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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aHowells, William Dean,
_d1837-1920
245 1 4 _aThe Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life)
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2004
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
500 _aRelease date is 2004-10-22
508 _aProduced by David Widger
520 _a"The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life)" by William Dean Howells is a satirical and philosophical commentary on housekeeping and domestic life, likely written in the late 19th century. This book explores the complexities and burdens of modern housekeeping, juxtaposing it with the simpler lives of the past. Through conversations between characters, it critiques the obsession with material possessions and the emotional weight of domestic responsibilities. In the narrative, a protagonist discusses with a friend the dire state of housekeeping in contemporary homes compared to the past. They lament the overwhelming anxiety and labor imposed by an abundance of household items, leading to a proposed radical solution: the creation of a "Standard Household-Effect Company," which would take on the responsibility of owning and maintaining all household items. This would free women from the incessant pressures of domesticity and the societal expectations tied to it. The conversation reveals a tension between the longing for comfort and individuality in one's living space and the oppressive nature of ownership and maintenance of household goods, culminating in an exploration of identity and societal roles. Ultimately, the friend's absurd idea reflects a deeper critique of materialism and the relentless cycle of consumerism that burdens modern life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aFiction
653 _aShort stories
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3381
999 _c45452
_d45452