here is my questions and asnwers
Purpose and Audience
1. What point is the writer trying to make? Why do you suppose her thesis is never explicitly stated?
The author’s whole point of the essay is to make the reader feel sympathy for her mother, because of the hardships she went through working on a farm while raising eight children, which leads us to believe she is deserving of the Social Security benefit check. Another point is general; even though, women does so much work towards their home, they don't get any credit from our society.
I suppose that…
2. This essay appeared in Ms. magazine and other publications whose audiences are sympathetic to feminist goals. Could it just as easily have appeared in a magazine whose audience was not? Explain.
I think it could easily appear in a magazine whose audience was not sympathetic to feminist goals. I would say it would not be the most readable topic, and it is probably would have a lot of argumentations and critics after all.
3. Smith-Yackel mentions relatively little about her father in this essay. How can you account for this?
She does this because she is disappointed to hear that her mother never worked by the person on the phone. The author tried to show as many details about her mother`s work as possible; Smith-Yackel gains empathy throughout the essay for her mother by repeating the numerous jobs she had to do. This is to reinforce the message that person, who spends their whole life tending to others, is told by the society, that her work is not recognized and appreciated.
4. This essay was first published in 1975. Do you think it is dated, or do you think the issues it raises are still relevant today?
The issues it raises are still relevant today because even now most people think the same way. Women`s rights are still a controversial issue today in equal partnership world.
Style and Structure
1. Is the essay`s title effective? If so, why? If not, what alternate title can you suggest?
No, it is not effective. I would suggest “My stay-at-home mother is a hard-working person.”
2. Smith-Yackel could have outlined her mother`s life without framing it with the telephone conversation. Why do you think she includes this frame?
This is done to bring a sense a reality to the text and appeal to readers. Yakel also takes full paragraph out of her mother's diary, to make an emotional connection between the reader and Yakel's mother. This also helps the readers directly relate to Yakel's mother by including dialogue that show exactly how her mother is feeling.
3. What strategies does Smith-Yackel use to indicate the passing of time in her narrative?
Yakel includes all the dates, especially the years, so the readers can recognize or even relate to surrounding environment. Such as in 1931, Yakel's mother went through a drought, therefore people who had experiences such as this can relate to Yakel's mother's hardship.
4. This narrative piles details one on top of another almost like a list. Why does the writer include so many details?
The author wants the readers recognize, appreciates and even relate to her mothers work as she does. And not discard years of service and hardship towards her family, as Social Security did. For the same reason she describes the most smallest of the details from her mom`s diary.
5. In paragraph 20 and 21 what is accomplished by the repetition of the word still?
All the hard times the author`s mother had that period, did not stop her to take care about her family. She still continued to work hard even after all her kids grew up.

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