Full time, stay-at-home [mom]. Again, if you live according to your budget and you live lower than your income—I always sewed, I always cooked, and I felt that I didn’t bring money home, but my job was to save money. And my husband always made me feel that half of a paycheck was my contribution as well because if he had to hire for food and laundry and day care and etc., etc., he’d have to work another part time job. So, I was always the equal even though I was a homemaker, I was always an equal partner which is more than I can say for some.
Pauline Marois was an extraordinary woman to interview. She did work full time but was not paid for it, and still, to this day, she works part time and is not paid for it. She was a stay-at-home mother and is now a part-time stay-at-home grandmother. Pauline Marois was born in Worcester and lived in her grandparents’ three-decker with the rest of her family. In this interview she discusses working at Saltus Press and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, making her own clothing, marrying her husband, and raising her two daughters. She said that her husband looked at her as an equal and for all her hard work, he would give half of his paycheck to her because she earned it. She believes that women think differently than men and that it is a good thing. Also, she believes that, even though the roles of men and women have switched almost completely, people should not work extravagant hours because being home with your family is just as important if not more. She does not at all regret not continuing her formal education after high school because she has found her family responsibilities and bonding to be more crucial. She emphasizes the importance of family and self-education throughout the interview.