Essay On Slacks And Calluses - 742 Words

Slacks and Calluses, presents the summer of 1943 from the perspective of Constance Bowman and Clara Marie Allen, two school teachers, who set aside summer vacation to help with war efforts in a bomber factory. Coming into the air craft industry, they had no idea what to expect, â€Å"We were the kind of girls who knew nothing about airplanes except that they had wings and they fly.† (p.1). Obstacles they faced included an unjust work place and harassment. Women who wore skirts and rings on their fingers received a greater amount of respect from men, than those who wore slacks and calluses on their fingers. Despite stumbling blocks, Constance and Clara worked in the factories out of a sense of patriotism. Social class is defined as a division†¦show more content†¦They were never offered seats from men. Only women in skirts we offered seats as stated in the book, â€Å"The truth was though that the two women in skirts who got on at the same time we did were always offered seats. (p. 71). It was as if the men did not appreciate their good deeds to the country. Slacks and Calluses does a great job in depicting how the country did not embrace the idea of women in factories for war production. â€Å"The fact that we were building bombers seemed a dubious contribution to the war effort to the people who knew about it.† (p.83). The book went on to say how Clara Marie’s father worried about the girl’s work being checked by men for accuracy, as if they were not capable of doing good work by their selves. There was a great deal of men who hated the fact that school teachers were working in the factories, they felt as though school teachers were helpless. Although all the women were not fond of working in the factories, Constance Bowman and Clara Marie worked their out of a sense of patriotism. They loved the fact that they were putting aside summer vacation in order to help out with war efforts. In fact, Constance and Clara stated, â€Å"The dollars that we made this summer were not many, anybody who thought we had been motivated by anything but patriotism in its purest form could just look at our pay-checks.† (p. 173). They enjoyed coming in early and staying late, just to go for a ride in theShow MoreRelatedslacks and calluses Essay921 Words   |  4 PagesSlacks and Calluses: Our Summer in a Bomber Factory Women had different perspectives during World War 2. Many served in different branches of armed forces. Some labored in war productions plants. Most women stayed at home and had other responsibilities to raise children, balance check books, and some labored in war-related office jobs, while the men went to war. In addition to factory work and other front jobs about 350,000 women joined the Armed services, serving at home and abroad. â€Å"Rosie theRead MoreEssay On Slacks And Calluses884 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel Slacks and Calluses: Our Summer in a Bomber Factory is a story written about two women’s summer in an airplane factory during World War II. Constance Bowman Reid and Clara Marie Allen describe what life was like for women who worked in factories during this time. They explain how women’s apparel determined their social class and how they were treated; factories welcomed them into the workforce, but the world could not accept women being away from home; and some women worked out of patriotismRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Our Summer A Bomber Factory By Constance Bowman Reid1094 Words   |  5 PagesSlacks and Calluses: Our Summer in a Bomber Factory, written by Constance Bowman Reid, tells the true story of herself and her friend, Clara Marie Allen and their summer spent working in an airplane factory in order to help out during World War II. These two women portray the bravery that women during wartime displayed, while unknowingly changing the way society would view women forever. The story of Bowman Reid and Allen gives an inside look on what it is really like to be a factory working femaleRead MoreThe Work Study Job Of Transcribe Oral History Tapes From Richland Center, Wisconsin5921 Words   |  24 Pageswill be some real-world examples obtained from oral histories collected by Aharon Zorea in Richland Center, WI. All these elements will come together to tell of women and the war. The oral histories give a few examples of the issues presented in this essay. You cannot talk about women from this time period without mentioning family. â€Å"Most Americans agree that prior to federal interference in the 1930s, the self-reliant family was the standard social unit of our society.† Though this idea is largely