“Anyway everyboy (sorry) knows that what women have done that is really important is not to constitute a great, cheap labor force that you can zip in when you're at war and zip out again afterwards but to Be Mothers, to form the coming generation, to give birth to them, to nurse them, to mop floors for them, to love them, cook for them, clean for them, change their diapers, pick up after them, and mainly sacrifice themselves for them. This is the most important job in the world. That's why they don't pay you for it.” KnowsWorldGivingImportantWarDoneJobsFormMotherForcePayGenerationsSacrificeBirthPicksLaborCleanSorryCooksNurseDiapersImportant JobsZipsCheap LaborLabor Force Author:Joanna Russ
“Most mothers entering the labor market outside the home are naive. They stagger home each evening, holding mail in their teeth, the cleaning over their arm, a lamb chop defrosting under each armpit, balancing two gallons of frozen milk between their knees, and expect one of the kids to get the door.” TwoHomeKidsMotherDoorsArmsLaborTeethEveningKneesMilkMailEnteringFrozenCleaningNaiveLambsGallonsArmpits Author:Erma Bombeck
“As far as unwed mothers on welfare are concerned, it seems to me that they must be capable of some other form of labor.” SeemsFormMotherCapableConcernedLaborWelfare Author:Al Capp
“One of the monstrous things that slavery in this country caused was the breakup of families. I mean, physical labor, horrible; beatings, horrible; lynching death, all of that, horrible. But the living life of a parent who, A, has no control over what happens to your children, none. They don't belong to you. You may not even nurse them. They may be shipped off somewhere, as in "Beloved" the mother was, to be nursed by somebody who was not able to work in the fields and was a wet nurse.” MayChildrenCountryHappensAbleMotherParentFieldsLaborOur ChildrenSlaveryHorribleLive LifeBelovedYour ChildrenBreakupNurseWetMonstrousLynching Author:Toni Morrison
“. . . the labor with which we give birth is simply a rehearsal for something we mothers must do over and over: turn ourselves inside out, and then let go.” GivingMotherTurnsBirthLetting GoLaborRehearsal Author:Susan Piver
“I often saw weary little women coming to the table after most exhausting labors, and large, bumptious husbands spreading out their hands and thanking the Lord for the meals that the dear women had prepared, as if the whole came down like manna from heaven. So I preached a sermon in the blessing I gave. You will notice that it has three heresies in it: Heavenly Father and Mother, make us thankful for all the blessings of this life, and make us ever mindful of the patient hands that oft in weariness spread our tables and prepare our daily food. For humanity's sake, Amen.” IfsLittlesWholeHandsMotherHumanityThreeFatherHeavenLordSawsAtheismBlessingHusbandLaborTablesPreparedPatientSakeDearSpreadPositive AtheismThis LifeMealsHeavenlyWearySermonsHeresyHeavenly FatherExhaustingAmenWearinessLittle Women Author:Elizabeth Cady Stanton