Quote by George Orwell
Is a PLONGEUR'S work really necessary to civilization? We have a feeling that it must be 'honest' work, because it is hard and disagreeable, and we have made a sort of fetish of manual work. We see a man cutting down a tree, and we make sure that he is filling a social need, just because he uses his muscles; it does not occur to us that he may only be cutting down a beautiful tree to make room for a hideous statue. I believe it is the same with a PLONGEUR. He earns his bread in the sweat of his brow, but it does not follow that he is doing anything useful; he may be only supplying a luxury which, very often, is no luxury at all.
Summary
In this quote, the author questions the perceived value of manual labor, specifically the work of a plongeur (dishwasher). The author challenges the assumption that hard and unpleasant work is inherently "honest" and necessary for society. They highlight how society tends to prioritize physical labor without considering the actual usefulness or purpose behind it. The author poses the idea that a plongeur's labor may in fact be serving a luxury that is not essential, emphasizing that the nature of the work does not automatically confer societal value.
Topics
Work
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