Rebecca Harding Davis’ “Life in the Iron Mills” is a story of feminism. Davis wrote this story in a time where women yearned for social acceptance and distinction. Throughout the story, Davis displays the progression of strength in women. In the beginning, the gloomy sky reminds the narrator of a story; he/she recounts the details: “Two or three dirty hands were thrust out to catch the gown of the woman, who was groping for the latch of the door,” (Davis 2765). The ‘dirty’ men grab at the woman that is reaching for the door. The woman gropes, or blindly searches, for the handle showing how women have been suppressed to little importance in society. One should even consider the main plot of the short story. Deborah, despite feeling the consequences of working in tough conditions and malnutrition, packs a dinner for Wolfe and delivers it to him through rain and freezing temperatures. This scene portrays women as inferior to men and suggests that they serve men and cater to their every need.
As the story progresses, however, the roles of male and female seem to blur. Hugh Wolfe’s character is important when discussing gender roles. Wolfe’s nickname is “Molly Wolfe” because “he had already lost the strength and instinct vigor of a man…his face (a meek, woman’s face) haggard,” (2769). Not only has Wolfe adopted the name of a woman, he also possesses features of one. Wolfe’s weak demeanor proposes the ascending status of women in society. Wolfe’s sculpture of the korl woman supports the claim that women have gained respect and power in society. Davis describes the sculpture with “her arms flung out in some wild gesture of warning…muscular, grown coarse with labor, the powerful limbs,” (2772-3). The statue of the woman emits power, or ‘warning’. The statue represents Deborah and her ‘hunger’ for food and also, more significantly, life itself. Furthermore, the sculpture also displays masculine qualities, qualities that “touched [Mitchell] strangely” (2773). It is ‘strange’ that Mitchell has a reaction to the statue because men are not often significantly affected by women or their presence. As Wolfe lies in prison contemplating suicide, he watches women pass by outside and dreams of sculpting them as he had sculpted Deborah. Wolfe seeks women that would act as muses for his next sculpture. He now relies on women to give him inspiration in life so he can perform his talent. Davis’ short story intricately expresses the desire of women to gain power and their progression of importance in society through life in the iron mills.
You make an interesting point, Leo, by saying that women become increasingly powerful as the story goes on. Another example supporting this theory is at the end when the townspeople crowd around Hugh Wolfe’s jail cell, there is only one other woman present aside from Deborah. This woman, the Quaker, ends up being the one person who understands Wolfe, provides him with a grave site, and convinces Deborah that life gets better and it is worth living. She shows how big of an influence women in the story have on society, whether society realizes it or not.
I appreciate your thinking about gender in the novella, Leo. It’s worth noting, however, that Deborah’s bringing Hugh some dinner does not necessarily make her inferior or subservient. There is clearly love at play, and love need not be something that makes us weak. While you’re right that the novella is thinking about feminism (something that didn’t have a name at this point in the nineteenth century, really), we need not totally degrade women in order to see feminism in action.
I agree with you on the theme of feminism. There are many points in the story where the narrator describes Hugh Wolfe as a weaker or feminized character than what we typically think of a male. The omniscient narrator provides a detailed description of Hugh, saying that, “Think that God put into this man’s soul a fierce thirst for beauty,” (Davis 2770). Normally, we think of beauty as a womanly thing, not for men. This man is kind to Deborah, and it seems to be his nature to be kind. Other men judge people based on their appearance, like Hugh’s friends who think of Deborah as, “Hyur comes t’ hunchback, Wolfe,” (Davis 2768). Unlike his friends, Hugh is nice enough to eat his supper just to please her. This kindness and feminization of Hugh further indicates the theme of feminism.