Critical Analysis of Child Labor Essay Example

In a cramped, one-room home on the outskirts of Manila, Maryann Aroma, thirteen, and her two sisters glue the ears, earrings, and necklaces on stuffed toys made for export. Their mother has forced the girls to work since age eleven. In India, at the age of twelve, Mohammed Salahuddin works sixteen hours a day in a factory located just outside of New Delhi, embroidering elegant sequined jackets. It is a troubling image for a parent to realize the wrapped sweater or plastic toy that will excite their child’s little hands this holiday season may have another pair of little hands behind them. In China, Thailand, and other developing countries, children as young as five are working to produce toys or pack clothing that will be enjoyed by more privileged kids overseas. (Morris)
In the short story entitled “Live Free and Starve” by Chitra Divakaruni, child labor is closely critiqued and examined. Divakaruni feels that labor could be a good thing because it keeps food on the table and a roof over their head. She argues that although it is true that they are only paid a small amount of money, it is just enough to get by. If these children were not working, they would be begging on the streets, hungry for food. Her conclusion on the matter is to leave the laws unchanged because she feels that the opposing life that these kids could have may be worse.
Child labor in third world countries is similar to slavery. Although the course of the extent of abuse varies throughout each country, the majority of children are treated like slaves. The biggest difference between the lives of these children and slavery is the payment, which is usually around fourteen dollars a month. Abuse is common and even murder happens occasionally. It is true that the lives of these children will not change over night, but it is necessary to make laws towards improving the conditions in which these kids work so that change can eventually come. By analyzing the lives of these young foreign