Question

The little money I could earn—one dollar a week, besides the price of my board— was needed in the family, and I must retu from home] to the mill... I began to reflect on life rather seriously for a girl of twelve or thirteen. What was I here for? What would I make of myself? ... We did not forget that we were working girls ... clearing away a few weeds from the overgrown track of independent labor for other women ... [so that] no real odium [disrespect] could be attached to any honest toil that any self-respecting woman might undertake.-" —from A New England Girlhood by Lucy Larcom (1824-1893)

How did Larcom see the role of women changing in the workforce?

Answer 1

Lucy Larcom recognized women's increasing participation in the workforce as trailblazers for future generations, leading to shifts in traditional gender roles.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lucy Larcom saw women's roles in the workforce as pioneering paths for future independent labor.

During the industrial era, young single women entered factories, experiencing financial autonomy and social independence. They not only created a new dynamic in the workforce but also helped pave the way for future generations of working women.

While their engagements were often dictated by financial necessities, their presence marked changes in societal norms regarding female employment and empowerment. Women's wages, although lower than men's, allowed them to contribute to family incomes and sometimes to afford personal indulgences, thereby challenging traditional gender roles.