The Politics of housework by Pat Mainardi (1970):
(see previous post)
http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/modern/The-Politics-of-Housework.html
Some elements are "more English" than others. Two ways to find them:
Observe them in the text you read today (The politics of housework by Pat Mainardi).
A. Vocabulary choice:
A.1. Synonyms as with 3 stems: Go=leave=depart
A.2. Word formation: preffixes & suffixes with Germanic origin words.
A.3. Collocations: high points; (basic, bare, sheer) necessities
Also: register (in)formal, , positive/neutral/negative connotations.
B. Grammar:
B.1. Use of indefinite particles: -ever (wherever), -some (troublesome), etc.
B.2. Use of quantifiers: (quite, rather, etc)
Also: Preposition family, reflexive pronouns, modal verbs, change word class (n>v, v>adj)
C. Syntax:
C.1. From BIG chunks: long nominal items (2 adj, noun + noun)
C.2. To tiny bits: How to place little particles (even, yet, soon, etc.)
D. Expressions: colourful, playful, colloquial, fixed, catchy words, binomials etc.
D.1. proverbs, headlines.)
E. Lists: enumeration, processes, markers
The learner produced a clear page with interesting pieces of language:
a nice adapted title!: The hardships of household duties
we both, bad enough, he felt himself, it’s only fair, all of us, if at all
more than even we imagine,we should each do them, Its the worst crap I’ve ever done
a sweet considerate man –a crafty person –the dirt and crap
Chores and burden: buying groceries, carting them home, putting them away, dirty dishes, brooms, mops, reeking garbage. Doing dishes, set the table, make the beds
turn you down flat, , high points, a messy house, a handy book,
word family: pig, piglet, pigsty,
word association: to stink-a stench, to break-a breach
compounds: manpower, housework, garbage work
the things we are best at, take the rap (=criticism)
Work with the text displayed below.
The Politics of Housework (abridged) By Pat Mainardi of Redstockings, 1970.
... What about housework? What? You say this is all trivial? Wonderful! That's what I thought. It seemed perfectly reasonable. We both had careers, both had to work a couple of days a week to earn enough to live on, so why shouldn't we share the housework? So I suggested it to my mate and he agreed-most men are too hip to turn you down flat. You're right, he said. It's only fair. Then an interesting thing happened. I can only explain it by stating that we women have been brainwashed more than even we can imagine, Probably too many years of seeing television women in ecstasy over their shiny waxed floors or breaking down over their dirty shirt collars. Men have no such conditioning. They recognize the essential fact of housework right from the very beginning. Which is that it stinks.
Here's my list of dirty chores: buying groceries, carting them home and putting them away; cooking meals and washing dishes and pots; doing the laundry digging out the place when things get out of control; washing floors. The list could go on but the sheer necessities are bad enough. All of us have to do these things, or get someone else to do them for us. The longer my husband contemplated these chores, the more repulsed he became, and so proceeded the change from the normally sweet, considerate Dr. Jekyll into the crafty Mr. Hyde who would stop at nothing to avoid the horrors of-housework. As he felt himself backed into a comer laden with dirty dishes, brooms, mops and reeking garbage, his front teeth grew longer and pointier, his fingernails haggled and his eyes grew wild. Housework trivial? Not on your life! Just try to share the burden.
So ensued a dialogue that's been going on for several years. Here are some of the high points: "I don't mind sharing the housework, but I don't do it very well. We should each do the things we're best at." MEANING: Unfortunately I'm no good at things like washing dishes or cooking. What I do best is a little light carpentry, changing light bulbs, moving furniture (how often do you move furniture?). ALSO MEANING: Historically the lower classes (black men and us) have had hundreds of years experience doing menial jobs. It would be a waste of manpower to train someone else to do them now. ALSO MEANING: I don't like the dull, stupid, boring jobs, so you should do them.
"I don' t mind sharing the work, but you'll have to show me how to do it." MEANING: I ask a lot of questions and you'll have to show me everything every time I do it because I don't remember so good. Also don' t try to sit down and read while I'M doing my jobs because I'm going to annoy hell out of you until it's easier to do them yourself."
"We used to be so happy!" (Said whenever it was his turn to do something.) MEANING: I used to be so happy. MEANING: Life without house work is bliss. No quarrel here. Perfect Agreement.
"We have different standards, and why should I have to work to your standards? That's unfair." MEANING: If I begin to get bugged by the dirt and crap I will say, "This place sure is a sty" or "How can anyone live like this?" and wait for your reaction. I know that all women have a sore called "Guilt over a messy house" or "Household work is ultimately my responsibility." I know that men have caused that sore-if anyone visits and the place is a sty--they're not going to leave and say, "He sure is a lousy housekeeper." You'll take the rap in any case. I can outwait you. ALSO MEANING: I can provoke innumerable scenes over the housework issue. Eventually doing all the housework yourself will be less painful to you than trying to get me to do half. Or I'll suggest we get a maid. She will do my share of the work. You will do yours. It's women's work.
"I've got nothing against sharing the housework, but you can' t make me do it on your schedule." MEANING: Passive resistance. I'll do it when I damned well please, if at all. If my job is doing dishes, it's easier to do them once a week. If taking out laundry, once a month. If washing the floors, once a year. If you don't like it, do it yourself oftener, and then I wont do it at all.
"I hate it more than you. You don't mind it so much." MEANING: Housework is garbage work. It's the worst crap I've ever done. It's degrading and humiliating for someone of my intelligence to do it. But for someone of your intelligence....
"Housework is too trivial to even talk about." MEANING: It's even more trivial to do. Housework is beneath my status. My purpose in life is to deal with matters of significance. Yours is to deal with matters of insignificance. You should do the housework.
"This problem of housework is not a man-woman problem. In any relationship between two people one is going to have a stronger personality and dominate." MEANING: That stronger personality had better be me.
"In animal societies, wolves, for example, the top animal is usually a male even where he is not chosen for brute strength but on the basis of cunning and intelligence. Isn't that interesting? MEANING: I have historical, psychological, anthropological and biological justification for keeping you down. How can you ask the top wolf to be equal?
"Women's liberation isn't really a political movement." MEANING: The revolution is coming too close to home. ALSO MEANING: I am only interested in how I am oppressed, not how I oppress others. Therefore the war, the draft and the university are political. Women's liberation is not.
"Man's accomplishments have always depended on getting help from other people, mostly women. What great man would have accomplished what he did if he had to do his own housework?" MEANING: Oppression is built into the system and I, as the white American male, receive the benefits of this system. I don't want to give them up. (...)
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