Working in the coal breaker is exceedingly hard and dangerous…I could not do that work and live, but there were boys of ten and twelve years of age doing it for fifty and sixty cents a day. Some of them have never been inside of a school; a few of them could read a child’s primer. True, some of them intended the night schools, but after working ten hours in the breaker the educational results. How does the author attempt to show balance in this text about child labor?
The author attempts to show balance by acknowledging the harsh reality of child labor in the coal breaker, highlighting the difficulty and danger of the work. They also bring attention to the low pay these children receive and the lack of education many of them have access to. By providing these details, the author shows an understanding of the negative aspects of child labor while also acknowledging that some children do try to improve their education by attending night schools. This shows a balanced perspective on the issue, recognizing both the challenges and potential for change.
