Instrcutor’s Handbook: Unit One

• World of Play: Eh 200 Instructor’s Guide to Unit One

Rationale and Overview:

The professional fields are bound by a common level of social literacy sensitive to the various economic and cultural circumstances that shape employers, employees, and their families.

Consequently, students endeavoring to attain professional status in the workforce must be generally conversant with the interrelated concepts of play, work, income, and class they are understood by different segments of society.

They must be able to articulate how such terms bear on their own lives through the rhetorical tropes of academic discourse.

The purpose of Unit One is to introduce students to the fundamental social and literary concepts they will need to begin their investigations this semester.

This starts with a consideration of the concept of “play” as it is represented and discussed in several short works.

Students are asked to make connections between play as it is experienced in their own lives and play as it is represented in these works for the purpose of drawing distinctions and noting the particular social factors that may bear on these experiences.

Students will use the writing process throughout, and will, in particular, begin to focus on the importance of well-defined terms in argumentation.

Unit Documents:

• Unit Guide for Instructors

• Argumentative Précis Assignment Sheet.

• Peer Review Sheet

• Argumentative Précis Scoring Guide Sheet

• Précis composition

• Oral presentation

• Close reading

• Use of definitions in argumentation: specifically, definitions for “play,” “income,” and “class.”

• Recognize that there is a meaningful distinction to be made between concepts of class and concepts of income.

Unit Skills:

Suggested Readings:

“The Untold Lie,” by Sherwood Anderson.

“The Gift of the Magi,” by O. Henry.

“Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

While the instructor is free to choose selections from the common text, a major goal of this unit is to encourage close readings. Consequently, students should be working with each story for at least one week – and preferably two. Discussion of the stories should revolve around major class concepts.  Stories need to be revisited as new concepts are introduced.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed by a combination of written and oral tasks. They will produce a packet of three précis, one of which will undergo significant revision. There will be and at least two semi-formal oral presentations (see accompanying assignment sheet). Other assignments they must complete include regular journal entries, peer-reviews, and reflection assignments. For the student to be successful, he or she must demonstrate a facility and proficiently with the necessary texts.

Mini-Lesson Possibilities:

• Journaling

• Blogging

• Re-reading

• Revision workshop

• Peer Review

• Effective oral presentations

• Identifying thematic elements

• Idea generation

• Précis review

 

Video on our basic terms and their purpose:

Eh 200 Argumentative Précis [For Distribution to Students]

Your first paper in Approaches to Literature will be an argumentative précis. This document will follow the basic structure for the rhetorical précis you mastered in Eh 124, with a slight modification.

Stories, unlike essays, rarely have a clear thesis statement, and good stories often speak to a range of concerns. More often than not, good stories marshal a host of details, concerns, and events into a particular shape that has an intellectual or emotional effect on the reader.

Consequently, when we assess a story, we are always arguing – it is unavoidable.

The argumentative précis can be differentiated from the Eh 124 précis as follows: in the thesis section of argumentative précis, you will not be responsible for identifying the work’s summarizing statement. Rather, you will be responsible for arguing to a guided point, one that will be detailed in the assignment your instructor gives you.

The Argumentative Précis (Pray-SEE): General Notes

• As you learned in Eh 124, the point of a précis is to detail a work for an audience that needs to know about a text without reading the entire document. 

• The goal is to inform the audience without “dumbing down” or oversimplifying the material.

• To complete this assignment, you will need to incorporate direct quotations from the story. You will do this to express points that are better articulated by the author than you yourself could articulate them. You will need to do this frequently.

• Do not use “I” anywhere in this piece.

The Argumentative Précis (Pray-SEE): Structure

• There are three simple parts to a Précis: Situation, Issue, and Thesis

• Each section should be titled as such. This is okay in a précis.

Part 1: The Situation

 In your first section, you will be analyzing the situation of the writing. This may require some limited research (confined to the book).

You will answer the following questions to the extent you are able.

• What is the rhetorical situation for this piece of writing?

1. When (be specific) was the piece written, by whom, and for whom?

2. Who is the intended audience?

3. What would this audience’s educational background, age, nationality, likely be?

4. Where was the piece published? What kind of readership does (did) this publication have?

5. What do you know about the author?

• Sometimes you will be able to answer all of these questions. Other times, you will not. That is part of the challenge.

The key is to think about how these things impacted the piece of writing. Give examples when possible from the text. _You always need to be citing!_

Other questions to address if possible:

1. What situation does the author address?

2. What is the specific event that prompted the writing?

3. What is the general purpose of this piece – is it to persuade, argue, suggest, evaluate, theorize, discuss, debate, or contribute to a discussion?

Think of your writing in this section as a kind of long introduction to your précis, as you are providing both context and purpose for the piece.

 It will be about 3/4 of a FULL page long.

Part II: The Issue:

• In this section, you will be identifying the questions the author answers in the piece that relate to income and play.

• Identify the major questions the author raises about the relationship between play and income as these concepts impact the life of a specific character.

• You will also need to define terms in this section. Any relevant term that would be either archaic or unfamiliar for a general reader should be defined here. You can do this with bullet points, but must write in complete sentences.

• This will be about 1/2 to 2/3rds of a full page.

 Part III: The Thesis

• In this section, you will presenting and defending a thesis statement  in response to the following comment: What is the major question the author raises about how income and play impact the life of a specific character (Stick with the same character you considered in the Issue section).

• Your goal here is to describe how the author explores these realities with specific details, and what it is he or she appears to say about them. This requires you to make an argument, which will begin with a THESIS and follow the TOULMIN STYLE argumentation format you learned in Eh 123/124.

Additional Notes:

• The document is a full three or four pages. This will be a detailed analysis and is not an abstract, book report, or anything of the kind!

• This piece will challenge you both as a reader and writer, and will also force you to engage with the story in a way that many of you have never done before.

• The production of knowledge happens in relation to other knowledge. That is why it is important to understand context and to work to develop a deeper understanding of the texts we read. An exercise such as this will provide you with the tools to both analyze and then later produce knowledge, important skills regardless of your field

Eh 200: Peer Revision for Argumentative Précis

Reader:_________________________

Writer:_________________________

1)      Please provide a brief summary of the paper. You may use the back of this sheet.

2)      Describe the organization of the piece. It is effective? How? How might the wrier organize it better? Be specific.

3)      Has the writer demonstrated a clear understanding of the three major sections of the précis? Explain in detail.

4)      What are your overall impressions of the piece?

5)      Please comment on the mechanics (grammar, paragraph structure, etc.) of the piece. What are the writer’s weak points?

 

Rubric: Argumentative Précis:  

Précis Rubric: Unit One	A	B	C	D	F
Introduction	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates extraordinary understanding of subject.	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates deep familiarity with subject.	Meets all structural requirements. Demonstrates Competent understanding of subject	Fails to meet the structural requirements.	Serious structural issues.
Issue	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates extraordinary understanding of subject.	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates deep familiarity with subject	Meets all structural requirements. Demonstrates Competent understanding of subject	Fails to meet the structural requirements.	Serious structural issues.
Thesis	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates extraordinary understanding of subject.	Meets all structural requirements and demonstrates deep familiarity with subject	Meets all structural requirements. Demonstrates Competent understanding of subject	Fails to meet the structural requirements.	Serious structural issues.
Grammar	Extraordinary construction.	Masterful Construction.	Competent construction.	Moderate and or sustained linguistic confusion.	Serious deficits in apparent literacy level.

 

Three Suggestions for Revision:  1.  2.  3.

           

Score

Precis Sample One:

Précis of Sherwood Anderson.“The Untold Lie” (1919). Used from The Haves and Have-Nots. Harmondsworth: Signet Classic, 1999. 50-56.

Situation: “The Untold Lie” by Sherwood Anderson is a short story that follows the journey of Ray Pearson. Ray and his co-worker, Hal are farmhands in a small town of Ohio. One evening, Hal asks Ray for some advice. He has gotten Nell Gunther pregnant and the situation hits home for Ray as he is put on the spot for counsel (53). Hal wants to know if he should or should not marry Nell. The most prominent theme that can be found would be what it takes for someone to see the happiness in a restrictive life when their past experiences seem to rule what income class you’re in.

“The Untold Lie” was written in the year 1919 (55). The audience is people from middle to lower income classes, because Ray and Hal are from a lower income class and therefore relate to the audience is a pathos approach. Anderson is also presenting an argument to explore as he invites the reader into a portion of Ray’s life. This glimpse shows how someone in a lower income class might deal with being asked for advice on a personal subject. Anderson includes many detailed descriptions that bring the situation alive in the reader’s mind and allows them to explore the story as intended by the author.

Anderson, author of “The Untold Lie”, was in constant fear of turning up like his father (50). In his eyes, his father was a foolish man who failed miserably at providing for his family. He worked with fervor to make up for what he felt his father lacked. Anderson carried jobs such as: delivery boy, newsboy, stable-hand, and factory employee. He began writing in his spare time near the age of thirty while also a businessman. Originally from Ohio, Anderson moved to Chicago after having a nervous breakdown due to the high stress of being pulled by his demanding job and by his need to devote himself to writing. In Chicago, he took a job as an advertising copywriter to ease financial stress and allow him time for his literary calling.

Anderson lived a middle-class life. Working so many tedious jobs and finally becoming a business man, this gave him credibility for his pieces about poverty. He also wrote about other sides of human society. This would include subjects like love and marginalization (Merriman). Much of his literary contributions have reflected his very own struggles in life. Windy McPherson’sSon, Anderson’s first novel, was published in 1916. Next to appear was a collection of tales entitled, Winesburg, Ohio. From 1921 to 1933, Anderson also published three other collections including: The Triumph of the Egg, Horses and Men, and Death in the Woods and Other Stories.

Issue: Anderson raises questions regarding play and income in “The Untold Lie”. Some questions are as follows: Does one’s income class define their play? Can people from the lower income class have an enjoyable life even through all the hardship? What does it take for someone to see the good parts of a restrictive life when past experiences seemed to rule what income class you’re in?

“The Untold Lie” contains quite a few terms that may not be comprehensible to the average audience. Anderson, describing Hal’s father, Windpeter Winters, he says, “and who was looked upon by everyone in Winesburg as a confirmed old reprobate (51).” By using the term reprobate, the author hopes the audience will see Windpeter Winters as an immoral person and as someone whose soul is bound for Hell. Another term not too familiar to the audience would be “humdrum”. He states, “Most boys have seasons of wishing they could die gloriously instead of just being grocery clerks and going on with their humdrum lives (51).” So in the same sentence, one could say that the boys lead boring lives that lack variety.

The Winters boys are described as woman-chasers. “like Old Windpeter himself and all fighters and woman-chasers and generally all-around bad ones.” By saying this, the Winters boys should be perceived as men who take aggressive advances at women. Hal is also to be “the worst of the lot and always up to devilment.” Devilment is troublesome, devilish behavior. With a close parallel meaning comparable to woman-chasers, is the term woman scrapes. Anderson says, “He was only twenty-two…been in two or three …woman scrapes (52).” Woman scrapes can be defined as hurtful events involving a woman.

Later in the story, Hal is leaving for the night and Anderson describes this event as, “Hal, dressed and ready for a roistering night in town (54).” This phrase implies that Hal is going into town for loud and rowdy partying. Ray, instead of going out for an unruly night, is accused of “always puttering (54)” about by his wife. This meaning that, that she is reproving him of always leisurely doing unimportant tasks. Lastly, in the beginning and the end of the story, Anderson describes Ray’s home as a “tumble-down frame house (51,56)”. By this description one can envision Ray living with his family in a faulty framed house ready to fall at just about any moment. All of Anderson’s descriptive terms, even though some can be thought of as confusing, really help the characters’ personalities come to life.

Thesis: Ray’s income influences the way he views play and class. The troubled life in which he lives is shown in many details by Anderson. The reader sees the dismal outlook Ray has throughout the story as he remembers aspects of his own life. One can understand his sad feelings as they look at the character class of Ray, and by looking at the setting in this story. Setting is referring to how people interact with situations and events.

Ray is an example that Anderson uses to prove that income affects one’s play. Instead of going to the west where Ray could get a better job and have better play, he stayed in Ohio. He got the job he didn’t want and only did the things for play that he could afford to do. Ray, being a man of lower income enjoys wandering in the woods, and gathering nuts. More of the simple kinds of things, or that are quiet like him (52). At one point in the story, Ray thinks about a time before his life was changed by marriage and children and he dreamed of going west. He remembered his wishes of becoming a sailor or getting a job on a ranch. He thinks of himself riding on a horse laughing and “waking people up with his wild cries (55),” but because of getting his wife, Minnie, pregnant he had to get a job as a farmhand. Becoming a farmhand was the last thing he wanted to do, but he did it for his new responsibility he had coming. By taking a job he needed he was able to provide for his family even if it meant leaving behind dreams of the kind of play Ray wished for.

Even though the issues in Ray’s life are frequent and many, he still has an enjoyable life. Though life can seem really hard especially with being in a low income class, it is quite manageable to have play and enjoyment. Ray is a perfect illustration of such a statement. He was from a lower income class, because he worked as a farmhand. He lived in a tumble-down frame house. This proves that Ray’s income was definitely below average. Even though their income restricted the variety of play they could have, they could still enjoy themselves. Ray originally wished to head west and ride horses, but due to the situation he found himself in earlier in life, this dream was as far away as the west itself. Ray admired nature, and went into the woods on wanderings (52). While some readers may not find these activities enjoyable, Ray really did enjoy them. As stated in the story, Hal remembered “some memory of pleasant evenings spent with his thin-legged children in the tumble-down house (56)”. Ray, even though deprived of many enjoyable things in life due to his employment situation, he still finds pleasure in his play.

Ray still has those good days that separate the bad ones, even though responsibility has stripped the potential enjoyment. All it took was someone saying they wanted to get married and have children. Ray seems unhappy with his home life as we see him admiring nature and thinking with regret upon his family. He even says, “Tricked by [God], that’s what I was, tricked by life and made a fool of (52).” Ray even adds later, “Why should I pay? Why should Hal pay? Why should anyone pay? I don’t want Hal to become old and worn out (55).” While thinking about children he cries, “They are accidents of life… (55)” After catching up to Hal and listening to him say he actually wants to marry Nell, settle down and have children he begins to appreciate his family.

One can tell his change of mind as Anderson says he remembers happy evenings with his children and he even says, “Whatever I told him would have been a lie (56)”. This meaning that whether he told him he’d be unhappy and to run from marriage, or it’s the right thing to do so he should go through with marrying Nell, it doesn’t matter, because both would’ve been lies. By the end of the story, Ray realizes that he does have happiness in his life and all it took was someone pointing out that they wanted to settle down and have children. This was not the exact way Ray wanted his life turn. Yet, throughout the dilemmas shown in his life, Ray can still find the precious jewels hidden in the soot.

Precis Example Two:

The Situation

The short story “The Untold Lie” was published in 1919 by Sherwood Anderson. It was published as part of a collection of short stories entitled “Winesburg, Ohio” (Spear). These stories were set in the fictional town of Winesburg, a rural farming community, and follow the lives of various community members. According to “The Sherwood Anderson Foundation”, Anderson was born in Ohio, and spent much of his childhood there, though he later moved to Chicago to pursue full time writing. “Winesburg, Ohio” was his most famous work, and also the work that established him as a major American literary figure. It was this collection of short stories which later inspired such writers as Faulkner and Hemingway(Spear).

Sherwood Anderson was born into a poor rural family, and the short stories of “Winesburg, Ohio” reflect that experience. Anderson’s writing is aimed at the educated American middle class, yet he primarily depicts the lives of the lower and middle income of rural America(Spear). In “The Untold Lie” Anderson gives a glimpse into the lives of two farm hands, Ray and Hal. Ray, the older farm hand, is weighed down by years of hard work and responsibility. Hal, on the other hand is a younger man, just starting out in life. He has just gotten a local woman “in trouble”, and is deciding whether or not to marry her and assume the responsibility of a family. Hal is also a trouble maker, and considered “a bad one” by the community(Anderson, 51). It is interesting to note that Sherwood Anderson himself abandoned his wife and three young children to pursue his dream of becoming a full time writer. It seems like with this story in particular, he is writing from his personal experience.

The Issue

            In “The Untold Lie” Sherwood Anderson puts into contrast the two lives of Ray and Hal. The two men are “as unlike as two men can be unlike”(50). Ray is a family man who adheres to the values of the community he lives in. Hal is regarded by the  community as a troublemaker and has little concern for what the community thinks of him. Anderson uses the contrast between these two men to raise fundamental questions regarding the way they live. Questions such as, is it better to live an honorable life within the values of ones community, even if that means a harder and less fullfilling life? Would Ray be better off if he lived more like Hal? Are Ray’s values helping or hurting him? Ray has lived his life in a way that make him a respectable member of the community, but which also have worn him out and left him little time to pursue play.

Anderson also raises questions about the relationship between income and play. What form can play take in individuals whose means are as limited as Ray and Hal’s are?
Given his resources, is it possible for Ray to meet his family responsibilities and still get the relaxation and fulfillment he wants in life? On page 52, Ray remembers what his life was like before he married and assumed the responsibility of a family. He thinks about how much he enjoyed wandering in the woods, relaxing and daydreaming. Ray is now too worn out and busy meeting his responsibilities to indulge in these activities.

“The Untold Lie” contained several words which might be unfamiliar to the modern reader. The following are examples of such words accompanied by their definitions.

Reprobate: A depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person.

Devilment: Devilish action or conduct.

Roistering: To act in a swaggering, boisterous, or uproarious manner.

Jauntily: Easy and sprightly in manner or bearing.

The Thesis

            In his short story, “The Untold Lie”, Sherwood Anderson presents to his audience the complex relationship between income, responsibility, and the ability to pursue a fulfilling life. He uses the example of Ray, an old farmhand, who has been crushed down by heavy labor in order to support his wife and “half a dozen thin-legged children”(51). Ray has conformed to society’s expectations of him, yet at the same time he feels “tricked by life and made a fool of”(52). His income will never be enough for a comfortable life, all he can ever hope for is to get by. Ray doesn’t have the luxury to relax or slow down and enjoy his life, as he would clearly like to. On page 54, Ray’s wife Minnie criticizes him, saying “You’re always puttering, now I want you to hustle.” His wife’s comment sums up what his life has become.

Anderson’s story centers around Ray’s momentary awakening to his situation. While Ray and Hal are working together in a field, Ray suddenly notices the natural beauty around him. He begins to daydream and fantasizes about what his life would have been like if he had rejected his family responsibilities. He remembers back to his childhood, when he had all the time in the world to relax and enjoy the world around him.

Even as he is enjoying this daydream, he feels guilty and torn. When Hal asks him to come out and say what he is thinking, he is unable to. He thinks instead “there was only one thing to say to Hal Winters, only one thing that all his own training and all of the beliefs of the people he knew would approve”(53).

By the end of the story, Ray’s awakening is fading from his mind, and he is preparing to go back to his family. He has decided that whatever he might have said to Hal “would have been a lie”. He does not seem, though, to be in a state of despair. In fact he is laughing, “at himself and all the world”(56). It seems that his daydreaming has let him reconcile himself with his life. He can again remember the aspects of family life he finds satisfying. “Pleasant evenings spent with the thin-legged children”(56). In his own way, Ray has found a way to play that fits into his difficult life and limited income.

Anderson demonstrates the ambivalence Ray feels toward his family, and by extension, the community values that hold him. He is an honorable and “sensitive” man(52), and even though he feels ambivalent, he holds to the values he was raised to believe in. The ending of “The Untold Lie” is anticlimactic. We will never find out what comes of Ray or Hal, and we will never know which of Ray’s thoughts was the true lie. The story ends at night, with both men disappearing into the darkness. By ending the story in this way, Anderson strengthens the impact of his message, and the questions he raises regarding income, play, and class.

Works Cited

Spear, David. “Sherwood Anderson, A Brief Biography 1876-1941.” The Sherwood          Anderson Foundation. Web. 14 Sep 2010.

Anderson, Sherwood. The Untold Lie. 1919. Print.

Precis Example Three:

Precis of Gilman, Charlotte, Perkins “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds.” In Barbara Solomon’s The Haves And Have-Nots (386-400). New York: New York / New American Library.

SITUATION:

The story “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” is about how women were valued in the nineteenth century society. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, moved to California at the age of thirty after divorcing her husband. “She lectured on women’s status and socialism, taught school, operated a boarding house, edited newspapers, and wrote articles and novels. Her articles on feminist issues are Women and Economics (1898), Concerning Children (1900), Human Work (1904), The Man-Made World (1911). Gilman’s novels are The Crux (1911), Herland (1915), Moving the Mountain (1911), and With Her in Our Land (1916)” (386).  The latter three are feminist works. The author has an autobiography that was published in 1935, The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She was terminally ill with cancer and chose to end her own life in 1935.

The treatment of women was extremely negative; most were expected to stay home to fulfill domestic responsibilities. Mrs. Beazley’s issue involved her husband selling land and property that was willed to her by her father. She signs the legal documents due to feelings of force from her husband. At one point Mrs. Beazley says to her husband after he exclaims, “You’ve signed the deeds,” she replies, “Yes, I know I have- you made me” (389). Mr. Beazley brings home a tenant to keep his spouse occupied and distracted from his escapades only to have the woman legally advise her of her rights. The author wrote “Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds” to shed light on how women were treated in the nineteenth century society and how they are still treated to this day in time. Gilman writes this story to appeal to American men and women and make them aware of how men and women are equals.

ISSUES:

Many problems and questions arise from the main issue in this story. One of the concerns created is how responsible are women for their unfair treatment? And is society just as guilty? Gilman insinuates that society’s general attitude towards a woman was that her place in society was to be controlled or dominated by a male figure. An example of this is when Mr. Beazley proclaims, “ Women are words and men are deeds is a good sayin’ but what’s more to the purpose is Bible sayin’, ‘Wives submit to your husbands’” (389). Another question raised is how does poverty influence the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Beazley? Would Mr. Beazley have disregarded Mrs. Beazley’s pleas and sold all of the property and land that belonged to his wife if they had not been stricken with poverty? The author makes you question if Mrs. Beazley would have divorced her husband if she never met Miss Lawrence.

We can assume that the Beazleys were brought up in the same type of cultural beliefs but there is no evidence in this story to substantiate that claim. Many times during the story the author points out to the audience how the roles of women were inferior to those of men, especially in marriages. Mr. Beazley says to his wife, “What do women know about business anyway! You just tell him you’re perfectly willin’ and under no compulsion and sign the paper- that’s all you have to do” (388)! This is just one of the many excerpts that highlight the inferiority of women to men in the nineteenth century. Did the women who lived through that era really believe that they were so inferior and unworthy of having an opinion?

In this section you will see some terms that are defined so as to make the reading flow more readily.

Deeds (387) = A legal document which transfers ownership of a property (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 172).

Escapades = A reckless adventure (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 222).

Feminist (386) = One who supports movement to win political, economic, and social equality for women (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 239).

THESIS:

Women like Mrs. Beazley allowed themselves to be treated immorally and controlled by men during the nineteenth century society. It was in their power to change the way they were being treated by society instead of forfeiting all their power to men. Mrs. Beazley signs all the deeds of property and land over to her husband even though she doesn’t want to. She does this because she thinks she has to. Miss Lawrence asked Mrs. Beazley at one point in the story, “Why do you let him, if you feel sure he is wrong!” Mrs. Beazley replies “Let him! Oh, well you ain’t married! Let him! Miss Lawrence, you don’t know men (393)! This is an example of her reasoning of signing the deeds when questioned about it. The author also insinuated that Mr. Beazley may be abusive to his wife and children when they don’t do as they are told. Mrs. Beazley makes a statement that says it all. “You don’t understand- here am I and here’s the children, and none of us can get away, and if I don’t do as he says I must, he takes it out on us- that’s all.”

Society is just as responsible as the men and women themselves for the inequality. The general attitude towards a woman was that her place in society was to be controlled and dominated by members of the opposite sex. The quote from The Bible saying, “wives submit yourselves to your husbands” (389), this is society’s value of women in print for the world to see! It is written in the bible so it must be the consensus of most of the men and women, so it is no wonder women were disregarded the way they were. Mr. Beazley believed that quote from The Bible was law! That is low class of society to have such a belief, and to demoralize a gender in such a manner. The men such as Mr. Beazley behaved in a low class manner, treating women as objects instead of beings. ‘“Women are words and men are deeds,’ is a good saying,” Mr. Beazley told his wife (389). There are further questions I’d like to explore relating to class and income in the following paragraphs.

“A pale, dragged out appearance” and she was dressed in a “stringy calico” (386). These details inform the reader that Mrs. Beazley does not have the time to take care of her appearance nor the resources, and therefore she exists in a lower income level and her lifestyle is directed by this. The setting is “on the floor of her living room over the store,” this supports the fact that her life is full of work because she lives in the same place as her livelihood (386). Mrs. Beazley worked hard to take care of her children and this places her in the upper class morally. Mr. Beazley was an overbearing and cruel man. This conflicted with the ethics of Mrs. Beazley, “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” (387). Although she disagreed with her husband’s actions, she never corrected him and therefore their lifestyle remained in that lower class. Mrs. Beazley commented, “What’s the use of fightin’ over everything,” and so even though she disagreed with Mr. Beazley, her allowance of his actions showed acceptance (389). The conflict created a lower class income, where Mr. Beazley’s dishonesty and his corrupted morals controlled their household.

Mrs. Beazley’s departure at the end of the story transitions her into upper class lifestyle. The suffering that the situation caused her children conflicted her conscious, and she noted, “That’s what I can’t get reconciled to” (393). In addition to this, a push from Miss Lawrence allowed her to enter into an unrestricted domain. Mrs. Beazley’s morals would now rule her household, not Mr. Beazley’s corrupted schemas. Miss Lawrence had “advised Mrs. Beazley to take the children and go away for a complete change and rest” (399). Mrs. Beazley was now empowered and able to make her own decisions and control her family’s lifestyle.

 

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