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Lesson16BBCinterviewer:It'sprobablytruetosaythatwomenhavebeenaffectedmorethanmenbyrecentchangesinthewayweactuallylive.Overahundredyearsagopeoplebegantoquestionwhethermenwerereallysomuchwiser,stronger,altogethermoresensibleandsimplybetterthanwomenasthelawsofthecountrymadeout.Intheendwomengotthevote,andveryrecently—in1975—theSexDiscriminationActwaspassed.Butit'sdoubtfulwhetherlegislationhaschangedthewaywewomenactuallythink.Alotisheardaboutthedilemmaofwomen'stworoles.Howcanawomanbeawifeandmotherandhaveafull-timejobaswell?Inthisnewserieswearegoingtotrytofindoutwhatpeoplearereallythinkingandfeelingaboutthisproblem,andhowitaffectstheirpersonallives.InthestudiowithmetodayisMrs.MarinaSpiden,whorecentlyexperiencedtheproblemofhavingtoomuchtodoathome.WithMrs.SpidenareherhusbandBrian,hermotherMrs.VeraCresswellandMr.TomPenman,theirlocalnewsagent.Mrs.Spiden...telluswhathappenedwillyou?Mrs.Spiden:Well...youjustsaidit...theproblemofhavingtoomuchtodoathome.IdoanafternoonjobsoIhavetogetthehouseworkandshopping...er...doneinthemorning.Andonemorningyousee...er...Ijustcouldn'tstanditnomore.The...thebabywasbawlingherheadoff.Jimmy—that'smylittleboy...he'stwo—hadthrowntheradiooutofthewindow...Interviewer:Really!Mrs.Spiden:Yesreally...Thedog...youknow...hadmadea...amessonthecarpet.AndtherewasBrian—myhusband—therehewassnoringawayonthesettee.Didn'tliftafingerhedidn't...notafingertohelpme.Mr.Spiden:Nownowlove...Don'tgetallherupaboutitagain...Imeanthat'syoursideofthestory...Interviewer:OfcourseMr.Spiden...We'dliketohearyoursidelater.So...whatdidyoudoaboutit?Mrs.Spiden:Well...Whatdoyoudowhenyou'vegotsomethingyou'refedupwithor...or...youdon'twantlike...Youputthemupforsaledon'tyou?Andthat'sexactlywhatIdiddo.Putthewholedamnlotof'emupforsale.Interviewer:Thefamilyyoumean.Mrs.Spiden:Yes...thefamily...includingthedog.Mr.Penman:Shecameintomyshopthatverydayand'Tom',shesays,'I'vejustabouthadenoughofit.I'msickofslavingforahusbandwhatsleepsallday.Sohereyouare,'shesays.Andshegivesmeanadvertonacardtoputupinthewindowofthepapershop.Interviewer:Whatdiditsay?Mr.Penman:I'vegotithere.Interviewer:Readitforuswillyou?Mr.Penman:'ForSale—Onehouse-traineddog,onereasonablytrainedboyoftwoyears,onebabygirloftwoweeksandonemanthatneedstraining.Anyoffersconsidered.Applywithin.'Interviewer:Andwerethereanyoffers?MrsCresswell:Itwasmewhatwrotethatadvert.Yousee...IlivewithMarinaandBrian...MrSpiden:Sheandherdog...Mr.Penman:Ohyes.Causedquiteastiritdid.IshouldsayIhadinquiriesfrom...fromaboutacoupleofdozenhousewivesinall.Interviewer:Andwhatoffersdidtheymake?Mr.Penman:Wellonewomanoffered25p.Shesaidthat'sallamanwasworth.Interviewer:WhataboutyouMr.Spiden?Whatwasyourreactiontotheadvertisement?Mr.Spiden:Well...youcanimagine...MywifetoldmeaboutitbutIthoughtshewasjoking.LittledidIrealize...IwasbloodyfuriouswhenIsawitthere.Itwasn'ttillnextmorning.WeliveupstairsofthepapershopandwhenIcomedowntogoonmymilkround...Interviewer:Yesofcourse...you'reamilkman...Mrs.Spiden:That'sright.IoftenhaveadekkoattheadvertsTomputsup.AndwhenIsawthatonesortof...staringmeintheface...Inearlyblewmetop.Interviewer:Whatdidyoudo?Mrs.Cresswell:I'lltellyouwhathedid.Hecameandblamedmeforeverything.Mr.Spiden:Wellitwasyou...wannit...thateggedheron.Itwasyouthatwrotetheadvert.Mr.Penman:Itwasabigjokereally.JustthatBriantookitallthewrongway.Knowwhathedid?Whenhecomeoffhismilkroundhebargesintotheshopandhesays,'Takethatbloodyadvertoutandputoneinforme.Asksomekindtaxi-driverorsomeonetocomeandtakemymother-in-lawbacktoBirmingham.'Mr.Spiden:Butit'sallblownovernow...innit.It'sdoneusaworldofgoodinaway.We'rethebestoffriendsagain.Eventhedogstartedto...Interviewer:I'mgoingtotalktoyounowaboutthesuffragettemovement.Wereyouyourselfeverasuffragette?Mrs.Bruce:No,Ididnotapproveofsuffragettes.Ididnotwanttohavethevote.Ifeltthemanofthehouseshouldbeinchargeofthatsection.Andthewoman,ofcourse,tolookafterthehomeandthechildren.Ithinkthatvotingwasunnecessary,atthattime.ButI'mnotgoingtosaynow,thatperhapsithashaditsadvantages.Interviewer:Howcommonwasyourattitudeatthetimethatthesuffragetteswerebeingmilitant?Mrs.Bruce:Oh,Iwasverymuchagainstthem.I'dbehighlyinsultedifanybodycalledmeasuffragette.IrememberwalkingwithmygovernessdownDowningStreetjustpastNumber10andtheychainedthemselvestotherailings.Ofcourse,IhadagoodlaughbutIthoughtitwasn'tgoingtobeme.Interviewer:Weretheyapopularmovementintheirday?Mrs.Bruce:Well,withacertainnumberofcourse.Andtheytriedveryhardandeventuallytheygotthevote,erthroughtheirefforts,soIsupposetheireffortsweregoodinquitealotofways.Er,IthinkwomeninParliament—therearen'tmany,butthosethat'vebeentherehavedonealotofgood.Interviewer:Soyouthinkinthelongterm...Mrs.Bruce:Inthelongterm,noharmwasdone.Aslongastheirdemonstrationswerepeaceful.Interviewer:Doyouthinkitwouldmatterverymuchifwomendidn't,hadn'tachievedthevote,iftheyhadn'tgotthevoteatallandstilldidn'thaveit?Mrs.Bruce:Idon'tthinkitwould'vemadeagreatdealofdifference,no,buttherearecertainthingsthey'vedone—thosethat'vebeenMembersofParliament—thathavebeenveryusefulinhelpingwomenintheirjobs,inother