Maud Martha

World War II means that “now meat was jewelry” (152), and Maud finds herself having to butcher and dress a chicken herself. She recalls happier days before the war, when a chicken was properly cleaned for a person. She convinces herself that even the fainthearted can gut and dress a chicken, so she can do it too. She considers that chickens could be safe if people got to know them, got to see them loving their chicks, got to see them in human-like relationships, but when finished preparing the animal for cooking, Maud quickly dismisses her philosophical thoughts on chicken families and smacks her lips in anticipation of her meal.

The scene shifts to Maud in a hat shop. The manager tries to convince Maud that a hat is just right for her but struggles to find words to compliment Maud’s appearance. They haggle down the price, but Maud decides to leave without purchasing the hat, choosing to walk away from the milliner’s shallow attempts at flattery for the sake of a sale.

Paul loses his job, and Maud picks one up in a hurry, taking a job as a maid for a wealthy white family. She is quickly employed by Mrs.