Project Gutenberg 2004-10-22 Public domain in the USA. 157 Howells, William Dean 1837 1920 Howells, W. D. (William Dean) Howells, William D. (William Dean) The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life) Produced by David Widger "The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life)" by William Dean Howells is a satirical and philosophical commentary on housekeeping and domestic life, likely written in the late 19th century. This book explores the complexities and burdens of modern housekeeping, juxtaposing it with the simpler lives of the past. Through conversations between characters, it critiques the obsession with material possessions and the emotional weight of domestic responsibilities. In the narrative, a protagonist discusses with a friend the dire state of housekeeping in contemporary homes compared to the past. They lament the overwhelming anxiety and labor imposed by an abundance of household items, leading to a proposed radical solution: the creation of a "Standard Household-Effect Company," which would take on the responsibility of owning and maintaining all household items. This would free women from the incessant pressures of domesticity and the societal expectations tied to it. The conversation reveals a tension between the longing for comfort and individuality in one's living space and the oppressive nature of ownership and maintenance of household goods, culminating in an exploration of identity and societal roles. Ultimately, the friend's absurd idea reflects a deeper critique of materialism and the relentless cycle of consumerism that burdens modern life. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 66.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Fiction Short stories PS Text Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: American Literature 51380 2025-10-02T07:14:11.295805 text/html 51201 2025-01-08T20:14:23.890073 text/html 115489 2025-10-02T07:14:16.551766 application/epub+zip 114272 2025-10-02T07:14:14.480832 application/epub+zip 85144 2025-10-02T07:14:13.377775 application/epub+zip 313130 2025-10-02T07:14:17.975792 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 305509 2025-10-02T07:14:15.865811 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 259777 2022-09-02T09:49:45.004720 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 42037 2025-10-02T07:14:11.094830 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 41823 2021-01-08T19:37:41 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17856 2025-10-02T07:14:18.090764 application/rdf+xml 24685 2025-10-02T07:14:13.858786 image/jpeg 4635 2025-10-02T07:14:13.616830 image/jpeg 15752 2021-01-08T19:37:41 application/octet-stream application/zip 115176 2025-10-02T07:14:11.301791 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia