The Bread Winners

Welcome back to sunny California. It might be sunny but sadly its not warm. 38 degrees anyone? brrrrrr.

I was on a run this morning and came across a sidewalk covered in ice, it was rather entertaining. (What surprises you more, the "run this morning" or the ice in California?) Yeah, I got up at 7:30AM to go for a run. It was cold. By the time I made it to choir at 9am I was actually wide awake and was having a great start to the day. I'm not saying I'm getting up that early every morning, but it wasn't a bad way to start the day.

I've been thrown headfirst back into classes, and I'm loving every moment of it. Except for personal finance . . . math is not my thing. Aside from that I am super excited about my classes.

I recently read an article in one of my history books about women as bread winners. Written in 1887 by Edward O'Donnell and entitled "Women as Bread Winners--The Error of the Age." Normally when I read my textbooks I go through and underline important things to remember, key points, and then move on. This article was different, it stuck with me. I was about through the second paragraph before I realized that I was basically underlining the entire article. It was an extremely interesting article about the women in the factories and what it was doing to family, society, and the men who where looking for jobs as well.

The role of women in the factory was at one point described as "an insidious assault upon the home; it is the knife of the assassin, aimed at the family circle." It is strange to see how much societies view point has changed. Women working is not shocking as it was during 1887 or World War II. Throughout the article the author seemed to dislike the idea of women taking over the men's job saying things like "employment of women in the various handicrafts must gradually unsex them, as it most assuredly is demoralizing them." and "The employer in the magnanimity of his generosity will give employment to the daughter, while her two brothers are weary because of their daily tramp in quest of work."

However, women needed the jobs, they needed to help support their families. The author ends with asking the question "Would you have women pursue lives of shame rather than work?" The introduction of women to the work force changed people's attitudes and views towards women, and I feel like that it changed for the better.