--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ads in the papers all said 'help…" description: "\"“The ads in the papers all said 'help wanted, will train,' but wherever she went she was turned down. \"The position's just been filled,\" she was told a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/julie-otsuka-13846_dark-room_the-ads-in-the-papers-all-said-help-want_987515.jpg" --- # The ads in the papers all said 'help wanted, will train,'… ![“The ads in the papers all said 'help wanted, will train,' but wherever she went she was turned down. "The position's just been filled," she was told again and again. Or, "We wouldn't want to upset the other employees." At the department store where she had once bought all her hats and silk…” quote by Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/julie-otsuka-13846_dark-room_the-ads-in-the-papers-all-said-help-want_987515.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/julie-otsuka-13846_dark-room_the-ads-in-the-papers-all-said-help-want_987515.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/julie-otsuka-13846_dark-room_the-ads-in-the-papers-all-said-help-want_987515.jpg) > ““The ads in the papers all said 'help wanted, will train,' but wherever she went she was turned down. "The position's just been filled," she was told again and again. Or, "We wouldn't want to upset the other employees." At the department store where she had once bought all her hats and silk stockings they would not hire her as a cashier because they were afraid of offending the customers. Instead they offered her work adding up sales slips in a small dark room in the back where no one could see her but she politely declined. "I was afraid I'd ruin my eyes back there," she told us. "I was afraid I might accidentally remember who I was and ... offend myself.”” [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman faces repeated job rejections, ultimately refusing a hidden, demeaning role to protect her dignity. **In simple terms:** Repeated rejection leads to self‑preserving refusal. Key Takeaway Stand firm on dignity, reject demeaning work. Themes discrimination self‑respect employment Mood reflective serious Type critical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - job search - career counseling - rights advocacy - mental health support Key Concepts gender bias workplace exploitation self‑advocacy Questions to Reflect On - What systemic changes could prevent such discrimination? - How can one balance self‑respect with economic necessity? A Different Perspective May ignore systemic barriers, focusing only on individual choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-room/) ## Related quotes > [I've politely declined a few reality-type things but generally have been asked to do things that I'd enjoy. I'll be doing less in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-davies/i-ve-politely-declined-a-few-reality-type-things-but-generally-have/) [Greg Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-davies/) > [It's the same thing,' I told her. 'What is?' 'Being afraid and being alive.' 'No,' she said slowly, and now it was as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/it-s-the-same-thing-i-told-her-what-is-being-afraid-and-being-alive/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Someone once told me not to be afraid of being afraid, because, as she said, 'Anxiety is a glimpse of your own daring.' Isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/someone-once-told-me-not-to-be-afraid-of-being-afraid-because-as-she/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [“She laughed. “Good. You still haven’t told me what you were afraid of.” I thought for a moment. Drowsiness was settling on me like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/she-laughed-good-you-still-haven-t-told-me-what-you-were-afraid-of-i/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stone/i-told-you-and-told-you-there-was-nothing-to-be-afraid-of/) Jon Stone > [“Your eyes told me to trust you, your heart’s beat told me you were afraid of getting broken too, the only thing you didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-heller/your-eyes-told-me-to-trust-you-your-heart-s-beat-told-me-you-were/) [Elizabeth Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-heller/) > [“He’d be damned if he told her he was afraid of falling in love with her only to realize she’d never love him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-barnes/he-d-be-damned-if-he-told-her-he-was-afraid-of-falling-in-love-with/) [Sophie Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-barnes/) > [“Getting married had been all his idea, but he hadn't told her how very afraid of it he was. He seemed to need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/getting-married-had-been-all-his-idea-but-he-hadn-t-told-her-how-very/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“Because she told me - she was afraid that I was moving in on Adrian." "Really? Did you defend our love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/because-she-told-me-she-was-afraid-that-i-was-moving-in-on-adrian/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“I told you I’m not afraid. Why are you? All I’m asking is that you take a chance on me. Life’s not worth living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-jackson/i-told-you-i-m-not-afraid-why-are-you-all-i-m-asking-is-that-you-take/) [A.L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-jackson/) > [“They’re told that they’re afraid of failure, of rejection, of someone saying no. But that’s not it. Sure, rejection hurts. Failure sucks. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/they-re-told-that-they-re-afraid-of-failure-of-rejection-of-someone/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [Being told to get out, not being afraid to fail and try new things - that really makes a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-bamba/being-told-to-get-out-not-being-afraid-to-fail-and-try-new-things/) [Mohamed Bamba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-bamba/) > [“I told you.. whenever I'm afraid to write, I still do it. It's like going to a place that you've never been. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexina-benavidez/i-told-you-whenever-i-m-afraid-to-write-i-still-do-it-it-s-like-going/) Alexina Benavidez > [I didn't want to see you." "They told me." "I was afraid that I'd still love you." "I hoped that you would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-didn-t-want-to-see-you-they-told-me-i-was-afraid-that-i-d-still/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“She couldn't have told you whether it was because she was afraid, or because such a voice in the darkness seemed of necessity a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/she-couldn-t-have-told-you-whether-it-was-because-she-was-afraid-or/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## More by Julie Otsuka > [“In early autumn the farm recruiters arrived to sign up new workers, and the War Relocation Authority allowed many of the young men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/in-early-autumn-the-farm-recruiters-arrived-to-sign-up-new-workers/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [And if anyone asks, you're Chinese. The boy had nodded. "Chinese," he whispered. "I'm Chinese." "And I," said the girl, "am the Queen of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/and-if-anyone-asks-you-re-chinese-the-boy-had-nodded-chinese-he/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“We praised them when they were kind to others but told them not to expect to be rewarded for their good deeds. We scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/we-praised-them-when-they-were-kind-to-others-but-told-them-not-to/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“SOME SAID that the men had been put on trains and sent far away, over the mountains, to the coldest part of the country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/some-said-that-the-men-had-been-put-on-trains-and-sent-far-away-over/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“They learned that some people are born luckier than others and that things in this world do not always go as you plan. STILL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/they-learned-that-some-people-are-born-luckier-than-others-and-that/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“Don't touch me," said the girl. "I want to be sick by myself." "That's impossible," said her mother. She continued to rub her back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/don-t-touch-me-said-the-girl-i-want-to-be-sick-by-myself-that-s/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“A Japanese can live on a teaspoonful of rice a day. We were the best breed of worker they had ever hired in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/a-japanese-can-live-on-a-teaspoonful-of-rice-a-day-we-were-the-best/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“They learned that they should always call the restaurant first. Do you serve Japanese?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/they-learned-that-they-should-always-call-the-restaurant-first-do-you/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“And if they ask you someday what it was I most wanted to say, please tell them, if you would, it was this: I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/and-if-they-ask-you-someday-what-it-was-i-most-wanted-to-say-please/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“Many of us had lost everything and left saying nothing at all. All of us left wearing white numbered identification tags tied to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/many-of-us-had-lost-everything-and-left-saying-nothing-at-all-all-of/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“Because the man who stood there before us was not our father. He was somebody else, a stranger who had been sent back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/because-the-man-who-stood-there-before-us-was-not-our-father-he-was/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“ladies began boycotting our fruit stands because they were afraid our produce might be tainted with arsenic. Insurance companies canceled our insurance. Banks froze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/ladies-began-boycotting-our-fruit-stands-because-they-were-afraid-our/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“Their old life seemed far away and remote to him now, like a dream he could not quite remember. The bright green grass, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/their-old-life-seemed-far-away-and-remote-to-him-now-like-a-dream-he/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“Or was their guilt written plainly, and for all the world to see, across their face? Was it their face, in fact, for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/or-was-their-guilt-written-plainly-and-for-all-the-world-to-see/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) > [“It would be autumn, and our fathers would be out threshing in the fields. We would walk through the mulberry groves, past the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-otsuka/it-would-be-autumn-and-our-fathers-would-be-out-threshing-in-the/) [Julie Otsuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) [Explore all 48 Julie Otsuka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-otsuka/) ## More Dark room quotes > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [You should climb around inside my brain, Dan. It's like this dark room surrounded by quicksand." "I know what you mean," her brother said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lerangis/you-should-climb-around-inside-my-brain-dan-it-s-like-this-dark-room/) [Peter Lerangis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lerangis/) > [Following the Noble Path is like entering a dark room with a light in the hand; the darkness will all be cleared away, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/following-the-noble-path-is-like-entering-a-dark-room-with-a-light-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Death is staring too long into the burning sun and the relief of entering a cool, dark room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/death-is-staring-too-long-into-the-burning-sun-and-the-relief-of/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [“Like children in a dark room, like wayfarers passing a graveyard at night, the four men in the canoe filled the surrounding darkness with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/like-children-in-a-dark-room-like-wayfarers-passing-a-graveyard-at/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“All right. You want to know about Nigel. I’ll tell you about Nigel. He’s come a long way since that so-called accident, Jon. Heck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-corey/all-right-you-want-to-know-about-nigel-i-ll-tell-you-about-nigel-he-s/) Shawn Corey > [People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/people-go-to-the-movies-instead-of-moving-hollywood-characters-are/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“And suddenly there came a second, when somehow for the first time I saw (as if a door had opened from a dark room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seraphim-rose/and-suddenly-there-came-a-second-when-somehow-for-the-first-time-i/) [Seraphim Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seraphim-rose/) > [“Deepest of all in her personality was the golden radiance that she diffused around her. As an open fire in a dark room throws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/deepest-of-all-in-her-personality-was-the-golden-radiance-that-she/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“…dreaming backwards can carry a man through some dark rooms where the walls seem lined with razor blades.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/dreaming-backwards-can-carry-a-man-through-some-dark-rooms-where-the/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [Beautiful pictures are developed from negatives in a dark room. So any time you see darkness in your life. It means God is developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/beautiful-pictures-are-developed-from-negatives-in-a-dark-room-so-any/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I do my music, I don't even go to the studio. It's just me and my engineer in a dark room somewhere, recording.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-wave/when-i-do-my-music-i-don-t-even-go-to-the-studio-it-s-just-me-and-my/) [Rod Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-wave/) > [“Healing is to be in the light of our own consciousness. Healing is an inner light, which exist as a natural radiance around a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-dhyan-giten/healing-is-to-be-in-the-light-of-our-own-consciousness-healing-is-an/) [Swami Dhyan Giten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-dhyan-giten/) > [ God does not play dice \[with the universe\]. \[Ger., Gott wurfelt nicht.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/god-does-not-play-dice-with-the-universe-ger-gott-wurfelt-nicht/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“He was a failure, he repeated. Well, look then, feel then. Flashing her needles, glancing round about her, out of the window, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-was-a-failure-he-repeated-well-look-then-feel-then-flashing-her/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Browse all 307 Dark room quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-room/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The ads in the papers all said 'help wanted, will train,' but wherever she went she was turned down. \"The position's just been filled,\" she was told again and again. Or, \"We wouldn't want to upset the other employees.\" At the department store where she had once bought all her hats and silk stockings they would not hire her as a cashier because they were afraid of offending the customers. 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