Mother Jones: Fierce Fighter For Workers' Rights by Judith Pinkerton Josephson
What are the main points of Mother Jones’s argument against child labor? What evidence does she provide to justify her claims? Write a 250-word response that summarizes the main points of her argument and evaluates the evidence she presents. Cite specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
In her impassioned speech against child labor, Mother Jones presents a compelling argument against the exploitation of children and provides evidence to validate her claims. She highlights several main points throughout her speech.
Firstly, Mother Jones emphasizes the physical and mental toll that child labor takes on young workers. She states, "These little children, seven, eight, and nine years old...they had driven across the fields for nine long, weary miles that winter day. And in that bitter weather a little girl had to stop and be confined to her bed, to suffer as the result of a doll dress she was making for the children of the wealthy; the little ones she should have been at play with."
This evidence showcases how children are required to perform labor-intensive tasks, often in harsh conditions, leading to physical exhaustion and illness. By providing specific examples like the young girl falling sick due to making a doll dress, Mother Jones humanizes the issue and elicits empathy from her audience.
Furthermore, Mother Jones highlights the negative impact of child labor on a child's education and future prospects. She argues, "Nobody has the right to take a little child from its cradle and drive it to labor and toil and work for weary long hours, stunting its growth, killing its vitality and injuring its eyesight."
This statement serves as a call to action, emphasizing the importance of preserving a child's right to an education and a healthy development. The evidence suggests that child labor denies children the opportunity to grow, learn, and achieve their full potential. It asserts that child labor physically and intellectually hampers children, placing them at a significant disadvantage in their future endeavors.
Overall, Mother Jones effectively presents her argument against child labor by incorporating specific examples that demonstrate the physical, mental, and educational harm inflicted upon child workers. She appeals to the audience's emotions while also providing logical evidence to support her claims. Through her speech, she succeeds in raising awareness about the exploitative nature of child labor and rallying support for workers' rights.