“ When one’s body is young, it is very pliable, and hard work will mould it like putty according to the nature of the work. ”
Jack London, Martin Eden (1909). copy citation
| Author | Jack London |
|---|---|
| Source | Martin Eden |
| Topic | work body |
| Date | 1909 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1056/1056-h/1056-h.htm |
Context
“And do you know why she carries herself the way she does? I think about such things now, though I never used to think about them, and I am beginning to understand—much.”
“But why does she?”
“She has worked long hours for years at machines. When one’s body is young, it is very pliable, and hard work will mould it like putty according to the nature of the work. I can tell at a glance the trades of many workingmen I meet on the street. Look at me. Why am I rolling all about the shop? Because of the years I put in on the sea. If I’d put in the same years cow-punching, with my body young and pliable, I wouldn’t be rolling now, but I’d be bow-legged.”
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