Anti-Wage-Slavery, Pro-Freedom Quotation 226

What Is He?
By D. H. Lawrence



--What is he?

A man, of course.

--Yes, but what does he do?

He lives and is a man.

--Oh quite! But he must work. He must have a job of some sort.

Why?

--Because obviously he’s not one of the leisured classes.

I don’t know. He has lots of leisure. And he makes quite beautiful chairs.

--There you are then! He’s a cabinet maker.

No no!

--Anyhow a carpenter and joiner.

Not at all.

--But you said so.

What did I say?

--That he made chairs, and was a joiner and carpenter.

I said he made chairs, but I did not say he was a carpenter.

--All right then, he’s just an amateur.

Perhaps! Would you say a thrush was a professional flautist, or just an amateur?

--I’d say it was just a bird.

















And I did say he is just a man.