PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Literature-Grade 9
Genre: Nonfiction-Narrative Essay
“The Washwoman” by Isaac Singer
Book p. 32
Critical Thinking Activity
1. Respond: Why do you think the washwoman gives so much and asks so little in return?
The washwoman believes in doing her duty and finds fulfilment in it.
2. (a) Which job does the washwoman perform for Singer’s family?
(b) Connect: Which laborious obstacles to doing the job well does Singer describe?
a. She does the laundry.
b. Singer cites the need to haul water and to compete for drying apace in the attic.
3. (a) What prevents the washwoman from returning to the family for several months?
(b) Draw Conclusions: What does the washwoman’s eventual return tell you about her character? Explain.
a. The washwoman is ill.
b. She is dedicated to her work, and it is important for her to finish what she starts.
4. (a) What specific information about the washwoman’s personal life does the author include?
(b) Speculate: What other kinds of information about the washwoman might the author have chosen to include but left out?
(c) Assess: Based on this essay, explain why an author might choose to include some details and omit others in a text.
a. She is poor and has been abandoned by her son, who is ashamed of her and does not help her. She is bitter toward him.
b. Singer says nothing about her family history or what she does in the present besides laundry.
c. Singer wanted the focus on the washwoman’s working life. Including other details would not support this main idea.
Can Truth Change?
a. How would you describe the character of the washwoman at the beginning of the story and then at the end?
b. How do her relationships grow?
a. At the beginning, the washwoman is old and thin but strong. She has a strong work ethic. She might be a bit lonely because her son has abandoned her, and she is eager to talk with Singer’s mother in Polish. At the end, the washwoman is older and weaker. She is still determined to do her work, but she does not want to burden anyone by being unable to fulfil her responsibility.
b. The washwoman’s relationship with Singer’s mother gets stronger, as the two speak their common language of polish. Singer himself admires the washwoman more and more as he sees how noble and hardworking she is. Her relationship with her son also changes. When she gets sick, her son contributes money for the coffin and funeral. The truths of the washwoman’s character remain the same, but her relationships and her health changes.
