One of the central issues in both Housework and Book XII of The Odyssey, as I think (or at least hope!) is clear to see, is the close relation between the kind of WORK a person does, that person's social and economic CLASS, and the way that person uses LANGUAGE (spoken and written) -- and how these three things, taken together, go a long way toward making people who they are.
(Think, for instance, about how work, class, and language plays out in the characters of Odysseus, Eurylochus, the other crewmen, Willy, Martha, and Monica.)
In this post, I invite you to reflect upon how work, class, and language interrelate in your own life. How do your work, your social/economic class, and your way of using language relate -- and how do they all combine to make you who you are? As part of your response, please make reference to (1) at least one specific event or moment in your life, and (2) at least one character from Housework or Book XII of The Odyssey, by way either of comparison (similarities) or contrast (differences) with your own experiences.
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Everything that happens to us makes us very different but also similar in some ways.
ReplyDeleteI remember a time in my life when i was with a group of people and everyone was from a different ethnic backround. everyone spoke a different language and everyone had different opinions about many things. but in a way, as i was sitting there talking with them trying to understand them and them trying to understand me, we seemed very similar in a sort of way. we ended up having a lot more in common than we thought and it was very nice to share that experience.
I could see myself comparing with Eurylochus from the "Odyssey". i have been in a situation where i was a follower and had to follow orders from someone when i thought that they were not doing the things that would benefit the others in the group.
I agree that language and class/work are intertwined. As a personal example in my life I remember the summer after starting college I went to go work on a Ginseng farm. Most of the people who worked there were lifelong employees who were working at close to poverty levels (the job did not pay very well and there was certainly not a lot of opportunity for promotion.) I remember that when I would be working there and talking with the guys there would always be a despondent outlook on life in general, as though no matter what things were not very great in their lives. This outlook definitely could be seen in the way that they all talked. Every sentence had a “Fucking this” or “Fucking that” in it. It was interesting though that there seemed to be certain camaraderie between everyone. It was as if despite the less than ideal situation everyone was in, the fact that everyone was in the same situation brought them closer together. I specifically remember one day when my going to school came up and one of the guys asked me what I was doing in college. I told them the truth, that I was going for Engineering. I felt pretty disconnected saying it, because it and one of the guys responded by saying that those engineers are all fucking overpaid anyways.
ReplyDeleteI thought that I saw interesting comparisons to some of this use of language in Book XII of The Odyssey when Eurylochus talks the men about killing Helios’ cattle. His outlook is that no matter what their situation is bad. He has the same pessimistic outlook when talking about stopping at Helios’ island vs. continuing on their journey. He also uses words like “comrade” and “brothers in hardship” when he is trying to convince them that they should all kill the cattle. Eurylochus also uses a lot of you [Odysseus] and us[all of Odysseus’ men] I think that that camaraderie among men of a perceived “lower” class and the alienation of men of a perceived “higher” class can be seen in the language of the Odyssey and in my personal experience.
I am very lucky to have the opportunity to be a full time student and not work because my parents are supporting me. Not many people have the chance to focus all their energy on school without worrying about putting in hours at work. Although I cannot relate work, class and language, the fact that I don’t have a job says a lot about my social/economic class. It means that my family has the means to support an adult child who isn’t working.
ReplyDeleteOne moment in my life that has showed me the difference in my family’s class and the class of other family’s was when my family was eating dinner with my boyfriend’s family. The difference in language use was so strikingly obvious! My boyfriend and his dad used lots of slang words and I could tell they were holding back swear words. My mom, dad and I don’t usually use slang words and we tend to use bigger or more sophisticated words. It’s not that we are trying to be snobby or superior, it’s just how we both grew up and what we are used to. Lots of people on both sides of my family went to college, while I’m not sure if anyone on my boyfriend’s side has been to college.
I noticed that in the story, the language used was simple and short. It reminded me a little bit of my boyfriend’s language, but his wasn’t that extreme. When I was reading the story, I felt for little Monica because I have been in a similar situation. When I was younger, my mom used to go away on business trips, and my dad wasn’t used to doing all the things she usually does around the house, so that responsibility fell on to me. As the years went on and my mom and dad both got different jobs, things changed. My dad now works from home and my mom is gone all day, so my dad has taken on all the responsibilities she and I used to take care of. So I can relate to young Monica, but as my life went on, my family is actually very different from hers.