A chief occupation listed as lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense shows how everyday work can be playful or absurd. Many feel the sting of being told their job is wrong, while others see occupation as a tool of power, like foreign or military control that shapes nations. Resistance and change become central themes.
![“Upon the decease [of] my wife, it is my Will and desire th[at] all the Slaves which I hold in [my] own right, shall receive their free[dom] . . . . The Negroes thus bound, are (by their Masters or Mistresses) to be taught to read and write; and to be brought up to some useful occupation, agreeably…” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/ae7/george-washington-257_bounds_upon-the-decease-of-my-wife-it-is-my-wil_3182279.jpg)
