The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson

Student Task 1 - Reading and the Study of Texts - The Getting of

Wisdom ( Henry Handel Richardson)

1) This novel is set in the early twentieth century. Identify and

discuss two ways in which the manners and behaviour of Laura's time

differ from what is acceptable today.

When Marina (Laura's Godmother's younger daughter) called for Laura at

the College on a particular Saturday morning, they set off into town

to visit a 'co-operative grocery store' (pg. 65), wherein an order for

a quarter's supplies was to be given. During this time, Marina, who

'was her mothers housekeeper, and had an incredibly knowledge of

groceries, as well as a severely practical mind' (pg. 65), took her

time sampling the products she was considering purchasing - indeed,

she 'stuck her fingernail into butter, tasted cheeses off the blade,

ran her hands through currants, (and) nibbled biscuits' (pg 65). This

sort of behaviour would be, and in fact generally is, sternly

forbidden in society - health regulations are somewhat strict

regarding consumerables in this day and age.

Teachers in Laura's time generally demanded a considerable degree of

respect, and this attitude has on the whole been carried through to

today's era. However, it can be noted that this was not always the

case. Maria - an older 'chum' of Laura's who possessed a very

attractive figure and extrovert manner (Laura's mother deduced it to

be 'vulgar' {pg. 50}) - is an excellent example of this. Laura tells

of Maria's supposed 'expertise' in the male area, and how she could

'twist him (Monsieur Legros - the French master) around her little

finger' (pg. 128). She tells of the fact that all Maria needed to do

was 'pout her thick, red lips, or give a coquettish twist of her plump

figure, or ogle him with her fine, bold, blue eyes, and the difficult

questions in the lesson were sure to pass her by once she even got ten

extra marks added to an examination paper, in this easy fashion' (pg

128-9). This type of behaviour would never be allowed in the

classrooms of today - primarily because there is too much riding on

academic achievement in the education system of our time.

Receiving credit where it is not due in such cases does not get a

student anywhere nowadays - the true standard must be set. The role of

women has changed dramatically over the last century; they now

generally need to, and are expected/preferred to be able to get out

there and earn a living and doing so by achieving academic merit is

the most common method of reaching this goal.