Introduction
Reading the stories brings to the fore three unique themes family and motherhood, social stature, and race. The theme of family and motherhood is captured across the stories as they involve single mothers determined to provide for their children and family members (Grusky). Maria has three kids and encountered a difficult life as a single mother. Ditinha has to support her three children and is depended on by her sister and disabled father. Delphine uses her finances mainly to provide for her two children and those staying at home. Social stature emerges from these women’s lives; for instance, Delphine shares an apartment with her friend, Pat, and boyfriend, Stanley. At some point on her way to work, she wears “worn black shoes,” or she wears them if she has somewhere interesting to go. Their work mainly involves working as housemaids for the more affluent people in American society.
Gender, Race, and Class
Across the three stories, gender, race, and class seem to describe the trouble of such social divisions. Maria, Ditinha, and Delphine have to step into the traditional roles of men and provide for their families. In addition, the three women are immigrants from different parts of the world coming to the United States. Ditinha alludes to the beauty of her tall, blonde boss and how she feels inferior due to her skin color and hair. When Delphine’s daughter asks for a doll, Delphine talks about sending her a nice “brown-skinned” one because she is tired of the ones with golden hair. Maria also struggles to walk out of the house, but she must, even as the bus is becoming too expensive. She has to carry leftover food home, some fruits bought from her tips, and a ham bone that her boss would throw away.
These were the only items of value Maria had with her, and she expresses that if the robbers had attacked her, that is all they could have taken. Ditinha struggles to throw away food while thinking of her family starving back home. She steals a broach from her employer and leaves readers with the impression that she does this to sell it and use the money to support her family. The struggles of these women are real and are made further outstanding by the surroundings around their wealthy employers.
Violence
Violence is primarily attributed to women’s racial discrimination while serving their bosses. In “Maria”, Maria is accused of being involved in the robbery; she was seen talking to and sitting next to one of the robbers causing her to suffer racial abuse. People go to the extent of trampling on her, and she suffers some cuts, leaving her alone on the bus. Delphine indicates that her boss treats her as if she were a “slave” and remains arrogant and thankless.
Favorite and Least Favorite Story
I find the story of Delphine to be the most interesting because of her sacrifices. Despite wearing worn-out shoes, she sees that buying a new pair of shoes for twenty dollars is a needless expense weighed against the children. Despite her misery, she still has to provide for her family and fight the thought of giving up. Maria is the least favorite story because she was accused of conspiring with the robbers and was beaten and left for dead.
Conclusion
The three stories are based on the themes of family and motherhood, race, and social status. Maria, Ditinha, and Delphine are three strong women who put their families’ well-being first, ahead of their needs. Throughout the misery that they all face, it is safe to say that they do not give up as they fight hard to survive. The three women found themselves in comparable circumstances with many challenges, but they remained focused, determined, and hardworking in serving their bosses.
Work Cited
Grusky, David. Social Stratification, Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective, Second Edition. Routledge, 2019.