Sample Essay On Realism And Reform In "Life In The Mills"

Harding Davis paints a vivid picture of inequality that exists in the society. The author uses imagery to make the reader aware of the injustices that occur without their attention. The story feels real due to the author's use of imagery while at the same time invoking a need for reform in the mind of the reader.
For instance, Mitchell and Kirby call the mill “a den.” People usually associate a den with entrapping as well as the negative events. Most of the time, people who visit alcohol and drug dens suffer from ill health. There is the likelihood of a person losing his life once he gets into a lion's den. It means that people leave the mill in a worse state than the one they went. Kirby feels uneasy about some spectral figures in the dark and does not want to get too close to them, especially since they were unarmed. That is an allusion to the upper classes of society, which is blinded by their luxuries in life. Therefore, they feel no need for change in society. Wolfe, on the other hand, is not well of and only works on his statue during his free time. The statue itself is a physical representation of the existent inequality which makes the story feels real to the reader. Wolfe eventually finishes his sculpture showing that reform take a long time, but anyone who wants to see it happen has to be patient. Reformists’ efforts in bringing change eventually pay off, just like they did for Wolfe and his artwork.
The story also portrays realism in conversation. May believes that the American system is like a ladder which people can gradually climb. Mitchell is not happy when Wolfe's statue impresses May. From the resulting conversation, Mitchell shows contempt for equality in society and the belief that people should struggle when scaling the social ladder. It shows that people are aware that class structures exist. Some of those in the upper class do not care about people in the lower classes and at times ignore the problems of the vulnerable people. By introducing a ladder to the story, it shows that people suffer a lot when attempting to move up the social order. The statue itself shows a woman who works hard to escape the prison created by the oppression of her social class.
The mill is an image of oppression in Davis' story. It functions through a mechanical system. Besides, it is similar to the mechanisms that society puts in place to promote the existence of a class structure. The existence of these classes is, therefore, not a random occurrence but rather something that has grown out of people in the upper class constantly taking advantage of the less fortunate. People have to maneuver always around these mechanisms, for instance, Wolfe, who created time so that he could finish the statue. At times, people will use illegal means to climb the social ladder. A lot of effort is required for one to initiate reforms both in his life and in society.
Davis brings people unnoticed struggles to life. Women are a group that suffers injustice, but people pay little attention to their plight. Mitchell's disregard for the statue shows the reality of how women's struggles go unnoticed and unattended by society. Reforms should, therefore, consider all factors, irrespective of how small they appear.