When this article was written in 1842, there was quite a bit of mischief going on within the coal mines in Europe. In this culture during the 1800's, woman were not treated equal to that of which the men were treated. They were basically thought of as a means of reproduction and a source for carrying on the family name. Other than that, they were not treated with respect of any kind. Woman were not given the same rights, often abused, and were a frequently not able to escape the horrible and frightening situations they were put through.
One line that really stuck out like a sore thumb was, "In two other pits in the Huddersfield Union I have seen the same sight. In one near New Mills, the chain, passing high up between the legs of two of these girls, had worn large holes in their trousers; and any sight more disgustingly indecent or revolting can scarcely be imagined than these girls at work-no brothel can beat it."
The reason this line really stood out to me was because the site of the women was so bad that it was compared to a brothel. I did a little background research on the coal mines during this time period and found that the women were treated severely, worked like mules, and treated as prostitutes while they were in the mines. Prostitution in this time period was looked down upon by almost every social class. The women obviously did not want to go into the business of prostitution, however they were basically prostitutes against their will in the coal mines. I can only imagine this disturbing site. Just the thought of a brothel brings a horrible image to mind, but the thought of women who are being abused, overworking, and treated as prostitutes, plus the brothel added on top of all that sounds like torture and hell to me.
While I was thinking about the way the women and children were treated within the coal mines during this time period, it made me think of how far these societies have come today. This act would not be tolerated within the world today. I almost think, as horrible as it sounds, that without this kind of stuff happening in the 1800's, society wouldn't be where we are today. Society had to eventually see this injustice and realize that it was terribly wrong somewhere along the line. Without seeing this, we as a society would not be where we are today.
One thing that this does remind me of in our society today is sex slavery. Sex slavery is often behind the scenes and people don't really hear about it. I think the women in the coal mines was very similar to the sex slavery condition. Women are often abused, worked hard, mistreated, and used for the gain of money. I can only hope and pray that sex slavery pulled out from behind the curtains and abolished within the near future.
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