The Unadjusted Girl, With Cases and Standpoint for Behavior AnalysisThomas, William Isaac
Science
The Unadjusted Girl, With Cases and Standpoint for Behavior Analysis
Thomas, William Isaac
Female juvenile delinquents -- Case studies; Young women
17. My Own Dear Dean: So you would like to know if I am happy. Well,
dear, that is one thing that will never be in my life again. It has
gone from me forever. I don’t want you to think that Clarence is not
good to me, for he could not be better—I have a nice home that he
has bought, and chickens and a lovely garden, and if Marjorie was
his very own he could not be better to her. But he is terribly
jealous, and it makes it very hard for me, for, God knows, I never
give him cause. Oh, Dean, dear, wait until you see how I have
changed. If I could only live my life over it would be so
different....
Now, dear, please don’t feel that you have no interest in life, for
you have our dear little girl, and just as soon as she is big enough
to be a comfort to you—well, she is yours.
Dean, if you only knew how badly I want to see you. Now,
listen—Clarence leaves here August 31 for Vancouver and will be
there until September 6.... So, if you could send me my fare one
way, why, then he could not refuse to let me go.... Let me know what
you are planning, for I want to see you and cook you some good old
meals again.... Yours only, Patsy.[20]
In No. 18 a conventional woman permits herself to have a single new
experience in the field of response, as compensation for a married
relation which lacks everything but security, and then returns to her
security.
18. American woman, forty-five years old, married. Husband is a
prosperous real estate broker, a member of many clubs, a church
warden, director of several corporations, a typical business man of
the type termed “successful”, a good citizen “without one redeeming
vice.”
She is a beautiful woman, albeit tired and faded. Her hair is
prematurely white, her youthful face with deep-set brown eyes has a
wistful contradictory appearance. Has many sides to her nature, can
play ball with her boys as well as she can preside at a meeting. Is
a good companion, has many friends, and leads a busy life as head of
a prosperous household. Has five children, four boys and one girl.
One would not guess that she is an unsatisfied woman; her friends
all think her life ideal and, in a sense, she does not deny it. This
in substance is her view of married life though not literally word
for word:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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