Summary

The novel’s prologue, “The Typists,” began describing the narrator’s job as a typist in Washington, D.C. She recalled recording the men’s notes and meetings for the Soviet Russia Division, SR, of the federal government. Despite the academic degrees these typists earned, they were forced into typist positions. Some women attempted to use this entry-level position as a stepping stone, yet the distinguished and accomplished typists who had formerly worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, “relegated to the typing pool” (4). This job gave the women the means to live relatively close to work, but they usually had a roommate. The narrator noted that these women were mostly single and “putting [their] career first” (6). Even the beauty of the changing seasons could not mask the physical and mental toll the typist...