This episode features Diana helping Lyddie learn how to weave. We’ve already met Lyddie and she is the main character in the story. Diana is a new character. She is outspoken and determined and is fighting for better working conditions. Diana is a strong-minded young woman, who engages in inappropriate behavior for young women.
The story begins with the girl being fired from the mills. She reacts in many different ways, but her reactions to being fired illustrate different characteristics of her character. Lyddie’s story is “reason to celebrate,” Diana says. She also refers machines to as “bears”. When Rachel comes to stay with Lyddie, she is referred to as a bear by Lyddie. After rescuing Brigid, Lyddie also calls Rachel “bear.”
Although she is not the only person to have had an impact on Lyddie’s development, she was one of the few people who has had an influence on her. Her presence in her life is a great example of how radicals can help others achieve their goals. For instance, when Lyddie couldn’t hear the overseer, she was having trouble hearing him. She was not used to the mill’s noise. Eventually, she realized that she was missing a valuable element of her life, and it was important to make sure that Lyddie could hear it.
Despite being her best friend, Diana helps Lyddie a lot. Her friendship with Brigid (an Irish girl) helps her overcome her fear of being rejected. Lyddie is able to work up to four machines at once, and her tenacity and determination enable her to pay off the family debt. Moreover, Diana arranges a visit to a friend’s doctor, allowing her to receive medical treatment free of charge.
Amelia does not like Diana Goss, and she doesn’t want Lyddie to go out. In spite of this, Diana gives Lyddie some postage and paper to write home to her family. Lyddie’s mother later takes her and her younger siblings to live at home with relatives. Her younger brother, however, returns to the family farm to try to save the farm. Her mother, however, finds someone to rent the farm for her children and arranges for jobs.
The story’s religious aspect is present throughout the book. Lyddie learns about two opportunities for financial gain. The first is the financial aspect. Lyddie hopes to make $100 per week as a Lowell factory girl. This opportunity is also attractive to Lyddie because she never meets a black person, and she would jump at the chance to pay off her father’s debts.
While it’s true that Lyddie makes more money than she would in Vermont, she still needs to work to pay off her debt. She is earning more than she was ever going to make in Vermont, and she is willing to work sixteen-hour days if she can earn a couple of dollars more over room and board. However, the money is not enough to sustain her spiritual health. As a result, she refuses to sign the petition, which she subsequently regrets signing.