43
4.2.1 Baby Farming
During industrial revolution era, baby farming had become a very well- known business. This kind of business was started because of the number of woman
that worked as laborer was increasing so that they had to entrust their babies to baby farmer. Babies that were entrusted to baby farmer including orphans that was left by
their parents due to accident in workplace, and unwanted children that was abandoned by their parents because the children was the result of forbidden love in
middle class or upper class. Most of those babies are exploited by baby farmer to get money for their own advantages.
“And now about business,’ said the beadle, taking out a leathern pocket-book. ‘The child was half-baptised Oliver twist is nine year
old today.’
‘Bless him Interposed Mrs. Mann, inflaming her left eye with the corner of her apron.
‘And notwithstanding a offered reward of ten pound, which was afterwards increased to twenty pound- notwithstanding the most
superlative, and I may say, supernat’ral exertions on the part of this parish,’ said Bumble, ‘we have never been able to discover who is his
father, or what was his mother’s settlement, name or cond-ition.” Dickens, 1838: 8
Most of baby farmers were parish official during industrial revolution. They received weekly stipend which was given by the board to help them in raising those babies.
Unfortunately, the baby farmer uses this chance by taking the greater part of the money for their own while giving the rest to raise those babies.
“The elderly female was a woman of wisdom and experience; she knew what was good for children; and she had a very accurate
perception of what was good for herself. So, she appropriated the greater part of the weekly stipend to her own use, and consigned the
rising parochial generation to even shorter allowance than was originally provided for them; thereby finding in the lowest depth a
deeper still; and proving herself a very great experimental philosopher.”Dickens, 1838: 6
44 It showed the Christian hypocrisy which happened toward children during industrial
revolution. Even though those baby farmers are paid, they never took care of those babies very well. Precisely, they torture those babies and children by starve them,
shut them or even abuse them. “Oliver was about to say that he would go along with anybody with
great readiness, when, glancing upward, he caught sight of Mrs. Mann, who had got behind the beadle’s chair, and was shaking her fist
at him with a furious countenance. He took the hint at once, for the fist had been too often impressed upon his body not to be deeply
impressed upon his recollection.” Dickens, 1838: 9
They often experience physical abuse from the baby farmer which made them obey and afraid of the baby farmer. Sometimes those babies that had grown up are locked
up in the cellar if they made a mistake. “They shall understand that, ma’am; they shall be acquainted with the
true state of the case,’ said Mr. Bumble. ‘There, take him away. I can’t bear the sight on him.’
Dick was immediately taken away, and locked up in the coal-cellar. Mr. Bumble shortly afterwards took himself off, to prepare his
journey.” Dickens, 1838: 110
This kind of business can be categorized as exploitation because they use those babies as the field of money. They receive the money but do not do their duty very
well. With that kind of treatment, most of those babies and children are in miserable condition.
‘The child was pale and thin, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes large and bright. The scanty parish dress – the livery of his misery –
hung loosely on his feeble body; his young limbs had wasted away, like those of an old man.” Dickens, 1838: 109
Just like a farm, there will be a time when those babies will be farmed out by the board or their parents. The condition of those children when they are farmed out is
45 also miserable. Some of them are dead due to bad treatment and the carelessness of
baby farmer. “…for the at very moment when a child had contrived to exist upon
the smallest possible portion of the weakest possible food, it did perversely happen in eight and half cases of ten, either that it sickened
from want and cold, or fell into the fire from neglect, or got half- smothered by accident; in any one of which cases, the miserable little
being was usually summoned into another world, and there gathered to the fathers which it had never known in this.” Dickens, 1838: 6
The rate of baby mortality is quite high because of this kind of business. Those baby farmers do not responsible of those babies death. There are many babies that died in
the hand of baby farmer and they just pay no attention to their death. “It’s very much blotted, sir,’ said the farmer of infants; ‘but it’s
formal enough, I dare say. Thank you, Mr. Bumble, sir; I am very much obliged to you, I’m sure.’ Mr. Bumble nodded blandly, in
acknowledgement of Mrs. Mann’s curtsy, and inquired who the children were. ‘Bless their dear little hearts’ said Mrs. Mann, with
emotion, ‘They’re as well as can be, the dears Of course, except the two that died last week and little Dick.” Dickens, 1838: 109
Baby farming can be considered as children exploitation because they utilize babies as their money farm. They are paid by their parents and orphanage but they never
done their duty very well. They just think about themselves and take advantage of those babies.
4.2.2 Children Apprentice
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