Essays 7 and 8 Summary and Analysis

Essay 7: The Household Zen

Barbara believed in devoting as little time as possible to housecleaning. It took her mother and women of those days the entire week to clean and launder. During the post-World War II era, one salary was sufficient for a family to live comfortably. Since men could earn more, women were relegated to household chores. When she hears evangelists urging the "little woman" to go back to tidying up the house, she cringes, knowing from personal experience that the man will not always be there to support her. The man's salary usually goes up after a divorce while the woman's plummets and the quality of life for both her and her children declines. Barbara feels she's a living example to her daughter that a woman can be the successful head of the household. She is focusing...