--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: domestic work is the most elementary form…" description: "\"domestic work is the most elementary form of labor. It is suitable for those with the intelligence of rabbits. All it requires is cleanlines, tidiness ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/rebecca-west-1248_domestic_domestic-work-is-the-most-elementary-for_2281354.jpg" --- # domestic work is the most elementary form of labor. It is… ![“domestic work is the most elementary form of labor. It is suitable for those with the intelligence of rabbits. All it requires is cleanlines, tidiness and quickness - not moral or intellectual qualities at all, but merely the outward and visible signs of health.” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/rebecca-west-1248_domestic_domestic-work-is-the-most-elementary-for_2281354.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/rebecca-west-1248_domestic_domestic-work-is-the-most-elementary-for_2281354.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d4/rebecca-west-1248_domestic_domestic-work-is-the-most-elementary-for_2281354.jpg) > “domestic work is the most elementary form of labor. It is suitable for those with the intelligence of rabbits. All it requires is cleanlines, tidiness and quickness - not moral or intellectual qualities at all, but merely the outward and visible signs of health.” [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Domestic chores are viewed as low‑skill labor, judged by superficial standards rather than intellect. **In simple terms:** Housework is seen as simple, superficial labor. Key Takeaway Recognize the skill in domestic work. Themes gender roles labor value social perception Mood critical analytical Type social commentary feminist When to use this quote - employment policy - home management - education curricula Key Concepts class analysis feminist critique Questions to Reflect On - How does society undervalue domestic labor? - What changes could elevate the perception of household work? A Different Perspective May generalize and ignore varied domestic responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Domestic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic/) [Domestic Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic-work-2753559/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-labor-3749411/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Housework](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housework/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Suitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-suitable-5326064/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Quickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickness/) [Rabbits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rabbits/) [Suitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suitable/) [Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visible/) ## Related quotes > [Domestic work, is, after all, both tedious and repetitive, and it is not surprising that most women and all men avoid as much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-stocks-baroness-stocks/domestic-work-is-after-all-both-tedious-and-repetitive-and-it-is-not/) [Mary Stocks, Baroness Stocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-stocks-baroness-stocks/) > [Hatred of domestic work is a natural and admirable result of civilization. ... The first thing a woman does when she gets a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/hatred-of-domestic-work-is-a-natural-and-admirable-result-of/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Hatred of domestic work is a natural and admirable result of civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/hatred-of-domestic-work-is-a-natural-and-admirable-result-of-2/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [What about precarious labor? It's actually not the most efficient form of labor at all. They were much more efficient when they had loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/what-about-precarious-labor-it-s-actually-not-the-most-efficient-form/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [As far as unwed mothers on welfare are concerned, it seems to me that they must be capable of some other form of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capp/as-far-as-unwed-mothers-on-welfare-are-concerned-it-seems-to-me-that/) [Al Capp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capp/) > [If woman's sole responsibility is of the domestic type, one class will be crushed by it, and the other throw it off as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-brown-blackwell/if-woman-s-sole-responsibility-is-of-the-domestic-type-one-class-will/) [Antoinette Brown Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-brown-blackwell/) > [“Both liturgy and what is euphemistically termed 'domestic work' also have an intense relation with the present moment, a kind of faith in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/both-liturgy-and-what-is-euphemistically-termed-domestic-work-also/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [The emancipation of woman will only be possible when woman can take part in production on a large, social scale, and domestic work no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/the-emancipation-of-woman-will-only-be-possible-when-woman-can-take/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [We have to change men's expectations, as they grow up, regarding their share of domestic work, of child care, but also of elder care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-c-nussbaum/we-have-to-change-men-s-expectations-as-they-grow-up-regarding-their/) [Martha C. Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) > [ “\[D\]emanding wages for housework (…) forced recognition of the fact that the domestic work which women do has economic value. But many feminists feel… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nivedita-menon/d-emanding-wages-for-housework-forced-recognition-of-the-fact-that/) [Nivedita Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nivedita-menon/) > [Domesticity is essentially drama, for drama is conflict, and the home compels conflict by its concentration of active personalities in a small area. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/domesticity-is-essentially-drama-for-drama-is-conflict-and-the-home/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [ I have to use my strengths, which \[are\] my speed, my quickness and my movements. If I do that, I really believe that I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-have-to-use-my-strengths-which-are-my-speed-my-quickness-and-my/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I have no great quickness of apprehension or wit which is so remarkable in some clever men, for instance Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-have-no-great-quickness-of-apprehension-or-wit-which-is-so/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [No," I said finally. "Slowness in Answering," she said into the handheld. "When's the last time you slept?" "1940" I said promptly, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/no-i-said-finally-slowness-in-answering-she-said-into-the-handheld/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [I pride myself in being physically the best that I can be, whether its cardio, strength or quickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cole/i-pride-myself-in-being-physically-the-best-that-i-can-be-whether-its/) [Justin Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cole/) ## More by Rebecca West > [I see the main problem of my life, and indeed anybody's life, as the balancing of competitive freedoms ... a sense of mutual obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-see-the-main-problem-of-my-life-and-indeed-anybody-s-life-as-the/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“There is, of course, no reason for the existence of the male sex except that sometimes one needs help with moving the piano.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/there-is-of-course-no-reason-for-the-existence-of-the-male-sex-except/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“At the top of a hill our automobile stuck in a snowdrift. 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You can't look the other way just because you have not experienced domestic violence with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/this-is-not-love-it-is-a-crime-you-can-t-look-the-other-way-just/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [I'm kind of domestic, untidily so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-paulin/i-m-kind-of-domestic-untidily-so/) [Tom Paulin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-paulin/) > [The most domestic cat, which has lain on a rug all her days, appears quite at home in the woods, and, by her sly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-most-domestic-cat-which-has-lain-on-a-rug-all-her-days-appears/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Domestic violence doesn't count when it's in a broken home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/domestic-violence-doesn-t-count-when-it-s-in-a-broken-home/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [During his presidency, Truman and the Republicans were locked in a series of furious assaults on each other that outraged him and made Truman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/during-his-presidency-truman-and-the-republicans-were-locked-in-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Asked at the hearing why she hadn't pressed the FBI more closely about what it knew, or didn't know, about domestic terrorist threats, Rice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-fineman/asked-at-the-hearing-why-she-hadn-t-pressed-the-fbi-more-closely/) [Howard Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-fineman/) > [A reality that is electronic... 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