Why Is the World So Tough to Her?

Lesson 9

                        Why Is the World So Tough to Her?

                                            Text A

David:   What's the matter?
Sue:   Oh , I don't know.
David:   Oh, come on.. . it's something. What is it?
Sue:   It's just life. . . it's so boring.
David:   Oh , it's not so bad. . . you've got Daniel !
Sue:   But he's only a baby! It's all right for you. You'll leave the house
   in five minutes. I'll be here all day. When'll you come home? You
   won't come home till seven!
David:   One of us must go to work, dear.
Sue:   Yes, but your day'll be interesting. My day'll be the same as every day.
David:   My work isn't always interesting.
Sue:   I know, but you travel around, you meet different people and you
   do different things. Who'll I meet today? What'll I do? Eh? I'll
   wash up, feed the baby, do the washing, clean the house, bath
   the baby, take the dog for a walk. . .
David:   But. . . but. . . dear.
Sue:   Then I'll go to the supermarket, prepare dinner, meet you at the
   station, have dinner, wash up again...
David:   But. . . but. . . dear.
Sue:   Then I'll feed the baby again, put the baby to bed ... What a life!
   Today, tomorrow, this week, next week, this month, next
   month, next year. . . for ever!
David:   It's just Monday , dear. .. you'll be O.K. latet.
Sue:   Will I?
 

                                             Text B

    Today my cousin paid us a visit. She is a technician working in an electronics factory. She has been very unhappy recently because of a quarrel with her boss. It all started when she was denied a chance to go abroad for a training course.

By qualification she was the ideal choice - a college degree, a working knowledge of English and generally acknowledged as very good in her field. But the final choice fell on a young man inferior to her in every respect. Naturally she was very upset and wanted to know why. Her boss who in fact quite liked her told her quite candidly 1.

 "We did think of sending you but decided 2 against it because you are a girl. " The answer infuriated her all the more and she accused him of sex discrimination. The best explanation she could get out of him was that it would not be "convenient" for a girl to be on her own in a foreign country as there was only one vacancv.Not convenicnt for whom? For herself? She didn't mind. For her fellow trainees 3? That's sheer nonsense. For her boss? How and in what way?

    Poor girl , I quite sympathize with her , but that women are at a disadvantage is a reality she'll have to face. I told her that our form master was telling us only the other day that girls shouldn't aim too high in choosing their future speciality or choosing a university: Certain subjects and certain departments are almost closed to them. They'll have to have 10 or more marks than the boys in order to be accepted.

    "And it's not only the colleges and universities," Mum explained with anger. "All organizations and work units are equally bad in sex discrimination when taking in new mployees.

One's sex is more important than one's other qualities , it seems. Some departments take in women just as if they are forced to buy some inferior goods. The bargaining that goes on just makes me sick. You want to buy a carton of high-grade cigarettes? Very well , you must buy three packs of the cheap brand as well. So if you want to assign one girl to our department, you must give us two boys as well. It's really disgusting ! "

    "I don't blame them really, " said Dad. "However good a girl is , when she marries,trouble begins. First there is this long maternity 4 leave. Then there'll be constant leaves because there will always be this or that wrong .with her darling baby. Even when she works she will be constantly thinking of her darling child or knitting for him or her. And she becomes petty too,breaking into tears at the slightest provocation 5 and quarrelling with others over trifles.

    This naturally brought a barrage 6 of protests and condemnations from the two women in the room who almost tore him to pieces. In the end it was Granny who came to his rescue."Well, a woman's place is at home, as I always say. And what do you want to go abroad for, child? Think of all the dangers! How can girls cope with them? I think your leaders were quite right in not letting you go. "

    "Oh Granny, you don't know anything at all! You are still living in the old world. It seems our future lies in the future generation," my cousin said pointedly 7 to Dad, referring to me. Actually she is only ten years older than me.
     Equality of the sexes is certainly a very complicated problem. Just having equal rights to vote and equal pay for equal work have not solved the problem, not by a long shot.

                                Additional Information

                                          I Want a Wife

    I belong to that classification of people known as wives, I am A Wife. And, not altogether incidentally. I am a mother.
    Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is obviously looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, Would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?

    I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent upon me. want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean.

 I want a wife who will wash the children's clothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good nurturant attendant to my children, who arranges for their schooling 8, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the`park, the zoo, etc.

 I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot , miss classes at school. My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. It may mean a small cut in my wife's income from time to time, but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while she is working.

    I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be , and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook.

I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest and change of scene.

    I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling 9 complaints about a wife's duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them.

    I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. When my wife and I are inv'sted out by my friends, I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting arrangements. When I meet people at school that I like and want to enterta.in, I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about the things that interest me and my friends.

I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive so that the children do not bother us. I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests so that they feel cornfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray 10, that t.hey are passed the hors d'oeuvres, that they are offered a second helping 11 of thc food, that their wine glasses are replenished 12 ?vhen Iiecessary, that their coffee is served to them as they like it. And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself.

    I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not waat more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually fait.hful to me so that I do not have to clutter 13 up my intellectual life with jealousies 14. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail 15 more than strict adherence 16 to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully 17 as possible.

    If , by chance , I find anothe: person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will take the children and be solely 18 responsible for them so that I am left free.
    When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife's duties.
    My God, who wouldn't want a wife?