Today we are here to talk with a very special guest, she is a worker and a mother in the middle of the industrial revolution.
1- Hello, my name is Marina and I´m going to be your interviewer today. What is your name?
Hello, my name is Alyssa and I am 35 years old.
2- Tell us something about your immediate family and the family atmosphere.
Well, I live in a very small house with my husband, and my three children. We share our home with another family as long as we don´t earn enough money to have an individual one. Our whole neighbourhood is overcrowded, it is located all around a metallurgy factory where we work.
3- What are your work conditions like?
Well, to be honest, they aren´t very good. We work way more hours that what we can put up with, about 12 or 14 every day. We just have half an hour to eat and accidents are not backed up by the factory owner, I don´t have any permission for maternity or illness.
4- How long have you been working here?
Approximately for 20 years, since I was 15. During this period I have seen a lot of things, we feel used and because of the extreme poverty we have been through a lot of epidemics, there is a lot of contamination in rivers, a lot of kids die from malnutrition. Fortunately I had the opportunity to grow up three beautiful boys but not everybody have had the same luck.
5- How much do you earn per month?
I earn less than my husband and my oldest son. The gap between men and women is huge although none of them are good enough for decent living.
6- What about the work atmosphere?
I have been hearing things lately about something called `Luddism´. It is made by workers that feel replaced by machines, they are afraid of being fired so they have decided to destroy machines and they don´t allow other workers to enter into the factory.
7- What do you think that are the main causes for this phenomenon to happen?
I think it is because of the creation of new technological devices as the steam engine, which has supposed an enormous change in the industry, and the knitting machine.
8-What about your oldest son?
My oldest son, Benjamin aged 18, has been revolting lately against bourgeoisie. He has become anarchist and believes in Marx ideologies of worker movements and economy in general. He wants to go to different demonstrations and is tired of the factory owner tyranny, like everybody else, I suppose.
9- How does your youngest son feel like?
Well, he is a little bit scared when we work at night, he feels uncomfortable in the dark. There are days that it seems he is going to fall asleep during work, they sleep much less that what they should. It´s is very sad to see him, and his older brother, they are 9 and 14, in those conditions.
10- What vision do you have of the industrial bourgeoisie?
They have no sensitivity about our situation, they live in houses that seem palaces while we are all together in overcrowded streets, facing eternal working days, earning almost nothing to enrich already wealthy people. I think it is just unfair.
11- What do you expect from the future?
I believe the situation is bound to change, I think I will live all my working useful life in this situation but I hope my children don´t. The industry may develop into a more stable situation but it´ll take time until bourgeoisie realize how cruel they have been. Or may be I am just too optimist.
I hope this all gets better, anyways that´s all, thanks for your time and your sincerity.
