Page 1159 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Prepare to discuss the following questions in class by thinking about
them or writing about them in your journal.

1. How does Raybon feel about the work her mother and

grandmother did?

2. Why does Raybon attach significance to the fact that her

grandmother’s employers called her “Laura” and never used
her surname? Think about the relationships you have with

others. Who addresses you by your first name? By your

surname? How do you address them? Does it make a

difference to you? Why or why not?

3. Look at the tasks mentioned by Raybon as “women’s work.”

Are all of them “women’s work” in the stereotypical sense? Are
any of them normally stereotyped as “men’s work”?

Topics for Writing

Journal Entry: “Wash Me”

You are a window in a house or a car. You are so dirty that some
prankster has written “Wash Me” in the grime that covers you. In a

journal entry, convince the owner of the house or car to wash you.

Include the advantages to the washer as well as the advantages to

you.

Essay 1: An Enjoyable Chore
Write a process essay telling your reader how you go about doing

some chore that you enjoy. Perhaps you enjoy doing laundry,

shopping for groceries, cleaning a closet, washing your car, or mowing