"Woman's Work," by Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez comments on the domestic lives of women and the dispute over their role in a household. Her conclusion, however, is unexpected. She writes that she "became [her] mother's child" and took up her own form of housekeeping. One might expect her to condemn "woman's work" as degrading or unjust, how­­ever, Alvarez seems to comment that "[scrubbing] the bathroom tiles" can be just as high an art as writing, or "housekeeping paper."

The repeated description of "woman's work" in the villanelle, "hard art" or "high art," seems mocking in the second stanza. However, her tone shifts after she works "at home on her [own] art." This change of meaning, though in like phrases, reveals the complexity of this villanelle.

Though Alvarez does not condone her imprisonment in her mother’s “housebound heart,” she comes to understand that housework is not inherently bad. Her mother’s housework revealed her pride and insecurity. This is evident in her “masterpiece”: her daughter. Alvarez became just another bathroom tile or wrinkly shirt for her mother to perfect and show off. This furthers a theme that the repetition highlights: the “heart” behind the “art.” The purpose behind one’s art determines its legitimacy. If a woman, or any person, enjoys serving his or her family through housework, it becomes an art. However, if one uses it as a means to gain popularity or status, it becomes a “prison” to oneself and to others.