Realism and the Rights of the Working Class

       In Rebecca Harding Davis's "Life in the Iron Mills," she uses America's own short story to convey the hardships of the working class, particularly those whose lives surround the iron mills. Davis addresses urbanization, the American Dream, and economic opportunity in terms of realism. Through Hugh and Deborah Wolfe, Davis conveys how life for these and many like them suffer and are deprived of the rights that America is "so-called" built on. The story introduces an important concept of money leading to success, but also that the money that factory workers receive won't give them any opportunity. Instead, they live lives of crime, drinking, and some eventually kill themselves, as Hugh committed suicide at the end of the story.

       When Hugh's sculpting talents are found out by the group of higher class men, they believe Hugh's talents are great enough for him to make a better life for himself outside of the bonds of factory working. His description of the sculptor being hungry and its meaning shows his intelligence is greater than their stereotypical views of the workers. The Doctor tells Hugh, "Make yourself what you will. It is your right,"but they don't help him further than that (Davis 1226). This is what de Crevecoeur explains in Letters of an American Farmer.  He says that in America, men control their own fate depending on how hard they work. He claims that however hard a man works, he will be equally rewarded. They are the rights of the hardworking men of America, who really are men from many places who have come together with a common dream. "Life in the Iron Mills" shows that the same teachings and dreams of rights and economic, increasing success is still present in America. Deborah explains this to Hugh when she gives him the stolen money, but he soon learns that his rights are limited; not even Americans living here already can succeed in the dream that has been implanted in them since de Crevecoeur.

Was Mitchell of a lower class before making himself a life, since he had some tenderheartedness towards Hugh during the conversation about his sculpture?