Marie Hall Ets’ "Rosa: The Life of an Italian Immigrant"

Introduction 

In the wake of the industrialization era that rocked the entire world starting from the 18 th century, people moved from one location to the other in the hunt for better-paying jobs and improved living standards. Even though the process began in Britain, industrialization spread wildly to other nations, including America. With industrialization came mass production and industries powered by modern machinery and technology. Companies across the world, including the U.S., were in dire need skilled and cheap labor to work in these industries. The only potential solution for industries was importing labor from abroad. However, new environments and adapting to different cultures presented challenges to these immigrants. As such, due to this new wave of technology and industrialization, most writers of the 18 th , 19 th , and 20 th centuries tended to focus more on these emerging issues caused by industrialization and immigration. This paper primarily intends to focus on Marie Hall Ets fictional work Rosa: the Life of an Italian Immigrant , highlighting the main ideas and themes. The first paragraph of the discussion will give a brief overview of the book, while the rest of the paper will expound on the main ideas. 

Discussion 

Marie Hall Ets fictional book Rosa: the Life of an Italian Immigrant revolves around the life story of Cavalleri Rosa, a female Italian who migrated to the U.S. in 1884 during one of the peak periods of immigration. Rosa is both the protagonist and narrator in the book. A clear, splendidly detailed narration, the story outlines Rosa’s lifestyle in both Italy and the U.S. Marie Hall Ets when writing this book was a colleague and friend to Rosa Cavalleri at the Chicago Commons during the First World War. She used Rosa’s stories and experiences in writing this book. Rosa Cavalleri was born and raised in Lombardy, one of the leading silk-making villages in Italy. On her immigration to the U.S., she first settled at the Castle Garden, one of Manhattan’s primary immigration depots at the time. Rosa's life in the U.S. was very challenging, and Ets narrates it in a detailed manner. She bears an early marriage to a cruel and abusive elderly husband. Rosa also ensures a reluctant shift to a Missouri mining city and delivers a baby unassisted. She, however, manages to flee from a man who attempted to force her into doing prostitution. 

There are various ideas extensively discussed by Marie Hall Ets in this book. One of the leading themes majorly discussed revolves around the issues of industrialization and migration, some of the two dominant ideas of the 18 th , 19 th , and 20 th centuries. Rosa's high-spirited personality, an extraordinary spirit, as well as ability as a narrator make this book uniquely contribute to the history of immigration in the U.S. Most of these themes of migration and industrialization are connected to poverty; meaning that people migrate to other countries to work in mines and factories to improve their living standards. Rosa’s story is instrumental in displaying some of the struggles people often encounter in life, which prompt them to migrate to western countries like the U.S. to look for better job opportunities. This aspect is demonstrated in the part whereby women in Rosa’s village say, “Those poor men from the village who go to America, they get smart” (Ets, 1999). 

However, the book also tries to highlight some of the challenges immigrants encounter in foreign countries. Marie Hall in her story tries to depict the contradiction that exists between what immigrants think of the U.S. before setting foot and the real experience of these immigrants once in the country. For example, even though Rosa thought the U.S. was a land of opportunities and a country that respected human rights, especially the rights of children and women, she met the opposite once she got a job as a social worker in Chicago. She had to work in the mines as a child, ended up being married at a young age of sixteen to an old man, and struggled with an abusive marriage. 

Marie Hall Ets’ book also highlights other critical themes that came with industrialization and migration. One such example is the role of women in society, which was restricted to "house chores" in the 1800s. This is a sharp contrast with the present day society, whereby women enjoy equal rights and opportunities as men, including getting similar education, jobs, and paychecks. For example, Rosa is a woman who first is employed as a social worker in the Chicago Commons and later in a mining site, jobs initially set aside for men only. Rosa's experiences also bring out certain practices that are currently old-fashioned, including child labor and forced labor. Rosa was forced to work as a child (Child labor) in a mining camp. Today, there are laws in the U.S. that protect employers from hiring children as well as rules that protect workers from forced labor. Most of these regulations were absent during Rosa's days and only came to be in the turn of the 20 th century. Lastly, Rosa’s story paints a true picture of the religious aspect of immigrants. She recognizes the important role Madonna plays as a mediator between the supernatural being and the poor children and women. Rosa requests for Madonna’s intervention when in need and appreciates when visited by miracles. When faced by one, she says, “It was a miracle that you didn’t go with Angelina when she told you! The Madonna put it in your mind to run back. It was a Madonna who saved you” (Ets, 1999). 

Conclusion 

In summary, it is clear that Marie Hall Ets’ story Rosa: the Life of an Italian Immigrant focuses on the themes of migration and industrialization, which are some of the leading ideas that began in the 18 th century and spread to the 19 th and 20 th centuries. Industrialization initiated an economic boom in the U.S. and other western countries, which attracted employees from poverty-stricken societies across the planet. However, like Rosa, most of these immigrants were forced to work under inhuman conditions, even as minors. The situation was even worse for women as some got married early and even others endured abusive relationships. Marie Hall, through Rosa’s story, teaches how resilience can help people overcome any adversities in life. 

Reference 

Ets, M. H. (1999). Rosa: The Life of an Italian Immigrant. Wisconsin: Wisconsin.