Matchgirls strike

Characters:
Main Character: Lily Hoffman is a factory worker at Bryant and May. She is kind and has a big heart. She lives in a small apartment a couple blocks away from the factory. Lily lives with her Mother and 3 other siblings.
Maria is Lily’s 13 year-old sister, she is a bright child but will start working at the factory in 2 years. Right now she is enjoying life at home taking care of the others while Lily and her mother are at work.
Susanna is Lily’s 4-year-old sister.
Josh is Lily’s younger brother he is 7 and going to primary school at the local school.

Marguerite is Lily’s best friend at the factory. They pass time by telling stories and jokes while working. Currently Marguerite is sick with Phossy Jaw but is still working.

Annie Besant feminist who is the agitator/starts the fight against the unfairness of the workers

Gertrude, Maude and Clarissa are the other factory girls working around Lily. Currently Maude is suffering hair loss from the phosphorous.

William Bryant and Francis May are the two factory owners of Bryant and May

Setting:
The story will take place at the Bryant and May factory in London, England, 1888. The factory is a match making factory and there are horrible working conditions for the women working there. They have to work 14 hours a day with low wages, fines of ½ days pay if late and disgusting working conditions including working with yellow and white toxic and flammable phosphorous substances. The white phosphorous vapor lead to a condition called Phossy Jaw. This condition caused brain damage, swelling gums and abscessed jawbones (pus). Phossy Jaw deformed many who had it and smelled awful from the rotting/decaying jawbone. Also the face turned green then black from Phossy Jaw. Other diseases and deformations that occurred were yellowing of the skin and loss of hair. The factory was also the largest in London with red brick walls and large rectangular glass windows.

Plot
• (EXPOSITION): describe factory workers, describe factory
• (RISING ACTION): Annie Besant interviews women in the factory about wages and working conditions. She is surprised and disgusted to hear that women had to work 14 hour days, earned less than 5 shillings a week and were often plagued by diseases. She was also shocked to hear about the fines that were charged if a worker was late.
• Then on June 23, 1888 Annie Besant writes and article in The Link headlined White Slavery in London. The article was about the working conditions of Bryant and May. Then Bryant and May forces their workers to sign but some won’t so they get fired. Lily signs so she can still work although many women do not sign.
• Meanwhile her best friend Marguerite is dying of Flossy Jaw and is fired because she was one not to sign(conflict between her and Lily)…
• Next day women booted out (fired) for not signing….
• (CLIMAX): The strike of 1400 women from the factory happens. Then in the next couple of days Marguerite dies. Lily joins strike partly to honor Marguerite
• (RESOULUTION): lily realizes how much power women have if they work together… she becomes more of an activist

Milestones
First page, (EXPOSITION): describe factory workers, describe factory and main characters
2nd- 5th page, (RISING ACTION): Annie Besant interviews women in the factory about wages and working conditions. She is surprised and disgusted to hear that women had to work 14 hour days, earned less than 5 shillings a week and were often plagued by diseases. She was also shocked to hear about the fines that were charged if a worker was late.
• Then on June 23, 1888 Annie Besant writes and article in The Link headlined White Slavery in London. The article was about the working conditions of Bryant and May. Then Bryant and May forces their workers to sign but some won’t so they get fired. Lily signs so she can still work although many women do not sign.
• Meanwhile her best friend Marguerite is dying of Flossy Jaw and is fired because she was one not to sign(conflict between her and Lily)…
• Next day women booted out (fired) for not signing….
5th – 6 page, (CLIMAX): The strike of 1400 women from the factory happens. Then in the next couple of days Marguerite dies. Lily joins strike partly to honor Marguerite
7th page and on, (RESOULUTION): lily realizes how much power women have if they work together… she becomes more of an activist… (a few years later, 1901) match market goes down because of the phosphorous so Bryant and May stops using the phosphorous substances

Internal Conflict
Lily trying to figure out what to do, whether to sign or not. Another conflict is that Lily's dealing with her friend dying

External Conflict
The hardships at the factory, marguerite dying