Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
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The girls were almost the perfect microcosm of fodder for the well-being of the plutocrat class. They were young, female, uneducated, poor, lower/working class and either of immigrant stock (in New Jersey) or Catholic (in Illinois). They didn't matter. Except that the classifications have altered a bit, the world hasn't changed.
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I am surprised no one else has brought up the gender issue. In the very early pages of the book, the separation was already clear - all the scientists working with radium took the greatest care not to touch the material. There were lead aprons, etc. But the women were given no protection or warning at all. I think this says so much more about just who was expendable in the workforce than anything.