Saturday, February 14, 2009
"Maid to Order" Response
Barbara Ehrenreich’s essay “Maid to Order” highlights many interesting points and observations about the little known world of residential cleaning. At first glance, cleaning someone’s home seems as innocuous as taking out the trash. However, Ehrenreich exposes the darker side of this task; in particular, the power dynamics between the sexes comes to mind. More often than not, it is the women’s duty to clean the house and pick up after the men. This unspoken agreement between the genders has been one of the staples of the patriarchal society in America. The basic theory, from a feminist perspective, is that housework equates to power. Ehrenreich observes that, “To make a mess that another person will have to deal with…is to exert domination in one of its more silent and intimate forms” (61). Men have power because they force women (indirectly) to clean up after them. Even in contemporary times, women still do the majority of household cleaning. This fact compels Ehrenreich to introduce us to a “dea ex machina,” (62) the maid. She notes that in the past few decades, the home has slowly transformed into a workplace for these maids. What used to be an intimate household chore has now given way to the entrepreneurs seeking profits in a capitalist economy. In light of this recent trend, the author raises the following question: “Is the home a place where you would want to live?” (62) My answer is no, because I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting strangers probe through every nook and cranny of my house. The home should remain a private part of one’s life. Any conflict between men and women concerning household chores should be resolved in an assertive and definitive manner.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ehrenreich Response
Barbara Ehrenreich's article "Maid to Order" is an interesting interpretation of the cleaning service workforce and its implications for society. She claims that the continuation--indeed, the growth--of the maid service system is an indication that "men won" (Ehrenreich 62) the battle of delegating household chores, so that a wide gender gap still exists. While the fact that women still do the majority of house work is significant, I remain unconvinced by several aspects of her article. Mainly, I take issue with some of her extreme claims, as well as a crucial gap in her evidentiary support.
One of Ehrenreich's central claims does not ring true, since intentions that she attributes to people do not necessarily exist. Specifically, she claims that men won the "chore wars" by making "a few strategic concessions" (62). This implies that men colluded in a grand plot to avoid chores (a comical thought--too bad Aristophanes is long dead). I do not think this is the case. Rather, I think that the traditional division of "women's work" and "men's work" has been deeply imbedded in many cultures for thousands of years, and it will take more than a few decades to change that core value system when it has been in place for so long. Is it really late enough in the game to declare a victory for either side? Should one not expect ups and downs during the process of women's empowerment?
Another melodramatic claim that Ehrenreich makes is that we are becoming utterly dependent on maids--that "The American overclass is raising a generation of young people who will, without constant assistance, suffocate in their own detritus" (69). Ah, if only the biggest threat facing us was Death by Detritus! Seriously, though, I think she need not worry so. Even non-human creatures are able to order their living spaces. Most of it is pretty intuitive. Some people might not learn the most efficient or hygienic of cleaning practices, but surely even someone of below-average intelligence could figure out how to clean at least adequately. Many homeowners hire house-cleaners, but most, I think, could theoretically do without. They just do not want to.
Finally, Ehrenreich leaves a large gap in her evidence that leaves me unconvinced. She has clearly interviewed and worked alongside many cleaners, which provides an important perspective. However, she does not appear to have interviewed any actual homeowners who hire these people or the companies they work for. Is their perspective not equally important to understanding the relationship between employers and employees? How can she attribute various intentions or mentalities to employers if she has not interviewed any? To me, her article seems like a rather one-sided story.
Response to Ehrenreich Essay
In what could easily have become a spewing of meaningless facts and figures regarding the changes in the roles of housework over the past decades, leaving the reader feeling somewhat unconvinced and apathetic, Ehrenreich instead uses personal experiences to make sense of and interpret such statistics in her essay "Maid to Order." By assuming the life of a paid housekeeper as part of her research, Ehrenreich is able to personally relate to many of the facts that she presents in her essay, helping to legitimize the validity of those facts. For example, Ehrenreich does not just say the world "below knee level" is filthy and subpar; rather, she describes in extreme detail the "dried bits of pasta glued to the floor" (59). The reader is left with an image of the floor in his or her mind, much more moving than a dull, uninteresting adjective. Later in the essay, when describing the inevitable loss in pay for workers as they transition from being "independents" to employees of a corporate cleaning service, Ehrenreich provides the reader with details about her own wages when working for The Maids International. The unjust rules of the cleaning service, such as "miss one day and your wage dropped to $6" or having to arrive at work at 7:30 but with billable hours not beginning until 8:00, are ones most likely only a true worker would know. It seems unlikely that a corporate cleaning service would advertise such restrictions when trying to hire employees in an already tight labor market. And yet, such details are significant additions to Ehrenreich's argument, allowing her to present the reader with a more thorough, more developed argument by providing both the advantages and disadvantages of the corporate cleaning services for the individual workers.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Introduction - Anderson
Anderson suggests that nationalism is an imagined concept. This photo of enemy soldiers sharing Christmas celebrations during wartime extends this claim by suggesting that nationalism is not a valid cause for warfare, because the foes were getting along in spite of their different nationalities and the war at hand.
For the human species, the need for belonging and identification with others has always been an unquestioned method of survival. A sense of community and security has been desired by all mankind for as long as they have existed on the earth. However, as of late (the 20th century to be exact), concepts such as nationalism and patriotism have stirred people to commit some of the most passionate acts in history. In the essay, Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson argues that communities are imagined and questions the intelligence behind giving your life for a made-up perception. In a depiction of the Christmas Truce of 1914 between England and Germany, one can see the folly inherent in believing too fiercely in the borders dividing nations.
For the human species, the need for belonging and identification with others has always been an unquestioned method of survival. A sense of community and security has been desired by all mankind for as long as they have existed on the earth. However, as of late (the 20th century to be exact), concepts such as nationalism and patriotism have stirred people to commit some of the most passionate acts in history. In the essay, Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson argues that communities are imagined and questions the intelligence behind giving your life for a made-up perception. In a depiction of the Christmas Truce of 1914 between England and Germany, one can see the folly inherent in believing too fiercely in the borders dividing nations.
Lens Essay-- topic and intro
In her essay "On Photography," Susan Sontag suggests that photographs are readily taken to be truthful reproductions of reality, although they can be deceptive, and that while photos are powerful in their ability to evoke emotions and deliver moral messages, they can only reinforce, not change, existing public opinions. During the Second Lebanon War, which took place in the summer of 2006, the controversial staged photographs that were run in the media -- especially the ones of children's toys among rubble -- supported both of Sontag's claims. While many American newspaper readers did accept the deceptive photographs as real, they did little to sway public opinion from supporting Israel to supporting Hezbollah.
During the Second Lebanon War, which took place in the summer of 2006, many emotionally provocative photos were run in major newspapers and magazines depicting the suffering of the Lebanese people as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Especially notable among these was a series of photos that showed children's toys laying about the rubble of a bombed-out building, which took advantage of the emotional power of the motif of the suffering of children. However, it was later proven that these photos -- which to newspaper editors must have seemed to good to be true -- had been staged by pro-Hezbollah photojournalists trying to elicit sympathy for their cause from the West. In her essay "On Photographs," American writer Susan Sontag argues that that photographs are readily taken to be truthful reproductions of reality, although they can be deceptive, and that while photos are powerful in their ability to evoke emotions and deliver moral messages, they can only reinforce, not change, existing public opinions. The staged photographs that came out of the Second Lebanon War offer support for her claim. While many American newspaper readers did accept the deceptive photographs as real, they did still little to sway public opinion from supporting Israel to supporting Hezbollah.
During the Second Lebanon War, which took place in the summer of 2006, many emotionally provocative photos were run in major newspapers and magazines depicting the suffering of the Lebanese people as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Especially notable among these was a series of photos that showed children's toys laying about the rubble of a bombed-out building, which took advantage of the emotional power of the motif of the suffering of children. However, it was later proven that these photos -- which to newspaper editors must have seemed to good to be true -- had been staged by pro-Hezbollah photojournalists trying to elicit sympathy for their cause from the West. In her essay "On Photographs," American writer Susan Sontag argues that that photographs are readily taken to be truthful reproductions of reality, although they can be deceptive, and that while photos are powerful in their ability to evoke emotions and deliver moral messages, they can only reinforce, not change, existing public opinions. The staged photographs that came out of the Second Lebanon War offer support for her claim. While many American newspaper readers did accept the deceptive photographs as real, they did still little to sway public opinion from supporting Israel to supporting Hezbollah.
Lens Essay Arguement & Intro
Structure of Argument:
Doniger suggest that masks allow one to self-impersonate: to become the very person that others see in us. While Doniger very thoroughly explores the act of donning masks, she falls short in addressing the act of shedding masks. Nabokov’s provocative novel Lolita brilliantly explores both the act of donning and shedding masks. In his novel, Lolita at first becomes the person Humbert Humbert projects. However, as years go by and their relationship becomes more stable, Lolita attempts to shed the mask that Humbert Humbert has unfairly and inappropriately projected unto this young girl. Nabokov’s Lolita extends Doniger’s intriguing argument about donning asks by arguing that the shedding of certain masks remains just as important in discovering one’s true self.
Introduction:
“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins” (Nabokov, 9)
Nabokov’s Lolita is a brilliantly written novel about Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged man obsessivingly lusting after a 12-year old girl. Humbert Humbert, or H.H. as he familiarly refers to himself, meets Lolita through a woman he stays with during the summer. Due to the fact that Humbert narrates, it is sometimes difficult for the reader to gauge how mutual the interactions between Humbert and Lolita truly are. However, Nabokov eventually makes clear to the reader that Humbert has projected certain images upon Lolita: images that she initially seems to embody, yet eventually completely rejects. These ‘masks’ that Humbert forces upon this young girl bear striking resemblance to the masks essayist Wendy Doniger claims society can force upon its members. In her essay “Many masks, Many selves”, Doniger suggest that masks allow one to self-impersonate: to become the very person that others see in us. While she very thoroughly explores the act of donning masks, her essay falls short in addressing the act of shedding masks. Lolita brilliantly explores both the act of donning and shedding masks. In his novel, Dolores at first becomes the person Humbert Humbert projects. However, as years go by and their relationship becomes more stable, Lolita attempts to shed the mask that Humbert Humbert has unfairly and inappropriately projected unto this young girl. Nabokov’s Lolita extends Doniger’s intriguing argument about donning asks by arguing that the shedding of certain masks remains just as important in discovering one’s true self.
Doniger suggest that masks allow one to self-impersonate: to become the very person that others see in us. While Doniger very thoroughly explores the act of donning masks, she falls short in addressing the act of shedding masks. Nabokov’s provocative novel Lolita brilliantly explores both the act of donning and shedding masks. In his novel, Lolita at first becomes the person Humbert Humbert projects. However, as years go by and their relationship becomes more stable, Lolita attempts to shed the mask that Humbert Humbert has unfairly and inappropriately projected unto this young girl. Nabokov’s Lolita extends Doniger’s intriguing argument about donning asks by arguing that the shedding of certain masks remains just as important in discovering one’s true self.
Introduction:
“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins” (Nabokov, 9)
Nabokov’s Lolita is a brilliantly written novel about Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged man obsessivingly lusting after a 12-year old girl. Humbert Humbert, or H.H. as he familiarly refers to himself, meets Lolita through a woman he stays with during the summer. Due to the fact that Humbert narrates, it is sometimes difficult for the reader to gauge how mutual the interactions between Humbert and Lolita truly are. However, Nabokov eventually makes clear to the reader that Humbert has projected certain images upon Lolita: images that she initially seems to embody, yet eventually completely rejects. These ‘masks’ that Humbert forces upon this young girl bear striking resemblance to the masks essayist Wendy Doniger claims society can force upon its members. In her essay “Many masks, Many selves”, Doniger suggest that masks allow one to self-impersonate: to become the very person that others see in us. While she very thoroughly explores the act of donning masks, her essay falls short in addressing the act of shedding masks. Lolita brilliantly explores both the act of donning and shedding masks. In his novel, Dolores at first becomes the person Humbert Humbert projects. However, as years go by and their relationship becomes more stable, Lolita attempts to shed the mask that Humbert Humbert has unfairly and inappropriately projected unto this young girl. Nabokov’s Lolita extends Doniger’s intriguing argument about donning asks by arguing that the shedding of certain masks remains just as important in discovering one’s true self.
Topic and Intro
Topic for Lens Essay:
In his essay “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism,” Benedict Anderson suggests that nationalism is born from a people’s sense of connection to an imagined community. Photographer Dang Ngo’s images of Chin Burmese refugees add another perspective to Anderson’s arguments by exploring how such grievous displacement makes these people unable to imagine belonging to any community at all. If nationalism is thus defined by the capacity to be psychologically created, it could be an impossible attainment for the Chin, who have become forced citizens of a “no man’s land” and who have lost either their ability or their will to imagine being a member of a worldly community.
http://www.dangngo.com/burma/
*Note- the selected image is the 11th one on the scroll (with the woman and child kneeling in the forest)
Introduction:
Refugees can be characterized as a nation’s lost generation; their coerced displacement strands them in precarious situations that frequently deny them their national identity. They become the orphans of the world, having lost their mother when they lose their country. The Chin Burmese find themselves under similarly low ceilings, for they are continually being evicted from Burma and forced into refugee lifestyles in Malaysia, India, and along the Thai border. In his essay “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism,” Benedict Anderson argues that nationalism is the psychological product of an individual’s imagined connection to a community. The Chin, however, exist in a constant state of limbo and are thereby unable to discern what country, if any, they belong to. As photographer Dang Ngo’s image suggests, these refugees are imprisoned in their own purgatory, destined neither to return to their former life nor to claim their place on higher ground. In short, this hopeless disorientation makes the Chin incapable of forging the imagined connection that Anderson describes, which may render them without a sense of nationalism entirely.
In his essay “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism,” Benedict Anderson suggests that nationalism is born from a people’s sense of connection to an imagined community. Photographer Dang Ngo’s images of Chin Burmese refugees add another perspective to Anderson’s arguments by exploring how such grievous displacement makes these people unable to imagine belonging to any community at all. If nationalism is thus defined by the capacity to be psychologically created, it could be an impossible attainment for the Chin, who have become forced citizens of a “no man’s land” and who have lost either their ability or their will to imagine being a member of a worldly community.
http://www.dangngo.com/burma/
*Note- the selected image is the 11th one on the scroll (with the woman and child kneeling in the forest)
Introduction:
Refugees can be characterized as a nation’s lost generation; their coerced displacement strands them in precarious situations that frequently deny them their national identity. They become the orphans of the world, having lost their mother when they lose their country. The Chin Burmese find themselves under similarly low ceilings, for they are continually being evicted from Burma and forced into refugee lifestyles in Malaysia, India, and along the Thai border. In his essay “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism,” Benedict Anderson argues that nationalism is the psychological product of an individual’s imagined connection to a community. The Chin, however, exist in a constant state of limbo and are thereby unable to discern what country, if any, they belong to. As photographer Dang Ngo’s image suggests, these refugees are imprisoned in their own purgatory, destined neither to return to their former life nor to claim their place on higher ground. In short, this hopeless disorientation makes the Chin incapable of forging the imagined connection that Anderson describes, which may render them without a sense of nationalism entirely.
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