My least favorite thing about being in school is that I never have time for reading, my favorite thing to do. Between classes and work and extracurriculars and now planning for the holidays, I don’t get a chance to snuggle in my fuzzy blanket, flick on my copper fairy lights, and read. So after a month or two of literature withdrawals, I got mad and decided to read, if only to spite my schedule and/or the piles of works that I had. I finished A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and moved right along to something lighter.
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella is not exactly a life changing work of literature. However, it’s a fun little book to read on vacation or when you’re putting off your US Lit paper. This novel follows Samantha Sweeting, a kick ass London lawyer, as she makes one mistake and loses not only her partnership, but also her job. In a moment of shock, Samantha wanders into the countryside and accidentally becomes a housekeeper. Like I said, not life-changing.
My favorite part of this book was the discussion of places. For the most part, it takes place in a small village in the English countryside. The descriptions of the village and surrounding farms make me want to study abroad as soon as possible. Kinsella perfectly captures a sense of ease; there is no rush or need in the village. This idea of relaxation (coupled with the fact that the novel takes place in the summer) makes The Undomestic Goddess a perfect vacation read.
I think that the most interesting thing to take from this book is the way it deals with gender and careers. Samantha becomes partner at the top law firm in London. Her personality is nonexistent and she lacks skills that would be considered “domestic” (surprise, surprise). She can’t cook, clean, or sew. But what’s the big deal? Would it matter if a guy was in the same position? Would anyone care if he could bake himself a pie, do his laundry, or sew a button on his blazer?
Honestly, I don’t think they would.
Furthermore, Samantha abandons her ultimate goal to become a housekeeper. In her new role, she must learn all the things she never knew. Samantha not only masters the basics, but also becomes a sort of expert on domestic duties. In this role, Samantha is happier; it seems that a life of simplicity is the best life for her.
A reporter asks Samantha: “Don’t you care about feminism?”
And I want to talk about that.
Feminism, actual feminism, supports the choices of women. A true feminist supports women who want to be a star lawyers and women who want to be housekeepers. Feminism is not the destruction of the conventional feminine image; it is the choice to adhere to that image or, even, pick and choose feminine and masculine traits to compose a realistic person. There is nothing wrong with being wholly feminine or wholly masculine; it just seems more natural for these concepts of gender identity to lie on a spectrum or scale.
Ok, but why is Samantha happiest cleaning toilets?
Although it may seem that Kinsella is calling women back into the kitchens, I don’t think she is. First of all, Samantha states multiple times that this is what she wants, what is best for her. Secondly, Kinsella highlights simplicity. She emphasizes the tranquility of the village, the pleasures to be found in the everyday, the bliss that comes from relaxation.
And this is interesting.
In fact, it’s downright Transcendentalist.
Bear with me here.
One of the main focuses of Transcendentalism is simplicity, In Walden, Henry David Thoreau discusses the necessities of life: food, fuel, shelter, and clothing. He goes on to divide these into ways of creating heat (food and fuel) and ways of retaining heat (shelter and clothing). In this way, Thoreau describes comfort as warmth. Excess is equated to over heating: “The luxuriously rich are not simply kept comfortably warm, but unnaturally not; as I implied before, they are cooked, of course a la mode.”
The Undomestic Goddess is not a call for women to return to the kitchen and don a lacy apron. It’s actually a call for everyone to slow down. What’s the point of working if we only ever work? Take a break. Go for a hike or read in the grass. When everything else falls away, life is what’s left. This book isn’t life-changing, but maybe it’ll encourage you to take a few minutes of simplicity for yourself. Especially with finals coming up.