I was watching Sense and Sensibility the other day, one of my very favorite movies (yes, I really am that much of a girl). Normally I get swept away by the beauty and romance of the film, but this time something in the very beginning threw me off, and kept me distracted for the rest of the entire movie. If you’re not familiar with the story, it starts off with the death of Mr. Dashwood, who is required by law to leave all fortune and property to his eldest son from a previous marriage (I think he was widowed?). Anyway, the current wife and their three daughters are left with practically nothing- only a mere 500 pounds a year to live on. They are forced to move out of their home, leaving it to Mr. Dashwood’s son, and move into a small affordable cottage. None of them have jobs, of course, because they’re ladies, so they are forced to live frugally on this small yearly sum and find ways to stretch it far enough to support all four of them.

But here’s the part that gets me: even on such a small stipend, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters bring a maid and manservant with them to their new home. Of course there’s the matter of inflation and cost of living and blah blah blah, but still- there’s a scene where they’re debating whether or not they can afford to buy beef, and they still employ a maid and manservant.

This brings up two questions in my mind. Number one, why am I not as beautiful as Kate Winslet? I find this grossly unfair. Look at her!

And number two, where the hell is my maid? I am a lady, aren’t I? I don’t have to worry about whether or not I can afford beef (although I think we all know that given the choice, a maid would win out over beef any day). I think this merits further investigation. If anyone knows of a kindly older woman who is adept at emptying chamber pots and hanging laundry out on the line, please send her my way.