Mary Paul Letters

      Mary's tone changes throughout each of the 6 letters. In the first letter, she is excited to go to Lowell. She is asking her father to let her go, and even saying that other family members think it is a good idea also. In the second letter, Mary is happy to be in Lowell. She checks into her boarding house, buys a bonnet and other items, and asks her father to tell her friends to write to her. Mary at this point is also feeling a bit homesick because she wants to hear from everyone back home. She still likes being in Lowell despite being away from her friends and family. In the third letter, Mary is not very excited anymore. She tells her father of the many deaths at the factory. One girl slipped on icy stairs and broke her neck. Another man was killed by railroad carts. Despite all of these tragedies, she also tells about her daily life. She says that she goes to the mill at 7am, gets a break at 1230pm for lunch, and then work until 730pm. She also explains how she cannot write back to everyone who wrote to her because of how busy she is. In the fourth letter, Mary explains how she is growing very sick. Her tone seems depressing and the novelty of being in Lowell has definitely worn off by now. In the fifth letter, Mary says that she is so sick that she is unable to work. She says that the company always claims to be losing money so that they can cut the employee's wages. She also tells her father that she is looking for a new job. In the sixth and final letter, Mary says she hasn't worked in 4 days because of her health. Her tone is now very depressed, lonely and sad because she is very poor in health, wealth, and companionship. It is easy to see how Mary's tone changes throughout the letter.