Final answer:
The author's attitude towards women's work in the mills is best supported by passages highlighting the duality of their liberating yet difficult experiences, the poor living conditions they endured, and the societal acceptance of their working role with inherent gender-based expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary attitude of the author towards the women's work in the mills can be discerned from multiple excerpts, but the description that best supports the author's perspective might be found in the passage that reveals the duality of their experience: "Many workers undoubtedly enjoyed some of the new wage opportunities factory work presented ... having even a small amount of money of their own was a liberating experience." This sentence encapsulates both the positive and negative aspects of the women's work experience in the mills, highlighting the liberation that came from earning wages, yet hinting at the conditions they had to bear for this freedom.
Another supportive excerpt comes from the description of the boarding houses: "They also lived in company-owned boarding houses, which one worker described as 'a small, comfortless, half-ventilated apartment containing some half a dozen occupants'." This sentence underlines the less-than-ideal living conditions provided by the company, reflecting the author's critical view on how the women were accommodated.
Lastly, the passage regarding the broader societal acceptance and expectation of women in the workforce also reveals the author's attitude: "It was now acceptable for a young woman to work until she married since her wages could help with the family expenses." Although this indicates a shift toward acceptance of women working, it also points out the limitations and societal expectations that still constrain their choices.