Studs Terkel "Working"
This is the final paragraph from a woman discussing her work as a hooker in Studs Terkel's book, "Working" published in 1972.
The overt hustling society is the micorocsm of the rest of the society. The power relationships are the same and the games are the same. Only this one I was in control of. The greater one I wasn't. In the outside society, if I tried to be me, I wasn't in control of anything. As a bright, assertive woman, I had no power. As a cold, manipulative hustler, I had a lot. I knew I was playing a role. Most women are taught to become what they act. All I did was act out the reality of American womanhood.
My questions:
Doesn't it seem like now that the entire society is willingly, actively, eagerly and aggressively participating in the hustling society? So where do we go from here? Just numb ourselves into machines and exploit ourselves inside out? Has anything changed?
The overt hustling society is the micorocsm of the rest of the society. The power relationships are the same and the games are the same. Only this one I was in control of. The greater one I wasn't. In the outside society, if I tried to be me, I wasn't in control of anything. As a bright, assertive woman, I had no power. As a cold, manipulative hustler, I had a lot. I knew I was playing a role. Most women are taught to become what they act. All I did was act out the reality of American womanhood.
My questions:
Doesn't it seem like now that the entire society is willingly, actively, eagerly and aggressively participating in the hustling society? So where do we go from here? Just numb ourselves into machines and exploit ourselves inside out? Has anything changed?
posted by No Longer Active at 7:53 PM
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