Lorbanery and Factory Towns
Viewing Lorbanery as a place defined by its product, silk, it reflects the idea of a factory town. Usually small towns built to house employees and their families, factory towns, and Lorbanery, possess a distinct culture born from that shared occupation. When an entire town is focused on one job, and the success of all depends on everyone working hard and collaborating, it seems like there is a greater sense of community. Additionally, there is a greater pressure to perform well and work hard. The citizens of Lorbanery accordingly emphasize that “Honest folk live here and do honest work” (137).
I looked into the town of Bagdad, Arizona as one of the two remaining company towns in the state. It’s known for copper. I’ve never visited, but to all appearances it looks like the kind of tight-knit community you would expect. The town is owned by Freeport-McMoRan, and as a result enjoys amenities free for the public such as a golf course and gym. The town is currently thriving, but not all company towns are as lucky.
There is a reason there aren’t many company towns around anymore. Although the citizens of Lorbanery are quick to conclude that “the luck’s run out” (122), the truth is they are not alone in their situation. Factory towns often have the ever present danger of becoming ghost towns because everyone in it is tied to one industry. If progress makes the product no longer relevant, the town loses its purpose.
Lorbanery is in a similar crisis. “Why don’t the ships come?” (138) is the constant question. Demand for their silk has slacked, at the same time as their loss of magic has made the quality of the product less. Or maybe the ships don’t come because the silk has lost its appeal. Either way, the town has let silk production define them to an extreme. When they no longer need to produce silk, they don’t do anything. Despite the town not doing as well as it once did, no one seems to be doing anything about it. Instead they just blame each other and reminisce about the good old days.