Housekeeper SWA 4

According to Beecher, a housekeeper is the wife and mother of a family. The housekeeper is responsible for keeping a family functioning well and maintaining order. She uses “housekeeper” and “woman” interchangeably throughout her writing. Beecher believes a housekeeper should always have an “equable and cheerful temper” because the way in which a housekeeper portrays herself influences the entire family. If a housekeeper is irritable and scolds the family members when an accident occurs, the entire family balance and mood will be thrown off. The best way to handle a problem, according to Beecher, is to meet it with a cheerful disposition and act calmly. Her example about the mother calmly explaining to the child what she did wrong exemplifies this necessary behavior. If a housekeeper does not maintain an “equable and cheerful temper” than she will be met with retaliation and anger and that can be damaging to a family.

                There are several important considerations that Beecher outlines that prepare a housekeeper to meet daily problems within the family. The first is that a woman should not view her duties as irrelevant and unimportant; she should view her duties as dignified and difficult. Maintaining this point of view will “sustain and invigorate her” and motivate her to perform her duties well. Another consideration Beecher outlines is that a woman should always expect her plans to be interfered with and prepare for that. By preparing for the worst, she will not be disappointed and will be able to meet the problems with a “cheerful and quiet” spirit. A housekeeper should also always consider the overall comfort of the family over the execution of her plans. It is more important that a woman’s children grow up with amiable tempers than that every chore and task be completed. If carrying out her plans will cause discomfort to the family, a housekeeper should reduce the task until it can be accomplished comfortably.  A woman should not ever succumb to anger or using angry tones because it will accomplish nothing. Lastly and most importantly, a housekeeper should always remember that anything and everything occurs because of the divine power of God. Therefore, a woman should not complain about things that go wrong in the family because she would be complaining about God and that is a sin.

                Beecher is biased in her assumptions about a housekeeper. Her version is based off of her own experiences and class. She does not account for upper class women who have maids or lower class women who have much bigger concerns than keeping a cheerful disposition. Her considerations and descriptions can only be applied to a certain type of woman and not all.