— Nicole Woerner
Qualities of a Great Work
When a text is referred to as a Great Work, it is important to note that in order to be considered a great work of literature the text has to have an impact on the reader either in the time period of when it was written, long after it was written, or both. It is important to have most great works that are written to be focused on a controversial or very important topic people want to raise awareness too. Usually a great work is a famous piece of literature most people read and learn about today. It is very important for the world to have these canons of literature because without their influence we would not have a lot of important changes to different policies, people’s rights, and the way societies are as a whole today.
Today vs. Back Then
It is important to know that child labor does still happen in our world today whether it is brought to our attention or not. In the United States we do not hear a lot about it happening, but in other countries it is much more prevalent. Many people when asked about child labor they are often quick to say that it isn’t right to have a young child do hard labor. Back then, parents expected their young children to pull their own weight, and if orphaned, children even more felt the need to work in order to make money to live.
My Reading Experience
This text has left an impact on me while reading, it was very upsetting to hear a lot about the children’s lives and situations during that time, and sad to think about it still happening today. While reading this text, it is hard not to notice Browning’s constant mention of the children’s many cries, and whimpers makes you really go into the minds of how scared and vulnerable these young children were during a time where children were forced to work all the time, and it was thought to be normal. The sadness within the children, really stood out to me throughout my reading of this text. Browning really makes an effort in her writing to call out to the readers for help with the specific areas of change that needs to happen within the world, I really admire her determination and fight for a change that needs to happen.
