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

William Dean Howells

• Herausgeber: DigiCat
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

In "The Standard Household-Effect Company," William Dean Howells provides a keen exploration of American consumerism woven into a satirical narrative. The text showcases Howells's trademark realism, blending incisive wit with a genuine portrayal of everyday life. Set against the backdrop of a burgeoning capitalist society, the story critiques the era's material culture while revealing the intricate human relationships shaped by commerce. Its literary context reflects the late 19th-century shift towards realism and the burgeoning complexities of urban life, marked by Howells's ability to capture both the trivialities and profundities of contemporary existence. Howells, often regarded as the "Dean of American Letters," was a prominent figure in the literary landscape of his time. His deep-rooted interest in social issues and the interplay of human character underlies much of his work. The author's experiences within the rapidly changing American society and his progressive views on social reform inform the narrative, encouraging readers to reflect on the consequences of unbridled consumption and the pursuit of status in an increasingly material world. Readers seeking a critical yet humorous insight into the subtle ironies of American life will find "The Standard Household-Effect Company" to be a compelling read. Howells's skillful storytelling not only engages the imagination but also prompts introspection about the values we hold as a society, making it a recommended addition to any literary collection.

Leseprobe

William Dean Howells

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

 

EAN 8596547349020

DigiCat, 2022 Contact: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

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PG EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS

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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."