Madam and Her Madam
Madam and Her Madam - meaning Summary
Work, Affection, and Exploitation
Hughes' poem depicts an African American domestic worker addressing her employer about exhausting, unpaid labor in a twelve-room house. The speaker lists relentless chores and childcare, confronting the woman with a blunt question about being treated like a "pack-horse." The employer's professed affection rings hollow against the worker's weariness, and the speaker ultimately rejects sentimental justification for exploitation. The poem links everyday labor to racial and social inequalities in Hughes' era.
Read Complete AnalysesI worked for a woman, She wasn't mean-- But she had a twelve-room House to clean. Had to get breakfast, Dinner, and supper, too-- Then take care of her children When I got through. Wash, iron, and scrub, Walk the dog around-- It was too much, Nearly broke me down. I said, Madam, Can it be You trying to make a Pack-horse out of me? She opened her mouth. She cried, Oh, no! You know, Alberta, I love you so! I said, Madam, That may be true-- But I'll be dogged If I love you!
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