Script+-+Robert+Owen

Reporter: Hello everyone! This is Jane and today, we have a very special guest. It is Mr. Owen!

Owen: Hello everyone J

R: So, Mr. Owen, we are all so curious about your great influence to the world during the Industrial Revolution

O: Great influence? Oh, no it’s way too flattering. Although, I do have to admit that I tried very hard to change the society.

R: Yes, some people call you the great social reformer! So, tell us please. What did you do to change the society. What caused you to do such things? What was your reason?

O: Well, I had this belief that all human beings are naturally good when they are born. However, their personalities get affected by their environment. For example, a very mean person would not have been mean at first but turned to be that mean because of the harsh treatment or something very unfortunate happened during his or her life. So, that’s when I decided to make the best environment.

R: Oh, I see~

O: So, in order to make a perfect society, I thought that I should make the perfect environment! With just the right environment, our lovely children will grow up to be good and human people J  I didn’t want the people to corrupt just because of their environment.

R: Brilliant! So, what exactly did you do to make a better environment for the children?

O: Well, when I first took charge of the Chorton Twister that is in New Lanark, I saw young children, as young as 5 to 10, working on the textile mill for 13 hours a day. I knew it wasn’t right. So I changed the working time to 10 hours and stopped employing any children under the age of 10. My companions were scared that the profit will decrease but I explained how it was good for the long run.

Also, I thought education was essential in building up a good personality. I made schools and other buildings for education of the children. The younger children, who are not old enough yet, had to go to nursery and infant schools and the older children still had to go to the secondary school for part of their day.

R: Very Nice! How did you get the idea? What influenced you to have the belief that you have now. “Personality builds depending on you environment.”

O: very good question! I can’t exactly identify a certain incident that made me think this way. It is very hard for me to pinpoint a certain time of my life. However, I think childhood mainly influenced me the way I think now.

R: (nods) Yes, please go on.

O: I was born in Newtown, Wales. My father was a saddler and a ironmonger. I was a very bright boy. At the age of 10, my father sent me to work in a large drapers in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Because I parted from my parent at an early age, I am very independent. I stayed there for 3 years and moved to drapers in London. I was there until I turned 16 then went to a wholesale drapery business in Manchester. Later, when I became a grown up I got to know David Dale and I bought one of his factories. You can see through my childhood that the environment changes the personality because I grew u[ to be strong and independent because I parted away from the parents at an early age

R: Wow! That was a lot of good information. Thanks for sharing and see you next time!