Nellie Bly

Sometimes the secrets hidden within human society can only be revealed through the use of deception. One person that mastered this art and used it for the better of America was the famous reporter Nellie Bly. Bly would craftily use deception in her undercover reporting assignments in order to expose the corruption hidden within American society.  It all started with a young woman in the late 1800s who loved to read and write ever since she was a child. This woman was named Elizabeth Cochrane, or better known by her pen name, Nellie Bly. Bly was one of America’s first women reporters. She is famously known for her groundbreaking stunts in reporting, and her desire to give a voice to those who were silenced. Bly’s actions demonstrate her selflessness and her true desire to put the safety and happiness of others before her own. She showed tremendous determination and ability to persevere in the face of danger. For all these reasons one can consider Nellie Bly a hero. Nellie Bly was a hero because throughout her whole life, she constantly displayed both selflessness and determination.

Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly"https://en.wikipedia.org Bly was always willing to do the difficult and or dangerous of tasks in order to help those in need, be it strangers or family, “Elizabeth's father died when she was six. [..] She would have to find work there to help support the family [..] Elizabeth looked hard for an interesting job that paid a decent wage. At that time most occupations, including writing, were closed to women. [..] Most had to resort to factory or domestic work, which paid very little. The best job Elizabeth could find was in a laundry, washing and ironing clothes” ( Nellie Bly, UXL biographies). When Bly’s family was left helpless after the death of their father, Bly did all that she could to help support her family. What this shows is how how even when woman’s work had little payoff at the time, Bly understood that her family needed money and willingly stepped up to the task. This demonstrates how Bly is willing to do whatever it takes as long as it means helping her family, showing her selflessness and kindness for those she cares about. However, family weren't the only people she was willing to sacrifice her blood, sweat and tears for, as Bly also was willing to help any group of people suffering in the shadows, as long as the cause seemed just. One of the main groups Bly helped was working women. One of her more well-known stunts is when she went undercover and applied for a job to be a bottle maker in a large factory where most of the workers were women: “In order to get a true picture of what their lives were like, she got a job in a large, bottle-making factory. Conditions were terrible. The women worked fourteen-hour shifts standing on cement floors, their feet wrapped in rags to keep their toes from freezing. The factory was dirty and full of rats and broken glass. Worse still, the women were paid half the amount that men were paid. When the article was published, people were shocked” (Nellie Bly, UXL biographies). This shows how Bly was willing to take extreme measures as long as it meant she could get the full story of something that seemed cruel or unjust. Nellie had to go through insufferable conditions for most of her stories, as she believed that she had to experience the problem first hand in order to understand it; however her risks were almost always rewarded with support from the American people, as she continued movements towards helping fix the problems she unveiled to the world. Nellie Bly was the type of woman who was not afraid to endanger herself it meant she could help those who were suffering. Nellie’s selflessness for those around her showed her kindness and bravery, and also helped America move towards a safer and better place for all Americans.

cover of Nellie Bly's book "10 Days in a Mad-House"www.goodreads.comThroughout all her life, Bly showed determination as she was constantly faced with hate from her non-supporters and hardships that came from her assignments, yet she never gave up. Because Nellie Bly exposed the truth of what was corrupt, the people who were in control of what Bly exposed would lash back at Bly because she essentially ruined their reputation or possibly even their whole business. “Throughout her career with the world, Cochrane uncovered social injustices and unscrupulous practices of government agencies, wealthy industrialists, and prison boards; she made enemies of public officials and factory owners [..]” (Elizabeth Cochrane, DISCovering Authors). Because  Bly revealed what many prominent officials wanted to stay hidden. Many of these officials saw her a threat, and while many people would see making enemies of people like government officials as a sign to stop, Bly continued writing article after article, and did not care for her enemies or their opinions. This shows how even though after every story she was making a new enemy, she still persevered and continued to write stories for the better of the people in America. Additionally, along with having the lingering  pressure of real life enemies, Bly also dealt with mental barriers during her work. “Did I think I had the courage to go through such an ordeal as the mission would demand? Could I assume the characteristics of insanity to such a degree that I could pass the doctors, live for a week among the insane without the authorities there finding out that I was only a 'chiel amang 'em takin' notes?' I said I believed I could" (Ten Days.” Ten Days in a Mad-House, Bly, Nellie.), Before going undercover as a mentally ill person for her story about insane asylums, Bly felt anxious and had many doubts about whether she could pull off acting insane. Bly was fully aware that if she were to be caught only acting as a insane person so that she could reveal the true conditions of insane asylums there would be severe punishments from the authorities. However, even when filled with anxiety, Bly still  had faith in herself, and believed that she could accomplish it as long as she worked and acted to the best of her ability, showing her determination and dedication towards her stories. Bly always moved forward even when there were obstacles that constantly blocked her path, showing her perseverance even in the toughest situations.

In conclusion, the hard work and mental endurance Bly displays throughout her life shows the amount of determination and selflessness she puts in for those in need. Bly has always been faced with challenges that would make many other people want to back down. However no matter the hate, danger, or doubts that Bly was faced with, she never failed to keep on moving, and continued to help people who were suffering quietly in the shadow of corporate America. The actions Bly took for America left an everlasting effect on it, changing the lives of many people during her time forever. “When she died in 1922, the Journal ran an obituary hailing her as "the best reporter in America" (Elizabeth Cochrane. DISCovering Authors). Bly was an inspiration to people then and now because she showed what the power of words can do for the people around you, and how just one story can change a whole country. Bly always did what she could to help the people around her, and always had the mental strength to know that something can always be done, and the belief that she could do it. Bly’s actions in fortitude are characteristics of a true hero. Bly shows how anyone, even a simple middle class women from the 1980’s, can change a country’s whole society as long as they have the ability understand what’s wrong and have the willingness to fix it no matter the obstacles.

Nellie Bly waving goodbye before leaving for her trip around the worldwww.smithsonianmag.com

Works Cited

 Bly, Nellie.  “Ten Days in a Mad-House”, 1887. Digital Library of University of Pennsylvania

https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html.

DISCovering Authors. “Elizabeth Cochrane,” Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context,

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2101101410/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=e6e97ebf. Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.

UXL Biographie. "Nellie Bly,” UXL, 2011. Student Resources in Context,

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2108100259/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=3584b737. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.