Life In the Iron-Mills: Or, The Korl Woman

Life In the Iron-Mills is a pioneering novella by Rebecca Harding Davis , first published in 1861. The story is set in an unnamed industrial town and focuses on the harsh realities of working-class life in 19th-century America. The protagonist, Hugh Wolfe , is a mill worker and a talented sculptor who creates a figure known as the Korl Woman out of korl, a byproduct of the iron smelting process. His cousin, Deborah Wolfe , loves him silently and steals money in a desperate attempt to help him escape their grim existence. The novella explores themes of industrialization, poverty, and the potential for artistic expression to transcend social constraints. Through the tragic fate of Hugh, Davis critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrial capitalism and calls for greater empathy and social reform. —- ISBN: 9798327683495