Unit Two
World of Work
Quiz:
Define for:
- Play
- Income
- Class
- Setting
- Plot
- Cultural References
- Abstract Thinking
Beginning Unit Two
The World of Work
In-class writing: (Suggested: 15 minutes)
Let’s return to a question I asked you on the very first day we got together.
- What is the difference between work and play as you now understand the concepts? Where do we learn about work? Where do we learn about play? How are the ways in which you work and play different from the ways your parents work and play? Look back at what you wrote earlier this semester. How is your understanding different now, particularly your understanding of play Use your key terms! That is the whole point!
Group Discussion of findings: (Suggested: 10 minutes)
Begin with a discussion of your individual findings, then consider the following question and come up with a list
- How has your understanding of work changed over the last academic year? Come up with a list of advice you would share to someone coming into Husson University as a first-year student.
Group Presentations: (Suggested: 5-7 minutes)
Class Discussion of group findings: (Suggested: 5-10 minutes)
Class Questions for today:(5-7 minutes)
Let’s begin with some general definitions:
- What does the term “work” mean to you? Define the term as you understand it.
- What does it mean to be a “professional?” Define the term as you understand it.
- What does the term “work force” mean? Define the phrase as you understand it.
Discussion, in groups if time permits.
Now, let’s take these terms and concepts and begin to apply them to some of the stories we are familiar with:
Mini-Lecture: (5-7 minutes)
- Last time we talked about who the narrator is. Who is the narrator? How can we learn something about this person?
- Well, we can pay attention to what they say and how they say it, just like you might pay attention to a coach, friend, or employer
Group Work: (10 Minutes)
- Let’s look at “The Untold Lie.” What are some conclusions we might reach about the narrator’s attitudes about work? Let’s begin with the specific details (make a list), and then FRAME or EXPRESS those details through the basic terms we have been discussing this semester. Generate a specific statement that does these things.
Class Discussion: (Suggested: 5 minutes)
Group Work: (10 Minutes)
Okay, now let’s do the same with “The Gift of the Magi.” What are some conclusions we might reach about the narrator’s attitudes about work, professionalism, or the workforce? Let’s begin with the specific details (make a list), and then FRAME or EXPRESS those details through the basic terms we have been discussing this semester. Generate a specific statement that does these things.
Class Discussion: (Suggested: 5 minutes)
Homework: (One page Blog Post_
What can “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” tell us about the basic struggles people may face when they aspire to a professional status?
[...] Day 1: Unit Two: The World of Work [...]
Pingback by Proposed MWF Syllabus « Approaches to Literature — February 20, 2011 @ 9:21 pm |
Nathan Gosselin
EH200
One thing the story “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” tells about the struggle rural people may face when they aspire to a professional status is that home life needs to be going well in order for success professionally to occur. Miss Lawrence and Mrs. Beazley have a conversation during the story, it went like this “Have you ever thought of leaving him?” she ventured. “Oh, yes, I’ve thought of it’ my sister’s always wantin’ me to. But I don’t believe in divorce-and if I did, this is New York State and I couldn’t get it.” “It’s pretty hard on the children, isn’t it?” “That’s what I can’t get reconciled to. I’ve had five children, Miss Lawrence. My oldest boy went off when he was only twelve; he couldn’t stand his father…..” (393). A person’s home life is not going well if their wife has thought about divorcing them and their son has run away at the age of twelve and can’t stand his father. Mr. Beazley not having his home life in order cost him his professional status because his wife ended up leaving him and taking everything from him. So he went from having a store, properties to sell, and an income to having nothing. Had his home life been in order his professional status would have been in order as well, his aspirations for professional status could have been reached.
Another thing that the story “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” tells about the struggle rural people may face when they aspire to a professional status is that news spreads quickly and if it is negative news it will destroy your opportunities for success in that area. Near the end of the story after Mr. Beazley found out about Mrs. Beazley leaving him and taking everything he is talking to Miss Lawrence and is debating on whether or not to take the offer to leave or to refuse the offer and stay in the area and work. The story tells us how he makes his decision and how news affects professional status it says “Mr. Beazley looked out of the window. Quite a number of his friends and neighbors were gathered together around Hunt’s store, and as each new arrival was told the story, they slapped their thighs and roared with laughter” (400). When it says “as each new arrival was told the story” it is news being spread of what happened to Mr. Beazley. The story continues “Well, he was always an enterprisin’ man,” said Horace Johnson. “Better at specilatin’ with his wife’s property than working’ with his hands. Guess he’ll have to hunt a job now, though” “He ain’t likely to git one in a hurry-not in this county-unless Sam Hunt’ll take in.” Wiley yelled again at this. “Have you got the deed drawn up?” said Mr. Beazley harshly-“I’ll sign.” So the story tells us that Mr. Beazley decides to leave the area and take the offer, the story also tells us that because of how the news spread people thought poorly of him and would not likely hire him for employment. Living in a rural area news spreads quickly because there are not as many people and if it is negative a person will have a hard time aspiring to professional status because they will not be able to get a good job.
Comment by Nathan Gosselin — February 21, 2011 @ 7:54 pm |
Peter Tallau
February 22, 2011
Prof. Crowley
EH 200
Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds features a rural couple who run a store. They face some struggles in trying to be professionals. One struggle they face is the fact that their living space is shared with the store they are trying to run. The story starts off saying “Mrs. William Beazley was crouching on the floor of her living room over the store in a most peculiar attitude” (386). This can make it hard to separate work life from personal life. Being in the same building can cause someone to always be thinking about something that can be done in the store. In Mrs. Beazley’s case, she would be the one to do it too since Mr. Beazley didn’t do anything to help the store improve.
Another struggle rural people would face is the task of simply getting items to stock the shelves with. Professionals closer to the city have a lot more access to supplies. Rural people more than likely would have to wait for the train or some other transportation to roll through with supplies. It also forces the people to look into alternative means of revenue. One of the ways Mr. Beazley does this is by bringing in a boarder. He tells Mrs. Beazley “…I clean forgot to tell you—there’s a boarder comin’ tomorrow” (389). Mr. Beazley is looking for more income so he looks to boarders to do that.
Comment by Peter Tallau — February 22, 2011 @ 8:46 pm |
Logan Brown
Most people I have been around would consider themselves to be living in a rural area. A fair amount of them can also say that they have had a job in their lifetime. Sometimes to become big you have to start small and work your way up. We face struggles in life when aspiring to a professional status though. Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds has multiple examples that rural people face while aspiring to a professional status.
Relationships are a strong part of our society. We have friends that pick us up when we are down or laugh with us at jokes that aren’t even funny. We have strong bonds between ourselves and a special someone. These are the people that help you succeed; it is hard to be alone for some people. There a two examples I am going to take from Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds that express how relationships could be a struggle when aspiring to a professional status. Mrs. Beazley and her husband don’t have a strong relationship which ends up hurting Mr. Beazley’s professional status in the end. Mrs. Beazley states, “I can’t eat a thing. I’m so worried” (367). She continues, “He’ll do it. He’s no right to do it, but he will; he always does. He don’t care what I want -nor the children.” Mr. Beazley has no respect for his wife. He doesn’t listen to her at all.
Mr. Beazley says to his wife, “ I suppose you’ll admit that you’re a woman-and that you don’t know anything about business, and that it’s a man’s place to take care of his family to the best of his ability” (388). He may think he is taking care of his family but in reality he is only taking care of himself. Mrs. Beazley saw this and took what money was hers to start a new business that allowed for better income for her family. If Her husband would have listened to her and respected her she would have shared this business with him. She tried but he showed no interest. Now he is out everything.
A lot of us know the saying “keep your friends close but your enemies closer”. If Mr. Beazley would have put aside his differences with Mr. Hunt and kept a stable relationship with him he could be a better business man and bringing in more income for his family. There are always competitors around us, but that just brings a good challenge. Mrs. Beazley tells Miss Lawrence, “there was some talk of a ’lectric company taconite-but it fell through. He wouldn’t sell to them-said he’d sell nothing’ to Sam Hunt-just because he was and old friend of mine” (395). The electric company could have been a great advancement for his business and income. His relationship between Sam Hunt got in the way. We struggle with homework and opening ourselves to others, but if we block everyone out or treat them poorly we may be the ones losing in the end
Comment by Logan Brown — February 22, 2011 @ 11:11 pm |
Kelsey Mehrtens
2/22/11
EH 200
Living in a rural town can hinder one’s aspirations to become a “big fish” and achieve professional status. Comparing Mrs. Beazley to Miss Lawrence, one can easily see the difference growing up in a rural town or the city makes. Miss Lawrence, who is from the city, is “the best woman lawyer in New York” (399) but Mrs. Beazley, who grew up in a very rural town, lives with her husband who believes, “Wives submit yourselves to your husbands” (389). In order for Mrs. Beazley to gain professional status, she would have to overcome her community’s idea that men run the household and women tend to the house. These struggles would not be as prominent for a woman in the city because cities tend to have a more diverse population and are easier to change than a small rural community set in its ways.
Another struggle rural citizens face is gossip. People in small communities seem to know the lives of their neighbor’s as if it is their own. Mr. Beazley’s neighbor, Horace Johnson, shows this aspect of the community when he says, “Well, he was always an enterprisin’ man. Better at speculatin’ with his wife’s property than workin’ with his hands” (400). Since everyone knows the lives of their neighbors, when something changes, someone seems to notice pretty quickly. When a change occurs in a community member’s life, word seems to spread quickly through small towns. Mrs. Beazley left Mr. Beazley during the day and by the next morning, when Mr. Beazley looked out the window he saw “quite a number of his friends and neighbors were gathered together around Hunt’s store, and as each new arrival was told the story, they slapped their thighs and roared with laughter”. Had the Beazley’s lived in the city, their life would probably not be nearly as entertaining to their neighbors. With his neighbor’s knowing his most of the details of his life, “he ain’t likely to git one [job] in a hurry–not in this county”. Living in a rural area means everyone knows everything and if one has a bad reputation in the community, like Mr. Beazley, then achieving professional status would prove very difficult.
Comment by Kelsey Mehrtens — February 23, 2011 @ 12:14 am |
In today’s society, living in a rural setting certainly has its advantages and disadvantages. For many, the advantages may be living in an area that is peaceful and quite, such as you might encounter in most rural areas. However, if someone is trying to raise a family while aspiring to a professional status, may be somewhat troubling. In the short story, “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds,” the author points out some of the basic struggles people may face when they aspire to a professional status.
For example, Mr. Beazley and his family live in a rural town called Shade City, which “was well named, in part at least, for it stood in a crack of the mountains and saw neither sunrise nor sunset” (391). Those who occupy the town refer to it as a city, “consisting of five or six houses, a blacksmith shop and a store.” This store is actually owned by Mr. Beazley. However, living in a town where there are very few inhabitants, can be very challenging when aspiring to a professional status.
Mr. Beazley, who tends to show a lack of interest in his store, “tends to take everything he can scrape up and puts it into land – and then sells that and gets more” (393). The reader realizes that for some reason, Mr. Beazley is not investing enough time and effort into his store, which causes him to start buying and selling property. However, since they live in a rural town of maybe five or six families, is it even possible that Mr. Beazley could support his family by running the store?
To me, I feel that Mr. Beazley is a great example of the struggles that are related to living in a rural area. For Mr. Beazley, living in a rural area did not offer the professional status that he was trying to achieve while running the store. He had to start selling assets which then caused his relationship with his family to come to an end, as well having to take in a great deal of debt. However, if Mr. Beazley’s store was located in a more urban setting, maybe he could have made a better income, allowing his professionalism to improve and his relationship with his family to strengthen.
Comment by Marshall Davis — February 23, 2011 @ 1:50 am |
Jon Klages
Eh 200
Adam Crowley
2/21/11
“Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds “can tell us a lot about people where seen in the professional world back in the nineteen teens. Miss Lawrence was one of the best examples of this in the story. Being a woman in the professional setting in the time period in which Charlotte Perkins Gilman writes about isn’t an easy task at all. She is constantly being looked down on because she is a woman. Gilman says it perfect when she says “you never knew you had a counsel learned in the law at your place, did you! Miss Lawrence is the best woman lawyer in New York”(399). Mr. Beazley would never think that s someone like Miss Lawrence could be an excellent lawyer. The general thinking about someone in the professional world during the time of this story is that men run the professional world and women stay home to take care of the homes. Miss Lawrence is a prime example of how women can be much more than a home keeper.
More evidence from the story is the way that the “public” views Mr. Beazley. To everyone else in the town Mr. Beazley seems like a good business man who is able to run his store without help from anyone at all. When in reality it is Mrs. Beazley who does a significant more amount of work doesn’t get any credit at all. Mrs. Beazley holds all the power in the family because the deeds are in her name and she doesn’t get any credit from anyone at all. People saw women as less so that means they couldn’t be in the professional world.
Comment by Jon Klages — February 23, 2011 @ 4:00 am |
Jaimie Beers
Professor Adam Crowley
EH 200 Approaches to Literature
23 February 2011
I would say that most of the people that I am around would consider themselves to live in a rural area, and I would say the same. I would consider my parents very successful people, but they always told me that you have to work hard to get to be where they are now. But they would also say that in rural areas it’s harder to find work and opportunities, so you need to start where you can, work your way up, and make sure to do your best and make good work relationships. In the story “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” there are examples of struggles that rural people face while aspiring for a professional status.
When you live in a rural place there is not a lot of room for a lot of businesses. Because of this fact you don’t want to have a lot of enemies so that you can have partners and people to do business with. In the story Mr. Beazley didn’t like Sam Hunt, and because of this he wouldn’t do business with him. When Mrs. Beazley and Miss Lawrence had their talk Mrs. Beazley told Miss Lawrence that, “he wouldn’t sell to them—said he’d sell nothin’ to Sam Hunt—just because he was an old friend of mine…Mr. Beazley was always jealous of Sam…” (395). Sam Hunt wanted to buy land from Mr. Beazley, but he wouldn’t sell to him because of his jealousy. Selling to Sam Hunt would have given him a lot of money, and it would have helped him raise his professional status.
Mr. Beazley didn’t treat his wife with the respect that he should have, and because of that she picked up her kids, took all her money, sold the store, and left Mr. Beazley with nothing. When Mr. Beazley had come home from a trip, “he tried the side door—the back door—the woodshed—all were locked and the windows shut tight with sticks over them,” (396). Mrs. Beazley had sold their story to Sam Hunt while Mr. Beazley was away getting supplies. After Miss Lawrence had revealed herself as Mrs. Beazley’s lawyer and given him and ultimatum Mr. Beazley looked out upon his friends and neighbors and heard, “he ain’t likely to git one in a hurry—not in this county—unless Sam Hunt’ll take him in,” (400). Because he didn’t want to do business with Sam Hunt and made a fool of himself in front of his neighbors and lowered his professional status it would be hard for him to find work.
Comment by Jaimie Beers — February 23, 2011 @ 4:06 am |
In a rural setting, sometimes achieving a professional status can be difficult. Many things can have an impact on a person’s ability to become a professional. The largest issue on the inability to become a professional would probably come in the form of income. In the city or urban setting money is much easier to come by. There are more opportunities that allow a person to make money and advance their lives. In “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds”, there is a lack of income causing the Beazley family to be stuck running a store and having to take boarders. A professional would be someone who specializes in one specific trade or occupation. The Beazley’s seem to be concluded in the phrase: a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Not having money causes the Beazleys to focus on performing many tasks and does not give them the convenience of becoming a professional in any one task. At one point in the story, Mr. Beazley says, “ I suppose you’ll admit that you’re a woman—and that you don’t know anything about business, and that it’s a mans place to take care of his family to the best of his ability” (388). Mr. Beazley’s issue is that he is running the store, taking in boarders, and selling property. He is also suppressing his wife’s ability to succeed and further her own career. With this situation it is impossible for either Mr. or Mrs. Beazley to obtain a professional status in any field.
Comment by Justin Richards — February 23, 2011 @ 4:27 am |
When becoming a professional in the work field it is important to understand that there are going to be many struggles that follow. The story, Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows us a few of these struggles that can surface in the professional field. In Mrs. Beazley’s case, her and her husband ran a store, and by him being a male in that time period, he was demanding at times. He didn’t speak well to his wife when he wanted something done. Our author states, ““Maria!…this lady wants some cotton elastic,” said he, “you know where those dewdabs are better’n I do”” (386). Mr. Beazley doesn’t show much respect to his wife and it is expected of her to do everything. She has to wait on customers as well as cook dinner and keep everything in order. The author states, “ Maria!…Ain’t supper ready yet?” (387). Not only does she have to run the store but she must take care of the daily duties a women is expected to take care of.
Being a professional can be a very hard thing to do when there is more to it than just work. Being a woman in the time that Mrs. Beazley was written was difficult because the men needed certain things done such as a clean house and dinner ready. In running into these problems it is important to keep a clear and open mind so frustrations do not interfere with the work environment. Our author states, ““It’ll be ready at six, same as it always is,” she replied wearily, turning again to the door” (387). Mrs. Beazley way of dealing with her frustrations is to just give him an answer and walk away. She is used to dealing with his treating her this way on a daily basis so she had to adjust to a way to deal with it their business didn’t suffer because of it.
Comment by Aimee Mortensen — February 23, 2011 @ 1:21 pm |
Living in a rural area has its advantages and disadvantages to the members of the community. A rural area is an area with a low population density. With a small population, it is sometimes very hard to get to the professional status many people aspire. The story “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” examines the difficulties of acquiring a professional status in a rural area.
With a small population it is hard for stores to grow and prosper in rural areas. One examples of this is the store owned by Mr. Beazley. The store is located in the Shade City which is referred to by author Charlotte Perkins Gilman by writing, “the “City” consisted of five or six house, a blacksmith shop and “the store” strung along the narrow banks” (391). This store is Mr. Beazley’s store which struggles to grow being located in Shade City. With a small area of only five or six houses and not much attraction in the area, Mr. Beazley struggles to make profit with his store.
Another struggle Mr. Beazley faces living in a rural area is staying focused on his profession. Mrs. Beazley states after Miss Lawrence asks about the stores popularity, “Not so much as it would be if he’d attend to it. But he won’t stock up as he ought to—and he takes everything he can scrape and puts it into land” (393). This statement made by his wife shows how Mr. Beazley has ventured off trying to make his store into something he can be proud to own to try and make money by other means.
Rural areas have many disadvantages of a businessman trying to rise to professionalism and this is shown in “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds”. The story shows the detachment that Mr. Beazley shows he has with his store, especially when he calls to his wife to get something. Mr. Beazley says, “This lady wants some cotton elastic”, he said, “you know where those dewdabs are better’n I do”(386). Mr. Beazley has to call his wife to find something for a customer in his own store. If Mr. Beazley was trying to rise to a more professional status, more effort on his end will have to be applied to his store, maybe bringing in a new group of customers.
Comment by Alex Martin — February 23, 2011 @ 1:35 pm |
“Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” can tell a lot about the basic struggles people in rural areas may face when they aspire to a professional status. First off, many rural people struggle with the difficulty of receiving support from their spouse. Mrs. Beazley gets no support from her husband in the story, but instead is commanded by Mr. Beazley, and is expected to do whatever he wants. Another issue in the story that some people struggle with is gender differences in the professional world. In the story, Miss Lawrence is a well known, respected female lawyer, and because she is a female, Mr. Beazley expects nothing.
In the story, Mrs. Beazley wants to keep the last piece of land her father gave her. Ideally, she would like the family to live there not only because it is where she grew up, but because the area would be better for both the children and the family business. In the story, Mrs. Beazley tells he husband “but that house in Rockford is mine—where I was brought up—and I want to keep it for the children. If only you’d live there, William. I’d take boarders and be glad to—to keep the old home! And you could sell that water power—or lease it” (389). However, although living in Rockford would be better for the family, Mr. Beazley responds with “You’re talking nonsense, Mrs. Beazley—and too much of it.” While Mrs. Beazley is looking out for the better interest of the family both domestically and professionally, Mr. Beazley refuses to support his wife, and instead thinks that her ideas aren’t worth listening to.
Another struggle people face in the professional world is gender differences. It is clear throughout the story that Mr. Beazley thinks far less of women than he does of men in the way he treats his wife and how he thinks of Miss Lawrence. First off, when Mr. Beazley tells his wife she is coming to live with them he tells his wife that she will be her responsibility “seein’ as it’s a woman” (389). The real struggle comes though when Mr. Beazley finds out that Miss Lawrence is the one giving his wife legal advice as she is a lawyer, and a well respected one at that. This is a struggle many people face when trying to gain professional status, because if gender roles aren’t able to be overcome than people can’t be as successful as they could be if they’d work side by side, rather than against the other. Mr. Beazley fails because he thinks he’s better, and when it comes time for Mr. Beazley to get a job because he was left with nothing the town’s people speculate that “he ain’t likely to git one in a hurry—not in this county” (400). Because Mr. Beazley treated his wife so poorly people in the town aren’t fond of him, and now that he has no deeds to sell, people simply aren’t interested.
Comment by Lindsey Oliver — February 23, 2011 @ 1:52 pm |
Lindsay Riedel
Details of the world of work are abundant within Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds. From the work of Mr. Beazley which is not really all that much work, to the backbreaking labor of Mrs. Beazley to support her family, it is a struggle for everyone to make a living and still have time left for one’s self. A good example of the basic struggles people face when they aspire to a professional status is Miss Lawrence – a woman lawyer in a time when women were not given much opportunity in the professional world. She had to overcome bias of gender to get to the position she is in, not to mention the years of education it requires to become a lawyer.
Even once professional status is acquired – as in Miss Lawrence’s case – she continues to be undermined by people she comes into contact with. Mr. Beazely is guilty of this. He thinks, “’She’s Miss, all right, and no chicken,’ he said to himself, ‘but looks young enough too. Can’t have much money or she’d not be boardin’ with us, up there. Schoolma’am, I guess” (391). The reader is told, here, of the attitude Miss Lawrence faces every day. Perhaps even worse than this; we cannot be sure because we do not see Miss Lawrence’s behavior in a professional setting. We can ascertain, however, that Miss Lawrence has to struggle constantly with being judged solely by her gender. This is also true of Mrs. Beazley.
That is not to say that the male characters of this story do not struggle with professional status; merely in different ways. Mr. Beazley struggles with his business sense, which is lackluster. Mrs. Beazley says that, “he’s all for buyin’ and sellin’ and makin’ money, and I think half the time he loses and won’t let me know” (392). Mr. Beazley struggles to be successful and make money. He struggles to be taken seriously by people from his town. This is apparent in the way that they treat him at the end of the story. It says, “quite a number of his friends and neighbors were gathered together around Hunt’s store, and as each new arrival was told the story, they slapped their thighs and roared with laughter.” Instead of feeling sorry for his plight, his supposed “friends” are mocking him. They do not take him seriously and none of them are even willing to give him a job after he has lost everything. Mr. Beazley’s struggles too, are great; just as they are for us all.
Comment by Lindsay Riedel — February 23, 2011 @ 2:38 pm |