The Little Match Girl Strikes Back
An illustrated novel that cleverly combines an account of the strike action taken by women working at the Bryant and May match factory in London’s East End in 1888 with elements of Hans Christian Andersen’s story ‘The Little Match Girl’. Narrated by Bridie Sweeney, who sells matches on the city streets, the book opens with her description of Andersen’s story and her disbelief that the author can have known any real match girls. However, an important part of Bridie’s sales patter is describing magical pictures of the worlds conjured up when a match is struck, similar to those seen by the girl in Andersen’s tale.
The sacking from the match factory of Bridie’s mother who, like many women working there, has developed the occupational disease of phossy jaw, precipitates protest. Direct action is suggested by Bridie and encouraged by social campaigner Annie Besant. Until Louise Raw published her ground-breaking research into the match women’s strike (Striking a Light, 2009), historical accounts promoted the view that it was Besant who led the strike rather than the working-class women who worked at the factory. While Besant plays a role here, the match women themselves are ultimately shown to be the ones with agency in deciding to strike. Bridie seems young to have been an initiator of the strike, but her focalising character enables empathy from the child reader.
This volume is beautifully designed with different types and sizes of font integrated within the text and sometimes within Lauren Child’s characteristic mixed media illustrations, which are principally black and white with flashes of red used for the colour of Bridie’s hair, reflecting the light of a flame. While the story ends on an optimistic note, it is clear that changes won’t happen overnight and the women’s struggle is not over.
