The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life) E-Book

William Dean Howells

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

In "The Standard Household-Effect Company," a part of William Dean Howells' insightful collection "Literature and Life," the author employs a sharp realist style that deftly critiques the burgeoning consumerism and commercialization of American society in the early 20th century. Howells artfully navigates the intersection of domestic life and capitalist enterprise, illustrating the intricate relationships between household products, individual aspirations, and societal values. This piece stands out as a lens through which readers can examine the moral and ethical implications of consumer culture, showcasing Howells' keen observation and reflective storytelling that adheres to the principles of Realism. William Dean Howells, often celebrated as the "Dean of American Letters," was a prominent literary figure whose work is marked by a commitment to social reform and a profound understanding of American life. His experiences as a journalist and editor during a period of significant societal change informed his critical insights into the effects of industrialization on family and social structures. Howells' personal ethos and his social consciousness directly influenced his writing, leading him to engage with themes of individuality, morality, and the socio-economic landscape of his time. For readers seeking a nuanced exploration of American identity in the face of consumer culture, "The Standard Household-Effect Company" is an essential read. Howells invites us to reflect on our own relationships with material possessions and the ideals they represent. This work not only serves as a historical commentary but also resonates with contemporary discussions on consumerism, making it a poignant and thought-provoking addition to any literary collection.

Leseprobe

William Dean Howells

The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life)

Published by Good Press, 2019

[email protected]

EAN 4064066143282

Table of Contents

I.

II.

PG EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS

I.

Table of Contents

"Isn't the eternal-womanly everywhere? What has happened to you?" I asked.

"I wish you would come to my house and see. Every rug has been up for a month, and we have been living on bare floors. Everything that could be tied up has been tied up, everything that could be sewed up has been sewed up. Everything that could be moth-balled and put away in chests has been moth-balled and put away. Everything that could be taken down has been taken down. Bags with draw-strings at their necks have been pulled over the chandeliers and tied. The pictures have been hidden in cheese-cloth, and the mirrors veiled in gauze so that I cannot see my own miserable face anywhere."

"Come! That's something."

"Yes, it's something. But I have been thinking this matter over very seriously, and I believe it is going from bad to worse. I have heard praises of the thorough housekeeping of our grandmothers, but the housekeeping of their granddaughters is a thousand times more intense."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked. "And if you do, what of it?"

"Simply this, that if we don't put a stop to it, at the gait it's going, it will put a stop to the eternal-womanly."

"I suppose we should hate that."

"Yes, it would be bad. It would be very bad; and I have been turning the matter over in my mind, and studying out a remedy."

"The highest type of philosopher turns a thing over in his mind and lets some one else study out a remedy."

"Yes, I know. I feel that I may be wrong in my processes, but I am sure that I am right in my results. The reason why our grandmothers could be such good housekeepers without danger of putting a stop to the eternal- womanly was that they had so few things to look after in their houses. Life was indefinitely simpler with them. But the modern improvements, as we call them, have multiplied the cares of housekeeping without subtracting its burdens, as they were expected to do. Every novel convenience and comfort, every article of beauty and luxury, every means of refinement and enjoyment in our houses, has been so much added to the burdens of housekeeping, and the granddaughters have inherited from the grandmothers an undiminished conscience against rust and the moth, which will not suffer them to forget the least duty they owe to the naughtiest of their superfluities."