Taking the Hard Road: Life Course in French and German Workers' Autobiographies in the Era of Industrialization

The experiences of working class men and women are a crucial part of the historiography of the Industrial Age. Industrialization brought rapid change to the continent of Europe, and forever altered both the way that people lived, and the way in which they viewed themselves. To explain this, author Mary Jo Maynes has collected and analyzed dozens of memoirs and autobiographies of French and German workers spanning from the 18th to the early 20th century. As Maynes describes, the autobiography was a relatively new concept at this time, brought about by the Enlightenment principles which emphasized individual personalities. The accounts are widely varied, but there are certain recurring themes which persist throughout. Such hardships as child labor, parental death or abandonment, and social alienation were common to most accounts. Harsh discipline, both at home and at school also left its mark on many of the authors. Of course, this is not to mention the excruciating work regimen that most workers had to endure. Many of the accounts were written by socialist militants (or those would later become such) and reflect a justification for their adoption of these radical views. "Their accounts simultaneously recorded and contributed to the construction of class identities." Maynes analyzes the differences in experience not only between French and Germans, but also between men and women, both often being significant. All in all, this is a very informative work which gives great insight into the lives of the working class of the Industrial Age.