Undomestic Goddess

After reading Sophie Kinsella’s Undomestic Goddess I don’t feel any differently about life. It’s not really a thought-provoking book. At least, not in the sense that I would choose for a book group discussion. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the book. I enjoy “fast reads” like that. This book was all about one woman’s fall from grace in a very high-pressured career world, and her discovery of a more laid-back way of life. A life that still has its demands, but the rewards are more self-fulfilling. I think the questions it raised for me is:

What is the better choice? Who can truly answer this?

By pushing our careers aside and choosing a life of domesticity, are we compromising our rights as women? I personally, don’t feel that we are compromising our “place” so to speak, in this world. Women have fought for their rights and their opinions and I don’t think it’s taking a step back by wanting to put us back in the kitchen. I have many friends with masters degrees whose ultimate goals are to become mothers and housewives. That is their choice. Does choosing a life over a career mean we can’t ever go back to having a career? I don’t feel that if you choose to be a housewife or a stay-at-home mom that you can’t return to a career life. Many women now days do both. Women are working out of their homes and becoming involved in business while still being able to maintain a happy home life. Women have built businesses from the ground up while taking care of child. Should we resent women who choose not to work? NO! Resentment only encourages weakness. Personally, by resenting another woman’s choice, you’re dooming all women to fail. It sounds cliché to say this, but banding together and making sure that women are supported NO MATTER their choices is the only way to ensure that we can keep our freedom. Women are corporate lawyers, shareholders, stockbrokers, waitresses, business owners, doctors, computer geniuses, professors, mechanics, and every other imaginable job you can imagine. To think that, at one time, only men did these professions, you have to give credit where credit is due. Women are able to make the choice to move in and out of the kitchen at will. If I want to be a housewife then I hope I won’t be hated or resented for my choice. In my opinion, who wouldn’t love to be able to do that? Why wouldn’t you want to be able to spend your days maintaining a wonderful home and not having to work a “real” job? The thought that I could stay home and bake and clean and do sewing would be awesome. Is it a natural right as a woman, in this age, to be able to have a choice between domesticity and the working world? I think it is our natural right. I don’t think anyone can tell us we can’t. Even if you’re a die-hard feminist, I don’t think you can say no to that. I don’t think being feminist means you have to hate or begrudge others for their choices. I feel that a woman has a choice to do what makes her happy. I want to be happy and I want that same happiness for everyone.

So, maybe I had more to say on this book, than I actually thought. I guess most of the feelings I have about this book is wonderment and jealousy. I mean, a life where you can decide what you want to do and live how you want to live, sounds great. No corporate person telling you what to do. No reason to make people happy because they feel they’re entitled. No need to be so concerned with money that you couldn’t enjoy life. It’s all good. It is all good.