Lyddie and The Petition: Historical Fiction by Katherine Paterson - Essay Example

However, the state of work at the factory falls behind the standards. During her work, she runs into Diana Goss, who gives petitions to other workers. The petition is an approval to shell the workers from the poor working state at the factory. Signing the petition will shell the workers from the sorry state of the factory for the workers. However, signing the petition might adversely affect her, such as being blacklisted. One reason for Lyddie to opt-out of the chance to sign the petition is it’s her only source of income to pay off bills.

Lyddie works extra hard for her money at the corporation. Lyddie can pay her arrears due to her diligence. Even with the increasing work rate, there are no complaints from Lyddie, who continues toiling hard to earn the extra money for her needs. Every challenge or obstacle she finds on her way; she has to shell them. She accepts her fate and the need for money; therefore, signing is not an option with the petition. She can shell her pay just by refusing to sign the petition.  Lyddie is conflicted since choosing to sign the petition will only make her blacklisted from the corporation.

Most of the other girls want to sign the petition but are fearful of being blacklisted, which is their only way to meet their needs. There are points where Lyddie feels like signing the petition. Lyddie is fearful choosing to sign will make her unemployable elsewhere. The punishment from signing is losing your job at the factory. Hence, the worker loses any chance to earn pay from elsewhere. The fear of losing her working opportunity at any firm makes her motivated not to sign it. It is easier for Lyddie to forget the sign on the paper to secure her future.

There are adverse effects that come with signing the petition by Lyddie. However, the situation elicits different emotions from other people. Other people believe that she needs to sign the paper will only liberate her from the corrupt hands of the factor concerning her money. However, for Lyddie’s case, it is hard to make a choice that can affect her money. Signing the paper will not bear bad luck in the future for her. When she decides to fall back on her productivity, it will only bear an impact on the wages she needs that supports her family.

Therefore, not signing the petition is about Lyddie securing her employment and lacks any means of making ends meet. A probable course of action by Lyddie to ensure her survival is not to sign the petition. There are negative impacts in case Lyddie supports the move to sign the petition. The negative effects that come include lacking any way of making money for her. Another adverse effect that deters her from proceeding is the fear of being blacklisted. When she gets blacklisted, Lyddie will lose all the support she has in working in other factories around Vermont.

However, Lyddie also feels the poor working environment at the factory, which affects her output. It might seem right and just to proceed to sign the petition. But the negative impacts that come after are too much for her to bear. She focuses on the main goal of making money. Through Lyddie and the Petition: Historical fiction by Katherine Paterson, we learn that the aim of finishing the debt supports Lyddie to head to work and choose the option of not signing the paper.