Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business

Name: Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business
Author: Daniel Defoe

The work critiques the societal issues stemming from the behavior and expectations of servant-wenches in early 18th-century England. It argues that the pride and inflated wages of female servants have led to a decline in household management and morality. The text highlights how these servants, influenced by their peers, demand higher wages and adopt extravagant lifestyles, often dressing better than their mistresses. This shift not only burdens tradesmen and families but also sets a poor example for the youth, encouraging a culture of excess and entitlement. The author discusses the detrimental effects of servant behavior on family dynamics, including instances of theft and seduction, which lead to the ruin of many households. The text suggests that the current system allows servants to dictate terms, undermining the authority of their employers. Proposed reforms include regulating wages, establishing clear contracts, and enforcing standards of dress to restore order and respect within domestic settings. The work ultimately calls for a reevaluation of servant roles and responsibilities, advocating for a structured approach to household management that benefits both employers and employees.

By Daniel Defoe · First published 1703 · Genre: Social Science, Non-fiction, Politics · 8,010 words

First lines

This is a proverb so common in everybody's mouth, that I wonder nobody has yet thought it worth while to draw proper inferences from it, and expose those little abuses, which, though they seem trifling, and as it were scarce worth consideration, yet, by insensible degrees, they may become of injurious consequence to the public; like some diseases, whose first symptoms are only trifling disorders, but by continuance and progression, their last periods terminate in the destruction of the whole human fabric.

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Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business is listed on Textopian as a novel by Daniel Defoe, dated 1703 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Daniel Defoe
Date: 1703 CE
Language: English
Genres: Social Science, Non-fiction, Politics, Satire, History
Length: 8,010 words
Structure: 1 section, 80 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Genres

Social Science — The book provides an in-depth analysis of society and human interactions, closely aligning it with the social science genre.
Non-fiction — The book presents factual information regarding societal roles and behaviors, making non-fiction a suitabale genre.
Politics — As the book critiques government policies and societal organization, it falls into the genre of political literature.
Satire — The sharp wit and humor used in the book to critique society places it within the satire genre.