3 May 1957

3 May 1957

Saw Barrie’s “Dear Brutus” last night at Eldred Hall in the company of Elsa Storey and Evelyn Kimmens. Kurt took both of them home. Charles [Kimmens] was graduating with a touch of fuss from a couple months instruction on new machines at Republic Steel’s classes for employees and couldn’t see the play.

Madam Grundy – we give service to you – you are not dead! You are the polite “should” or “ought to” – you are the mouthing politenesses people feel they should utter. Lip service needs to be paid you, but then you can be properly dismissed and the business at hand can then continue. Elsa said, when I commented to the effect we would take her home: “Oh! You do not need to do that. It will be out of the way for you!” (Did you hear Madam Grundy?)

And I acknowledged you [i.e. Madam Grundy], too.

I said: “Yes, we do not need to and it will be a dreadful five minutes out of the way, but we will take you home! Where are you parked, Kurt?”

Madam Grundy – you sure insist on not staying dead. Always, always – lip service to Madam Grundy before one can go about whatever what is going to do anyway – you always demand your pinch of salt, you old bag!

In this case homage was over in a moment. Golly! With Eva [it] takes so darn much wasted time before I can get down to business!! Madam Grundy you are sometimes a time-wasting problem!! And then there are those who use your skirts to get away with not doing what really could be done. Shirkers use your skirts to get away with selfishness of their own!!

You fraud; you old fraud. You are a pest!

Now that I have abused you, I must admit there is still some value in your old bones. Eventually you turn your spotlight quite clearly on the shirkers who hang behind your skirts. When they too openly use your skirts, you expose them as individuals.

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Educational opportunities for women are geared to making them providers, a primarily male function, rather than women.

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Women feel when they are establishing themselves with the prestige status of the economic male, they are successful as women.

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Women point proudly to their achievements in the economic world, but do they have so much to be proud of in this achievement?

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Are women selling themselves a false bill of goods when they measure themselves by male economic standards?