Richard Frethorne, Letter to his Parents (1623) Essay

Richard Frethorne, Letter to his Parents (1623) - Essay Example One may also deduce from Frethorne’s letter that the masters do not care about the welfare of the indentured servants. The author of the letter reveals that the sick receive no medication at all. In addition, they have to wake up very early in the morning and work until very late. After a day’s toil, the indentured servants were appreciated with a mouthful of water, gruel, bread and beef (Frethorne 1). Although the servant does not talk about the conditions they were promised directly, one can observe that the shock they receive upon arrivals speaks contrary to their expectation. It would appear that they were promised a life full of bliss such that they did everything to come to the US. The sad and disappointed tone in Frethorne’s letter reveal what seems to be a betrayal. It points out to a possible breach of promise by their masters. The ill-treatment of the indentured servants reveals that the elite viewed this source of labor with contempt and little care. The health, conditions and general well-being of the indentured servants was the least of the master’s concerns (American History 1). It appears the demand was high such that labor was oversubscribed. Naturally, when supply is too high, demand and supply goes down. That is the reason the masters never cared about the indentured servants, as they knew they would easily sign up others. Frethorne reveals that the masters do not even buy for them clothes despite the harsh weather. One of the fellow servants ends up stealing Frethorne’s cloak so that he could buy something and eat. The servant observes that the masters have turned a blind ear to their suffering. He observes that their lives were marked pain, groans and tears. The shocking situation that awaited indentured servants was so severe that many of them were fed on close to a day’s meal over the week. Owing to these, many indentured servants like Frethorne longed for their return