Analysis Of Hugh Wolfe's Life In The Iron Mills

“He had already lost the strength and instinct vigor of a man, his muscles were thin, his nerves weak, his face (a meek, woman’s face) haggard, yellow with consumption” (Davis 11). This is just one description of the main character, Hugh Wolfe in the story “Life in the Iron Mills” by Rebecca Harding Davis that alludes to his femininity which was a characteristic that made him unfit to perform the roles that were expected of men during the time period in which this story was written. Throughout the short story, Davis illustrates several social issues related to inequality, which left many contemporary readers shocked and critical. The intertwined gender roles and contentious portrait of the division of the working class and upper class are a

couple of the elements considered outrageous, scandalous, and shameful during the mid-nineteenth century and the time in which “Life in the Iron Mills “was published. It is evident that Davis’s story “Life in the Iron Mills” was not intended to just be a mere piece of fiction but also a story to shed light on current issues of that time and push for a reform.
Hugh Wolfe’s character in this story defied gender norms in his day and age.

In the Mills, he was referred to as “Molly” for possessing feminine qualities, which was looked down upon, especially for a man working in the Industry that he did. As a modern reader, is important to understand the historical context in which this story was written. Charles Rosenberg discusses gender roles and expectations in his book, “Sexuality, Class and Role in 19th-Century America.” He states, “To be more specific: despite a superfluity of evangelical exhortation, the primary role model with which men had to come to terms was that which articulated the archaic male ethos – one in which physical vigor, and particularly aggressive sexual behavior was a central component”(Rosenberg 144). Men were expected to have certain characteristics and qualities that were specific to men only, and if they did not have these qualities, they were viewed as weak and incompetent. In the book “The History of Men: essays on the history of American and British masculinities” by Michael Kimmel, the idea of the superiority of men and the praise of masculinity in society is discussed. Kimmel quotes a newspaper editor, “ ‘There is no place in the world for nations who have become enervated by soft and easy life, or who have lost their fiber of vigorous hardiness and masculinity’. A newspaper editor from Kansas praised Roosevelt’s masculinity – his ‘hard muscled frame’ and his ‘crackling voice’- as a model for Americans (cited in Dubbert, 1980, p 313” (Kimmel 99). Hugh’s passion for art, weak demeanor, and his higher level of education than the other men working in the mill violated social norms for men and violations like these made many people living in the 19th century uneasy and were not generally accepted in society. For this reason, many contemporary readers were shocked by Hugh’s feminine characterization in “Life in the Iron

Mills.”
In addition to the portrayal of Hugh’s character as a man who did not fulfill the expectations of his gender, the figure of the woman he sculpted in the mill was used to portray someone who did not accurately display the characteristics of their gender. Davis describes the statue as follows, “There was not one line of beauty or grace in it: a nude woman’s form, muscular, grown coarse with labor, the powerful limbs instinct with some one poignant longing.” The figure of the woman possessed more masculine characteristics, and this was considered unbeautiful and obscure in this day and age. Wolfe also explains that this figure was not only hungry for food, but also hungry for life. This figure symbolizes the inferior role that woman had in society during this time period.
Another gender issue that Davis alludes to in her novel is the issue of male dominance and the oppression of women. Davis illustrates the “role” of a woman in society by including the scene of Deborah walking through the cold, freezing rain as she was weak and exhausted, just to bring food to her male cousin, Hugh. Davis does not sugar coat the idea of male dominance at all. The oppression of women was very relevant at this time in history. Paula Rothenberg discusses this concept in her novel “Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An integrated Study,” she states, “For women, gender oppression is linked to a cultural devaluing of femaleness itself. Women are subordinated and treated as inferior because they are culturally as inferior as women, just as many racial and ethnic minorities are devalued simply because they are not considered to be white” (Rothenberg 171). The subordination of women was very much considered normal in the 19th century. At the end of the novel, Deborah overcomes her inferiority as a woman and betters her living situation, all through the help of another woman. The idea of feminism and the movement itself in America was very far from being in full-force in this time period, and because of this, Davis’s honest portrayal of an inferior and weak woman was something that many readers considered outrageous. The portrayal was outrageous because the inferiority of women wasn’t something that all people saw as wrong or unjust at this point in history.
In addition to gender roles, social class standards are another conflict that Davis addresses throughout “Life in the Iron Mills.” The Industrial age in the mid 1800’s came along with separation of people by class based on wealth and represented a capitalist society. One scene where the separation of classes is clear in this story is when Clarke, Mitchell, and May visit the mill. At one point during the visit, Mitchell states, ““Ce n’est pas mon affaire. I have no fancy for nursing infant geniuses. I suppose there are some stray gleams of mind and soul among these wretches. The Lord will take care of his own; or else they can work out their own salvation” (Davis). In other words, Mitchell’s attitude is that the struggles of the working class are “not his problem.” The way that Davis portrays the upper class and their disregard for the people below them is done in a way that elicits a sense of empathy for the working class from her readers. One line in the book “Confidence Men and Painted Women: A study of Middle class Culture in America” by Karen Halttunen describes one of the primary concerns of the working class. She states, “Social mobility in general, and urban social mobility in particular, made many middle-class Americans uneasy about the welfare of the American republic” (Halttunen 60). It is clear that social class distinction was very relevant during this time period, and the way that Davis lays out the opposing lifestyles and attitudes of these two classes was controversial in nature.
Hugh again defies social norms when he expresses a desire to change the way he lives and work his way up the social ladder and earn more money. During this time period, however, there were limited opportunities for success and changing lifestyles for those in the working class, and the vast majority remained in poverty throughout life. Thomas Harry describes the harsh economic reality of the working class in his book titled “Boom! A revolting situation,” which analyzed the different social classes during the 19th century. He states, "about 45 percent of the industrial workers barely held on above the $500-per-year poverty line” and “about 40 percent lived below the line of tolerable existence. In fact, interclass mobility disappeared for most as early as the 1850s" (Harry 36). Davis describes the struggle of the lower working class in a way that allows the reader to sympathize with the working class and the harsh reality of their circumstances. Although a repressive economy was clear and relevant in the mid 19th century, the way that Davis truthfully and harshly portrays the realities of this was considered shameful and outrageous to many contemporary readers.
One of the messages this story gives readers is that money is the answer to reaching success and happiness. At one point in the story, Deborah insists that Hugh accept the money she stole from one of the wealthy men who visited the iron mill the night before. He contemplates this decision but ultimately decides to keep it, and justifies his decision by saying, “God made this money—the fresh air, too—for his children’s use. He never made the difference between the poor and rich” (19). This implies that since he was one of God’s children, just like everyone else, there is no reason that he doesn’t have just as much of a right to this money as God’s other children. The way that Hugh defends theft and uses God as part of his defense is something readers during this time period may find offensive and shameful. Although the monetary symbol in this story is seen as controversial, Davis sheds light on a very relevant issue in this time period. Why is it that hard working people are unable to work their way up to the lifestyle of somebody from the upper class?
By the end of the novel, instead of the main character Hugh succeeding and reaching the status he yearned for, he was left hopeless which ultimately lead to his death. Davis’s realism about the working class’s inability to change their position in society was an issue that many writers during this time period chose to avoid. It is clear that Davis was passionate about a reform in America, and used her writing as a way to accurately reflect the realities of the time period.
There are absolutely parallels similar to the elements that Davis writes about in modern American society. Feminism, in particular, is one issue that Davis illustrates in her story that is still very much relevant in modern-day. Although gender roles have changed immensely and have become very much less defined over the past few decades, they still do exist. The feminism movement is very much still an active movement in modern America. Jacqueline Scott discusses the persistence of gender differences that are still relevant in her book titled, “Gender inequalities in the 21st century: New barriers and continuing constraints.” She states, “As far as women are concerned, one of the most significant elements of the way traditional practices are embedded in our social institutions is the persistence of the ideology of domesticity, in which the work of caring and nurturing is normatively assigned to women.” (Scott 9). In modern literature, issues related to gender as well as sexuality, race, and religion are still discussed and considered controversial by contemporary readers. The novel, “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates tells the story of the issues a black man faces in America. Some of the issues that are discussed in this book are controversial because of the way that racial stereotypes are portrayed. Writers discuss these issues in their writing and will continue to do so, sometimes in a harshly realistic manor. They do this because although they may be considered controversial, controversy is something that will get people thinking and get people talking – and that is crucial if a change is ever going to happen.