benefits. Also the ethnic and racial tensions can still be seen in our society. Biased opinions still favor one race above another, even against the attempts to alleviate such dissention. We still see the outlines of the social hierarchy according to financial status. The few powerful rich still attempt to manipulate and control the lesser middle and lower classes.
I think that Social Darwinism is an extremist ideal that did not advance society as it was perhaps intended. It places too much stress on the natural fallacy; the idea that what is natural is morally or ethically right. Just because survival of the fittest exists in nature does not mean the human society should serve as the paradigm. The harsh nature of the concept lends to the assumption that perhaps it is not as much of a dog eat dog world as we interpret. Society is not so simple a structure that more is better, or that skin color can actually be a decisive factor in judging moral character or skill level.
Social Darwinism is the concept that the strongest and most fit members of society should be allowed to flourish and prosper while the menial lower classes should cease to exist. It is an extremist ideology parallel to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest. Social Darwinism was a regurgitated theory found many times as the regurgitated excuse for prejudice or unfair advancement throughout the 19th century.
A prime example of Social Darwinism is the mistreatment of the freed African Americans. Under the belief of Social Darwinism the African Americans are lesser beings that cannot equate the white man. The African American slave or even freedman cannot adapt to superior standards of the white race, thusly they should not be given the chance or the help to rise above their circumstances and prosper. It was seen that theoretically if the African American could be overpowered by the white man and put into bondage, than it because he is the weaker race of the species and should inevitably work to promote the stronger and more powerful white man, or die in the process. This dichotomy of stronger upper class versus weaker lower class was embraced by the powerful and prosperous and could only benefit from the institution of slavery.
Another example of the Social Darwinist theory in the late 19th century is the capitalistic monopolies in big business. As in the railroad companies built by Vanderbilt who was able to buy out any smaller companies that could challenge his power, he proved to be the stronger opponent and despite the potentially destructive effect such a monopoly could have on the American economy; Vanderbilt was only concerned with his own gain. The same goes for Carnegie and his steel production though in this case Social Darwinism does not only comply building monopolies, but by the exploitation of his lower class workers by refusing to allow them to form a union.
Sadly these sentiments can still be found in our society today. Big business can create complete monopolies. A modern example of this is the Wal Mart Corporation. Not only has Wal Mart depleted the pool of competition (their prices are far to low for any mom and pop store to even attempt to match) the company exploits its human resources. Outsourced companies taking jobs and revenue away from the American economy create many of the products, while the employees labor for low pay and few benefits. Also the ethnic and racial tensions can still be seen in our society. Biased opinions still favor one race above another, even against the attempts to alleviate such dissention. We still see the outlines of the social hierarchy according to financial status. The few powerful rich still attempt to manipulate and control the lesser middle and lower classes.
I think that Social Darwinism is an extremist ideal that did not advance society as it was perhaps intended. It places too much stress on the natural fallacy; the idea that what is natural is morally or ethically right. Just because survival of the fittest exists in nature does not mean the human society should serve as the paradigm. The harsh nature of the concept lends to the assumption that perhaps it is not as much of a dog eat dog world as we interpret. Society is not so simple a structure that more is better, or that skin color can actually be a decisive factor in judging moral character or skill level.
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