Freedom or liberty can be defined as the power to determine one’s actions without restraints, interferences and exemptions from the influences in the external environment within an individual. It is the state of being at liberty or free in terms of decision making and acting rather that an individual acting in a way as being confined in restrained decision making process or course of action. The two articles provide cases in which the individual involved are constrained by the environment they are living in due to poverty and limited access to decent live and decent work that can accord them decent lifestyles.
For example, in the article “a second peep at the factory life” the individual involved and especially the women working in the factory complain of unprompted salary reduction, many hours of working and little time availed for the lunch break. In the second article, “Walks among the New York poor”, it illustrates of poverty stricken society where majority of the women in the society engage in prostitution to earn a living. In both cases, the involved people find act hard to act and make decisions out of the own free will since the conditions they are living in cannot allow them. For example, in the first article, the workers in the factory are in objection of many things in their working environment, but still they continue working in the factory. In the second article, although the women are in objection of prostitution, they have to choose between starving and prostitution, which makes them engage in prostitution.
Analysis of “A Second Peep at Factory Life” and Definition of Freedom
This article presents a case of the industrial age in the emergence of factories, as the major drivers of economic development, in the 18th century. The working conditions within the factories were poor as capitalist sought to maximize their profits at the expense of inputs used in the production process, which include labor. The article describes clothe manufacturing factory where the author had toured, in which the working conditions of the laborers were poor as they were provided with little salaries, and long working hours. The freedom of the laborers was at stake, since even though the working conditions were poor they still worked in the factory. The factory did not raise the salaries of the worker for a long period, but there were numerous cuts, which the worker objected. The workers are also objected to the long working hours in the factory, as well as little time offered for the meal times.
For example, the author describes the importance of not only feeding and clothing the body but also the essentiality of feeding and clothing the mind. However, the author presents that the present labor environment and conditions cannot allow freedom of the mind to act in its own freewill. The author illustrates that none of the workers in the factory is pleased with spending their lives in the factory based on the working conditions availed by the factory. Due to the long working hours in the factory, the workers have little time to improve their minds, and if the workers are to work and improve their knowledge, it will be at the expense of their health.
However, the workers lack choices, and their freedom to act on their own free will is constrained by the need for wages, which are paid promptly in the factory. The workers are also constrained to look for alternative employment opportunities due to availability of associations, within the factory, which the workers cannot find anywhere else. The factory has been able to maintain the wages at low level through increasing the supply of labor, by sending agents throughout the country to carry out recruitment promising young girls high wages. This has been the major cause of low value of labor in the factory.
In this case, the liberty and freedom of the workers is constrained by the working conditions in the factory since the workers have to contend with long working hours and low wages. The freedom to leave the work in the factory is constrained by the fact that the factory will still get alternative laborers to replace the leaving laborers (Baker 98). In addition, the workers are pleased by the prompt payment of wages in the factory, which is essential according to the laborers. The workers also have access to library materials and a sense of belonging to various associations within the factory, which cannot be found at any other place.
Analysis of “A walk among the New York Poor” and Definition of Freedom
This article describes a society within the New York City stricken by poverty, due to lack of decent work that can accord the inhabitants decent lifestyles. It presents a case where the church missionary makes attempts, which rescue the society from indecency and promote decent behaviors within the society. For example, in most cases of the article, the people in the society can hardly afford meals or decent lifestyles due to lack of employment opportunities. Therefore, some of the ladies are forced into prostitution as they have to provide for their children with food, clothing and schooling. For example, in one case a woman engaged in sewing business as an income source to provide for her needs, as well as those of her child (New York Times). However, the venture could hardly provide enough to feed her and her child that made her take the child in a distant school to engage in prostitution.
The church mission through Mr. Pease made various attempts ensure the provision of decent lifestyles to the society. However, the overwhelming number of people in the society in need of help could not be satisfied. The circumstances within the society forced the inhabitants of this society to take decisions and actions that were not in line with their own free will. Therefore, the freedom of especially women in the society was compromised since they did not have the freedom to choose what they wanted to do; rather they had to contend with the existing conditions. The freewill in courses of actions and decision making was constrained by the living conditions within the society.
The visit at the “Cow Bay” is an illustration freedom limitation, where the author describes human beings, as being herded like animals. The inmates were stuffed together in a filthy environment, and the majority of them were drunk, hopelessness and complete degradation blinking in their faces. The freedom of such inmates is constrained, not only by the guards but also by the society, which has led to their conditions. The poverty stricken society affected the decision making of the society members since there were no opportunities that could enable the inhabitant’s decisions making process and act on their own free will. The most affected were the widowed women since they had to engage in various activities to feed their families on their own.
Differences in Definition of Freedom in the Cases
In the history of America, the freedom and liberty of the woman was also limited by the fact that they were not allowed to vote. This limited the ability of women not only to seek elective seats, but also their ability to participate in the political processes, in the country. This was a gross limitation on their freedom since the decisions of the political process also affected them. Women were seen as subjects in the society, where majority of the men were able to find job opportunities while women hardly find well paying jobs to sustain themselves (McKitrick 37). This can be the resultant case that made the woman in the second article to engage in prostitution against her own free will since she did not have any other option.
The two articles describe freedom in diverse ways with various comparison and differing cases of defining liberty and freedom. In the first article, the freedom of workers is based on their needs, in the factory, as they have to engage in the work, in the factory to sustain them. They might not get any other better place to work when the leave the factory. In the second article, the inhabitants of the society of the New York poor have resulted in hopelessness, as a result of the society’s conditions. There are no employment opportunities especially for women affecting their free will in decision making about their live. Freedom and definition according to analysis of the articles can be defined as similar since it can simply be defined as the ability of an individual to act on their own freewill, without influence from external factors.
Comparison of the Articles
In both, definition of freedom varies but not in high degree, since in the article “A Second Peep at Factory Life” analyses the freedom of the workers in their working conditions where the worker have had to contend with deplorable working conditions. Their freedom to work as they wish and make decisions out of their own freewill is affected by the need to work in the factory due to various privileges offered in the factory. In this case, freedom is caused by the need of the person to earn and gain association with the company. However, in the second article “A Walk among the New York Poor” the lack of freedom is not a result of the individual’s freewill to remain in the conditions rather the individuals living in these societies have been forced to act and behave as the society forces them.
For example, in the article “A Second Peep at the Factory Life” the individuals working in the factory are forced by the need for wages, as well as lack of alternative decent employment. In a similar case the individuals involved in the second article on “A Walk among the New York Poor” also suffer from lack of employment opportunities where majority of the women are forced into prostitution, due to lack of employment opportunities. Therefore, in both cases the individuals involved suffer from lack of proper decent working where in the first case has forced the women to work and contend with the low working conditions. In the second article, the individuals have had to engage in indecent activities such as prostitution to earn a living
Works Cited
Baker, Josphine L. "A second Peep at the Factory Life." Lowell Offering (1845): 97-100.
McKitrick, Eric. "Slavery Defended." The Views of the Old South (1963): 34-50.
New York Times . "Walks among the New York Poor." The New York Times 18 October 1852.
