Cousin Marshall and the Role of Responsibility, Charity,...

‘Cousin Marshall’ and the Role of Responsibility, Charity, and Suffering Harriet Martineau, in her story â€Å"Cousin Marshall,† addressed the separate spheres of work and responsibility between a husband and wife in the figures of the Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Marshall. Martineau intended the story to act as a lesson to her readers and this is reflected in the dualistic portrayal of the two women. Cousin Marshall is portrayed as the height of womanly responsibility and suffering while Mrs. Bell is portrayed as a blight on society. Martineau assigned the financial management of the household to women. While she did indicate that it was the husband’s role to bring in wages, it was the wife who was responsible for maintaining and managing†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"the coals we got did not last half the winter through; for my husband likes a good fire when he can get it†¦I had to sell one of the blankets† (12). Marshall, on the other hand, rebukes her through her own exemplary condition. â€Å"I do wonder you can bear to live from hand to mouth in that way†¦you got your first set of baby-linen at the same time that I did†¦why yours should not have lasted as well as mine, I can’t think† (12). According to Martineau, it is the woman’s responsibility not only to maintain the household, but to do it responsibly with the greater good of the community in mind. Marshall’s refusal to burden the system with her own needs is indicative of Martineauâ₠¬â„¢s ideal of wifely responsibility. Finally, the notion of suffering plays an interesting role in Martineau’s story. Marshall’s death, â€Å"the close of [her] very long life, was not altogether so serene as the character of its days of vigour might seem to deserve† (Martineau 125). In spite of her frugality and her staunch insistence on personal responsibility, she dies nearly penniless, with only enough money to pay for her funeral. She exists this way as a result of her refusal to depend on the charity of others, public or private. It seems in many ways that it was part of her duty, her responsibility, in Martineau’s eyes that she suffer without protest and without complaint. Martineau firmly placed the blame on the system, however, not on Marshall’s choices. ‘I hope,’ said Mr. Burke, ‘thatShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Comparative Advantage of Sexual Divisions of Labor5471 Words   |  22 Pagessocial structures that arose to keep the pressures of population in check. The second perspective argues that a comparative advantage is a socially constructed idea and not rooted in the biological history of the race. Martineau in her story â€Å"Cousin Marshall† delineated the life of what she saw as a virtuous and noble woman. Virginia Woolf, however, decried what she saw as the deplorable poverty of women in A Room of One’s Own. Her solution, however, only served to further separate the spheres ofRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagestheir situation within the domestic sphere and the conditions under which they labored to expand the career oppo rtunities available to them at different times and in diverse settings. She places special emphasis on the important but often overlooked roles they played in politics, particularly those associated with resistance movements, and their contributions to arts and letters worldwide. Drawing on the essay collections and series on women in world history that she has edited over the past decadeRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesSupplement C Conducting Meetings 651 Appendix I Glossary 673 Appendix II References 683 Name Index 705 Subject Index 709 Combined Index 713 iii This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Preface xvii INTRODUCTION 1 3 THE CRITICAL ROLE OF MANAGEMENT SKILLS The Importance of Competent Managers 6 The Skills of Effective Managers 7 Essential Management Skills 8 What Are Management Skills? 9 Improving Management Skills 12 An Approach to Skill Development 13 Leadership and Management