"The Woman Who Toils" by John Van Vorst is a narrative about two upper-class women who decide to work in factories to gain a better understanding of the lives of working-class women during the early 1900s. Driven by a desire to witness the actual conditions of female laborers rather than depend on reports from wealthy individuals, the first woman finds employment in Pittsburg, where she experiences the harsh realities of factory work and living in a boarding house. This involves long hours, low wages, and difficult conditions, but interacting with her fellow workers, she recognizes their universal struggles. The author draws parallels between their lives and her own, creating a moving exploration of identity, labor, and socioeconomic inequality in the industrial era.
The Woman Who Toils Being the Experiences of Two Gentlewomen as Factory Girls
By John Van Vorst
Two privileged women venture into the grueling world of factory labor to uncover the hidden realities of working-class women in early 20th century America.
Summary
About the AuthorBessie Van Vorst, also known as Mrs. John Van Vorst, was an American author and journalist. She is best known as a co-author of the magazine series and the book The Woman Who Toils: Being the Experiences of Two Ladies as Factory Girls (1903) with a preface by US President Theodore Roosevelt, an influential example of social investigation. Her study of women and child labor in the mills of Alabama and New Hampshire helped stir reform sentiment.
Bessie Van Vorst, also known as Mrs. John Van Vorst, was an American author and journalist. She is best known as a co-author of the magazine series and the book The Woman Who Toils: Being the Experiences of Two Ladies as Factory Girls (1903) with a preface by US President Theodore Roosevelt, an influential example of social investigation. Her study of women and child labor in the mills of Alabama and New Hampshire helped stir reform sentiment.
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