Sold on a Monday

Sold on a Monday highlights the set gender roles in the workplace, the family, and society in the early 1930s. For women, their roles are largely restricted to traditional roles tied to the private, domestic sphere; namely, caring for the family or prescribed roles in the workplace in caretaking instead of leadership roles; and in society, holding up those traditional roles in the community.

Lily and Ellis were both trapped in gender roles in the workplace from which each sought to break free. Lily took her job as a secretary when no one would hire her as a reporter, even though she had excellent clips in her green folder and experience writing for her high school newspaper. Her determination to become a reporter and to make a better life for Samuel made her continue to struggle against the sexism and pursue her dream. Ellis begins his newspaper career in a section of the paper reserved for women, the Society page. He recoils against the bullying he receives from colleagues, who make fun of him for “womanly work.” Ellis works hard to gain a promotion to what he perceives is a more rewarding role in the newspaper, like breaking news reporting.