Chapter 9 Multiple Lives Summary and Analysis

Women have always been pulled in many different directions. This is a fact that Mary starts with at the beginning of Chapter 9. Whether they are full-time homemakers or also have professional careers, women live multiple lives. Men on the other hand, have been encouraged to focus on one thing at a time and remove distractions.

Mary points out that it is blatantly unfair that a woman who works outside of the home must then come home and work essentially a second shift in the house—one that she has not chosen but has been handed to her. But she also points out that there is a hidden benefit to being able to multitask.

Mary Catherine Bateson introduces the theme of the chapter: women live multiple lives. She refers to one of her favorite works in Arabic...