Human beings constantly struggle with the idea of ​​work; is it really necessary? Is it worth it? Will it pay off in the end? Some see it as the devil's burden and others know that to create an outcome, work will have to come first. The question is: is work a necessity/necessary evil, or does it provide its own reward? The speakers and writers behind the lyrics/images “I Stand Here Ironing,” We Can Do It!, “Harvest Song,” and “On Dumpster Diving” all come from contrasting backgrounds and would have different answers about the nature of the work. While all speakers may understand that work is not an easy thing, some may find more peace in it than others who may have worked harder and for longer [awkward expression]. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "Harvest Song" by Jean Toomer tells the story of a reaper who toiled in the fields. The reaper explains his condition by saying: “I broke a grain between my teeth. I don't taste it,” (3) being so tired from work that his taste buds don't work. The reaper feels cold, blind, deaf and hopeless; obviously work was a terrible experience in his life, making him feel disconnected and alone. The reaper in this poem would view work as a necessary evil meant to bring suffering to the unfortunate, but he would also believe that work can be the key to freedom. Most likely, the speaker symbolizes an African American worker/farmer in the fields. Similar to many who share his cultural background at the time, the most likely situation is that he works as a sharecropper or sharecropper, hoping to earn enough money to one day escape to a place that has more tolerance for ethnicity. The speaker may feel that work is an unavoidable task, a burden imposed on him and his people by individuals with superior powers, who always defraud them of fair treatment. Even though the speaker feels hopeless and thinks he will never leave the camps, he continues to work for the chance of one day achieving full freedom. He works for his life and his life is work. In Lars Eighner's "On Dumpster Diving," Eighner reflects on his life as a dumpster diver, surviving through other people's waste alongside his dog Lizbeth. Eighner would most likely believe that work is a necessity that provides its own reward. That belief would be supported by his own life experience; he himself had to work to literally survive and the work would be repaid with another day lived. Eighner reflects: “Many times in my travels I have lost everything except the clothes I was wearing and Lizbeth... Now I hardly pick up anything without imagining the moment when I will throw it away. I think this is a healthy state of mind” (78). While dumpster diving may not have been the most pleasant experience, Eighter seems to have gained a new outlook on work and life in general. He came to a point in his life where he had nothing left and his only chance of survival was to work and scrape together a living or starve. Furthermore, for Eighter the reward of his labor would not be material objects because "some material things are white elephants that devour the substance of the possessor" (64); instead, the reward of work is something as simple and beautiful as life. Not only did Eighner care about his survival, he also cared deeply for his dog Lizbeth, who stayed by his side until he couldn't take it anymore. Similar to Eighner who only wanted the best for his partner, the speaker of “IStand Here Ironing", by Tillie Olsen, is a mother who feels hopeless with her daughter, but only wants the best for her. After a series of unfortunate events, the speaker unintentionally ends up neglecting her eldest daughter, creating a relationship tense between the two. It can also be speculated that, due to the mother's inability to make good choices and work hard, it was the eldest son who took the hit. Most likely the speaker had many opportunities to make the better life for his son, but instead he was selfish and had more children even though he seemed incapable of caring for the children he already had. The speaker would see work as something that provides its own reward, but unable to work hard enough to begin with. there is no reward to be reaped, only consequences. It is only at the end of the piece that the speaker realizes that results can be seen, but only if you start with commitment and hard work. A strong example of a go-getter attitude, determination and hard work can be found in the well-known visual text/image of Rosie the Riveter, also formally known by the title of We Can Do It!. The image shows a 1940s style pin up of Rosie the Riveter flexing her arm with a speech bubble that says [add a comma] "We Can Do It!". Although the poster is simple and includes minimal text, the message behind the poster is very bold and strong. She encouraged many women of the 1940s to make a change in their community by doing their part to help fight in the war while their husbands were away fighting overseas. She inspired the women's labor movement [add comma] and Rosie became a figure as well known as Uncle Sam from the Army poster. The speaker of this image would see work as a necessity and not as an evil; [add a comma] mainly because of the time period. People were willing to do anything to ensure that their families and country were safe from harm. Ultimately, work was not seen as an evil that could pay off in the end, but rather was seen as something that people could do for the greater good. It would be their chance to make a lasting effort in their country's history, encouraging women to do their part in the workforce while men were away. The speakers of “Harvest Song” and “On Dumpster Diving” share the same idea that work is to preserve life and that it is a task that must be done to survive. Additionally, the speaker at We Can Do It! I would also agree that work is necessary to survive, but on a broader level because the speakers of the first two texts have to work otherwise they will face life or death consequences. Otherwise, the poster's speaker is simply encouraging others to lend a hand and do their part, [using a semicolon] is less forced and not like a crucial life-or-death situation. The speaker of “I Stand Here Ironing” is the most contrasting to the others because he may not see the value of work as much as the others. He may know it's something that could benefit his life, but he doesn't seem to fully understand what it means to work hard, and his work ethic is reflected in his strained relationship with his daughter. His approach to work and his story may make some readers empathetic to his situation, but at the same time all the details given about his life may make readers wonder if he really worked that hard. The same empathy can be elicited when readers analyze “Harvest Song” and “On Dumpster Diving.” This is because many people may feel bad for the worker toiling in the field with little or no hope left, and may gain a new perspective.