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"Life in the Iron-Mills" is written by Rebecca Harding Davis who grows up in the
industrial town of Wheeling, West Virginia, in a prosperous middle-class family. This story
is mainly illustrating the class conflict in American culture, and it is written to people of
the upper and middle class in order to create change within the American class structure.
This story took place in the 1830s, a time when the Industrial Revolution was well
underway. Deborah, Wolfe's cousin, she is presented as a meek woman who works hard,
and has a bump in her back. She finds out from Janey, that Hugh does not take a lunch to
work together, and she goes to walk a long way about some miles in the rain to take a
lunch for Wolfe. When she arrives, Wolfe recognizes her, but his affection is described as
loveless and sympathetic by the author. Hugh has not time to eat dinner and goes back to
work in the mills. Deborah feels exhausted, and stays with Hugh and rests until his shift is
over. In the meantime, the author further explains that Wolfe does not accept the
environment of the iron mill workers. Also, he is known as "Molly Wolfe" by those
employees because of his manner and background in education.
While listening to the upper-class men to read the newspaper, Wolfe realizes that between
him and those upper-class people, there is a great gulf never to be passed. Wolfe is
constantly confronted with the issue that his fate has placed him in the social structure as
