“Reading Lucy”
Why is Egan so interested in Lucy?
issues of gender, empowerment –
war — draft — women take on new roles in workforce
— Lucy works as shipfitter
Egan’s interest:
— Lucy’s personal life story — main interest. Lucy’s relationship to her husband. Lucy’s personal story. Romance. Reading the letters, Egan experiences the ups and downs of Lucy’s personal life.
— Gender
— Historical interest –
— Local interest
p. 25 — Advising Minnie
— we learn that L. is warm-hearted and sympathetic. At a time when people were still segregated by race, she shows comradeship and looks out for fellow workers
— introduces Haack, the supervisor — not everyone is as warm-hearted and sympathetic as her
— mentions that Minnie is a math genius – shame that skills of someone so smart goes to waste
— shows Lucy herself as a storyteller
— Language — 1940s slang
one reason Egan is so interested is that Lucy’s life is so interesting, romantic. Experience of reading letters if fulfilling for Egan.
