22
They're Not Your Husband
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23
She came back with the pot and poured coffee for him and for the two men. Then she picked up a dish and turned to get some ice cream. She reached down into the container and with the dipper began to scoop up the ice cream. The white skirt yanked against her hips and crawled up her legs. What showed was girdle, and it was pink, thighs that were rumpled and gray and a little hairy, and veins that spread in a berserk display.
The two men sitting beside Earl exchanged looks. One of them raised his eyebrows. The other man grinned and kept looking at Doreen over his cup as she spooned chocolate syrup over the ice cream. When she began shaking the can of whipped cream, Earl got up, leaving his food, and headed for the door. He heard her call his name, but he kept going.
She came back with the pot and poured coffee for him and for the two men. Then she picked up a dish and turned to get some ice cream. She reached down into the container and with the dipper began to scoop up the ice cream. The white skirt yanked against her hips and crawled up her legs. What showed was girdle, and it was pink, thighs that were rumpled and gray and a little hairy, and veins that spread in a berserk display.
The two men sitting beside Earl exchanged looks. One of them raised his eyebrows. The other man grinned and kept looking at Doreen over his cup as she spooned chocolate syrup over the ice cream. When she began shaking the can of whipped cream, Earl got up, leaving his food, and headed for the door. He heard her call his name, but he kept going.
25
At home he had Doreen take off all her clothes and get on the scale. He frowned when he saw the veins. He ran his finger the length of one that sprouted up her thigh.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said.
He looked at the scale and wrote the figure down on a piece of paper.
At home he had Doreen take off all her clothes and get on the scale. He frowned when he saw the veins. He ran his finger the length of one that sprouted up her thigh.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said.
He looked at the scale and wrote the figure down on a piece of paper.
26
He read the classifieds. He went to the state employment office. Every three or four days he drove someplace for an interview, and at night he counted her tips. He smoothed out the dollar bills on the table and stacked the nickels, dimes, and quarters in piles of one dollar each. Each morning he put her on the scale.
In two weeks she had lost three and a half pounds.
"I pick," she said. "I starve myself all day, and then I pick at work. It adds up."
But a week later she had lost five pounds. The week after that, nine and a half pounds. Her clothes were loose on her. She had to cut into the rent money to buy a new uniform.
"People are saying things at work," she said.
"What kind of things?" Earl said.
"That I'm too pale, for one thing," she said. "That I don't look like myself. They're afraid I'm losing too much weight."
"What is wrong with losing?" he said. "Don't you pay any attention to them. Tell them to mind their own business. They're not your husband. You don't have to live with them."
"I have to work with them," Doreen said.
"That's right," Earl said. "But they're not your husband. "
so many themes to dissect here: him controlling her as a substitute for his lack of control in the labour market, workers' lack of power during this time in general, his role of "husband" really being an empty vessel for channeling the perceived judgment of other men ...
He read the classifieds. He went to the state employment office. Every three or four days he drove someplace for an interview, and at night he counted her tips. He smoothed out the dollar bills on the table and stacked the nickels, dimes, and quarters in piles of one dollar each. Each morning he put her on the scale.
In two weeks she had lost three and a half pounds.
"I pick," she said. "I starve myself all day, and then I pick at work. It adds up."
But a week later she had lost five pounds. The week after that, nine and a half pounds. Her clothes were loose on her. She had to cut into the rent money to buy a new uniform.
"People are saying things at work," she said.
"What kind of things?" Earl said.
"That I'm too pale, for one thing," she said. "That I don't look like myself. They're afraid I'm losing too much weight."
"What is wrong with losing?" he said. "Don't you pay any attention to them. Tell them to mind their own business. They're not your husband. You don't have to live with them."
"I have to work with them," Doreen said.
"That's right," Earl said. "But they're not your husband. "
so many themes to dissect here: him controlling her as a substitute for his lack of control in the labour market, workers' lack of power during this time in general, his role of "husband" really being an empty vessel for channeling the perceived judgment of other men ...