Theme Of Industrialisation In The Little House

Industrialisation and Its Influence on The Little House in Virginia Lee Burton's story
Industrialisation had a big influence on everybody's life and changed a lot around the 19th century. This development leads to the question of whether these environmental changes had a more positive or rather a negative effect on the feelings and mood of their surrounding. This paper takes a closer look at the representation of industrialisation in Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House and in how far this has an effect on the little house's mood and feelings. Moreover, the paper argues that industrialisation is delineated in a literary and as well in a visual way and that the industrialisation and so the environmental change has a negative effect on the

The definition of industrialise/ industrialisation is described as: “If a country or an area is industrialised or if it industrialises, industries are developed there” (Oxford 662). And also the authors Juneja and Wenzlhuemer express it precisely when saying that industrialisation is the process of economic increase in forms of mechanising or infrastructure, for instance. (98) Most of these features are presented in a literary and also in a visual way. When the little house realises that “the lights of the city seemed brighter and closer” the industrialisation had begun already (Burton 12). With the building of small houses, gasoline stations and country roads, the area develops and expands more and more. In the pictures, lanterns and electricity lines can be found, what illustrates the energy consumption. Furthermore, the railway station and the rails clarify the transportation with the help of railways, which is essentially for industrialisation (12-35). For these reasons, it can be said that lots of industrial characteristics exist in the story of The little House and that industrialisation is represented literary and

This is for example demonstrated in the forms of built gasoline stations, roads and subways. What it comes down to is that Burton's attitude towards industrialisation is presented in a quite pessimistic and critical way. Indeed, this can be seen in the change of the little house's mood and feelings, when the countryside develops into a city. This change can be traced back to the environmental change, caused by the industrialisation from page twelve on. At the beginning of the story, the little house is very happy, content and cosseted, but when the city comes closer and closer and consequently industrialisation takes place, the little house is very sad, because nobody cares of it any more. When in the end the little house is brought back to the countryside, it is satisfied as before and smiles again