Oliver Twist Youtube Video

◦Describe the living conditions (or working conditions) that you see

In the video above, I see that the living conditions where Oliver lived where very harsh because he didn't get very much food and he was treated unkindly by his teachers and the people who ran the school.

◦Would you have liked to live in this time period?

I would not liked to have lived in this time period because the living conditions where unsanitary and there was not enough food for everyone.

◦How harsh/nice is Oliver's life compared to your own?

Olivers life is very harsh compared to mine because I get enought food everyday, I have a family and I don't have to steal just to get by. But the video also shows that Oliver has friends, so I guess they are like his family.

Child labour slide show

(Slide show is at the bottem if this page).




1. Which job is shown?

The job shown in the picture above is one of the girls working at a cotton mill probably during between 1850 - 1910

2. What was the daily work schedule in this job that they had to follow?

The people who worked at the cotton mill had to follow a schedule of getting up early in the morning at around 6am, working up until their lunch, and then finishing the day at 6pm after all those hours of labouring at the mill.

3. Were their any penalties for not meeting expectations on the job site?

Probably the biggest penalty for not meeting expectations in the mill was getting fired or getting a smaller wage at the end of the week.


4. What were the physical challenges of the job?

The biggest physical challenge of this job was the long hours of running around, climbing the machines to reach the thread to change it. Workers where often exhausted after all day of working, and many people who worked in the mill had a shorter life than people not working in the mill because of all the cotton dust and you where more likely to get a lung disease, skin disease or an eye infection.


5. Was this job dangerous? How?

This job was dangerous if you where not careful because these machines are going at top speed and if you get in their way, they are not going to stop for you. Many people lost their fingers, due to the machines.

6. Do you think that it was fair that children worked during this time period?

Child labour in any time period is not good, but for the children who worked back then, it was work long hours or starve. Children should have been in school, not labouring in mills.

7. In what parts of the world do children work today?


Children who work today work in parts of Africa and India and other third world countries like children did back in the Industrial Revolution. Many children work on the streets, and child labour inspectors and the media cannot do anything about it because it is too far out of their reach. They often do odd jobs, working on farms or helping their parents with a business.

Inventions: The Elevator

THE AGRICULTURAL AGE

Before Elisha Otis invented an elevator that was actually safe to use, elevators where extremely dangerous. There was nothing to catch them if they fell. Mostly they where used to carry up supplies in factories, but if the rope happened to break, there was nothing to catch them. Vitruvius, a writer and engineer was believed to be the person who made the first elevator in 236. The elevator was improved over the years by many diffrent people.




THE INDUSTRIAL AGE

The elevator was designed to speed up the work process for buildings. It was a revolutionary idea, for then it was improved and used for tall buildings for passenger transportation. Elisha Otis designed the first safety elevator in 1852 and demonstrated his creation to the public at the Crystal Gardens, New York. Workers using the elevator Otis created during the early industrial revolution had it easier than before because it was less labour and less dangerous.




DIGITAL AGE (CANADA TODAY)

The elevator from the industrial revolution and Canada today are not that different. The same system is used for every elevator (only today, the elevators are a little more fast than back then.) The elevator has changed society positively because buildings are now centered on and around people who can not climb stairs can also take the elevator so they can get to the next floor. Though the elevator may seem safe, there are six elevator related deaths per year. This invention is very important to use today because if we feel lazy and do not want to climb the stairs, the elevator is always there for us when we need it.




THE FUTURE: My prediction for 2107

In the photo above, it shows an elevator going into our large, starry galaxies. I predict that the elevator will become so advanced that it will go much faster and will be able to go much higher than ever before. Maybe even to Space:)

January 1905


Pauline

Dear diary,

Finally, Saturday is here, and with it, we only have half a day of work at the mill. Mamma says she is going to cook us a proper dinner. After almost a full week of bread and cold meat, it will be a nice change to have something fresh and warm. My dress shall be washed tomorrow; I will make sure of that. The material has worn down; the pattern has been long gone. With every passing day, my foot fells better as it has begun to heal I assume. It was payday today and Daddy teased us, a joking smile spread across his face as he said “What are you all expecting?” (pg.163)

For my week’s worth of labour, I have 27 cents to show for it. Daddy had to take a good portion of my pay in order to pay the rent. Arlene even got 15 cents for the days she worked as well. We went visit Mrs. Harrell and her new Baby, Aaron. I have never seen any of her sons before and I have to say, they are very adorable. I am happy for them, as they will soon be on their on during the days until they are both old enough to work at the mill. It was a fairly short visit, Arlene and I wanted to get to the store before it closed. I wanted to get the jackstones, but I didn’t have enough. Arlene put down her pay as well. The gesture surprised me. I am getting to know my sister better, I can say we are friends now (but we still have our fights. We are still siblings.) I always used to be jealous of her, getting to stay at home, but I can see now that by working hard enough, we can buy things we wouldn’t usually before.

Maybe one day kids like Margaret and Katie, Arlene and I, won’t have to labour at the mill, or maybe we will get higher pay. But for now, I will do my job of working at the Factory.


Arlene

Dear diary,

Today we will work half a day and get a real dinner other that cold meat and bread. I have worked at the Mill for a few days and I have to say that it was not what I was expecting. You can barely hear each other when you talk and my back is sore from leaning over all day collecting the gray lint that collects on the floor. It clings to my dress and socks turning them grey as well. After dinner Daddy gave everyone their pay. I find it difficult to figure out why Josh gets $1 and Pauline only gets 27 cents. She works just as hard as Josh. I hanged around the table while they got their money to see if I would get anything as well since I worked this week as well. Daddy handed me 15 cents for all the hours I laboured this week. I can get candy!

I was torn between the peppermints or the butterscotch candies when Pauline asked me to put money on the books. She wanted buy Jackstones which where 40 cents.”Jacks are ‘foolishness” I told her (Pg.172) I noticed that she had this disappointed look on her face when she realised that she didn’t have enough. I thought for a moment on whether I was to have candy or maybe I could add my 15 cents to her 27 cents and together we could get the jacks together. Candy never lasts long, but jacks will last for a while. We will both get them. Pauline smiled as I put down my pay beside hers. I am getting to know my sister better; she did not always have the easy life I now realize.

Maybe I can stay working at the mill, helping my family and earning my own money. Maybe one day we won’t have to work so many long hours labouring at the mill. But for now, I will take my job of working at the factory.

January 1905

Pauline

Dear diary,

My foot was very swollen this morning.It throbbed through the night and this morning I could not fit my foot in my own shoe. Arlene just said to use one of Josh’s. Now I will walk like her until my foot heals. People had mistaken me for Arlene a lot today. Snow covers the ground and hides the treacherous ice below. Mama got made at me, as she thinks I am mocking Arlene since I did not tell anyone of my foot last night. “You don’t see Arlene complaining because it’s cold and there’s snow on the ground….” (pg.116) That is what she told me. Arlene is not the only one with a lame foot to walk on anymore, and hers probably does not hurt like mine does.

Walking was not that much fun either. I fell down into the freezing snow, and Arlene came back for me. This surprised me. I expected that she would just keep walking on towards the mill, laughing as she went. She continued to surprise me thought the day by giving me half of her biscuit when Margret and Katie did not let me join there game of Jacks. What is with her? She just gave me half of her lunch as I foolishly gave my own away. I feel that I would not do the same for her if she where in my position.

I had to take over the job of a sweeper, and Mr. Godbold took over my job. I laugh quietly as I see him attempt to fix the broken threads with his clumsy hands. I do not like the job I have been assigned. It is for new boys who don’t know a thing about how to fix the thread on the loud machines. Hopefully my foot will get better soon, for then I can resume my job and get the higher pay that my family so desperately needs.


Arlene

Dear diary,

I was so exited last night that I could barely close my eyes and fall asleep. Today I arose with my family to join them to go work and to get pay. Guilt washes through me as I will leave the house unattended for. The lint will sweep throughout the three rooms and the stove room. The wash will stay dirty, and Pauline and I will have to share a dinner pale today. Cold seizes the warmth of the house as we walk out into the cold, crisp morning for the mill.

I was almost positive that Pauline was trying to mock me this morning, as she wore one of Josh’s old shoes, the same as I where, and came hobbling into the stove room for breakfast. But I was proven wrong when we were walking to the mill and she fell into the fluffy snow. I decided to turn back. Not sure exactly why I did turn back to help her, but if there was a reason, I guess I would want her to do the same for me.

Working at the mill was a nice change from just sitting at home all day when the chores are done. I was constantly busy with sweeping up the lint that collected on the floor. You better not come home with me, you darn lint! When the whistle rang again for the signal of dinner, I followed Mama and sat with her, Miss Ethel and Margret’s mom while Pauline looked like she longed to play jacks with Katie and Margret, but they turned their back on her as soon as she gave them her dinner biscuit. How can they be so clueless? The least they can do is let her play! Because I felt sorry for Pauline, I gave her half my biscuit. Sometimes you cant understand why people do what they do.

January 1905


Pauline


Dear Diary,

Someone came and took a picture of the other workers in the factory today. What will the stranger do with them? Daddy is troubled with this, as he thinks that people will stop letting children work and get pay for their families. Working in the factory is an exhausting, dangerous job. I notice that my hands have cramps in them whenever we walk home in the evening, and some nights I just want to climb into my nice warm bed and not get up in the morning, but I can not do that.

It’s not fair that Arlene gets to stay home. It’s just not fair. Jimmy, the doffer boy who changes the bobbins was hurt today. He will have one less finger for the rest of his life. I feel sorry for him, but he was a little too careless today jumping for the bobbin. My foot aches as Jimmy had landed hard on it when he fell. I feel like Arlene. Not good.

Mr. Godbold told me something that makes me laugh. Tomorrow, Arlene will work at the mill. Arlene. Finally she will get to see how hard my life is. When we got home, Arlene was nowhere to be found. Her dinner sit cold on the back burner and the fire was not burning. The laundry and dishes still dirty. Where is she? My foot throbs so much, there was no supper, I am so tired and yet Mama still made us do Arlene’s jobs that she slacked off on today. Finally, after finishing all Arlene’s work, Mamas favourite child comes home, takes my nice warm seat by the fire, and tells us of Mrs. Harrell’s newborn boy, Aaron. I tell everyone that my Sister must work tomorrow, and Mama fused over Arlene. She gets all the sympathy. Hello, look at my foot, it is swollen! Does only Arlene get attention in this house? I hate her.


Arlene

Dear Diary,

The lint that my family tracks in with them from the mill is all over the house. The house has three rooms that I am supposed to keep in order while my family goes to work. I wish I could go with them to work. I did some chores around the house like feeding the chickens before I start on everyone’s dinner. I hope that Daddy and Josh will like the extra biscuit I put in their pails.

Pauline was there, glaring at me as I approached her and Margret and Katie where laughing at something. I am almost positive that the perfect Pauline was making fun of me. Oh how I hate her. I left the mill to the sound of the whistle screeching behind me, calling its workers back to it.

Mrs. Bertha had me go to Mrs. Harrell’s house today to help her deliver her new baby boy. The only thing is that the chores at home where being left undone, but I went, because they needed my help. I’m sure Mamma and Daddy understood that I was not at home. While I was at The Harrell house I was in charge of taking care of Percy. When he awoke, the boy decided it would be suitable if he bit me! He must have been hungry, so I made him some yellow bread. Looking at the food, my stomach growled fiercely, but I ignored the hunger pangs. This was not my food. I left after Mr. Harrell got home, and rushed into the snow.

When I got home, Mamma gave me a biscuit as supper was cooking. Pauline gave up her seat for me as she was told, but she had a sour face when Mama told her to. Can’t you see that I have just walked home in the snow after a long day of chores that where not mine to be done?!?! You are selfish! I didn’t say these things out loud, but I was screaming it on the inside. My day got better when Pauline said that I was expected at the mill tomorrow to take over a sweeping job. A job at the mill! What I had always hoped for! Tomorrow I will show Pauline and her rotten friends that you do not pick on Arlene.

January 1905

Pauline

Dear Diary,
I hate working at the mill, I hate eating the stale food I get every day, but the person I hate the most is my sister. Arlene. Why can’t she at least try to put in the long hours that all of us do at the mill? Just because of her crippled foot, she gets to stay at home, working at the simple chores around the house, eating our stale food when it’s warm. Words cannot express how I hate my good for nothing sister.

Arlene

Dear Diary,
I hate staying at home, I hate being alone all day until my tired family comes home, but the person I hate the most is my sister. Pauline. Why can she at least try to be nice to me? She just can’t see how lucky she is to get to be surrounded by people all day, earning money and have friends. Words cannot express how I hate my mean, uncaring sister.