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Mrs. Richardson
Lois Burdoo is a poor Black widow in Jaffrey who lives with her five children, including Polly and Moses. She receives charity from the town—and Amos Fortune—to support her and her children after her husband’s death, but she fails find a livelihood for herself or to ensure that her children attend school or take care of themselves. She provides a contrast to the hardworking Amos and Violet, proving by negative example how important hard work and self-reliance are.
Lois Burdoo Quotes in Amos Fortune, Free Man
The Amos Fortune, Free Man quotes below are all either spoken by Lois Burdoo or refer to Lois Burdoo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8: Amos on the Mountain
Quotes
“I’m not wanting Lois Burdoo to live in hardship but I’m thinking you’ve got a right to live in dignity.”
“But Violet—” he began.
While the words were strong within her she knew she must speak them. “With all the help the town gave her she never made herself any better,” Violet insisted. “The children are getting older. They’re the ones to help and help themselves too. You’ll do more for them all by giving work to the boys than by giving money to Lois.”
“But Violet—”
She would not listen to him until she had had her say. “There’s a fire that burns fast the more fuel goes on it and that’s shiftlessness,” Violet said stoutly. “Lois is a shiftless woman and money is just so much fuel to her fire.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9: Auctioned for Freedom
Quotes
The town had again been helping Lois Burdoo with firewood and foodstuffs. But no matter what help she received she never seemed to be able to rise above her wretched lot. The children went to school in tatters, and even when given new clothes they would appear the next day with them dirty and torn. They could not seem to keep from falling down or tearing themselves on briar bushes.
After years of ineffective help, the town felt that it could not bolster Lois Burdoo any longer. She was given warning that the two oldest children would be put up to Public Vendue on the thirty first day of December. Vendues were auctions at which townspeople could bid for the privilege of affording care to the indigent.
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Lois Burdoo Quotes in Amos Fortune, Free Man
The Amos Fortune, Free Man quotes below are all either spoken by Lois Burdoo or refer to Lois Burdoo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8: Amos on the Mountain
Quotes
“I’m not wanting Lois Burdoo to live in hardship but I’m thinking you’ve got a right to live in dignity.”
“But Violet—” he began.
While the words were strong within her she knew she must speak them. “With all the help the town gave her she never made herself any better,” Violet insisted. “The children are getting older. They’re the ones to help and help themselves too. You’ll do more for them all by giving work to the boys than by giving money to Lois.”
“But Violet—”
She would not listen to him until she had had her say. “There’s a fire that burns fast the more fuel goes on it and that’s shiftlessness,” Violet said stoutly. “Lois is a shiftless woman and money is just so much fuel to her fire.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9: Auctioned for Freedom
Quotes
The town had again been helping Lois Burdoo with firewood and foodstuffs. But no matter what help she received she never seemed to be able to rise above her wretched lot. The children went to school in tatters, and even when given new clothes they would appear the next day with them dirty and torn. They could not seem to keep from falling down or tearing themselves on briar bushes.
After years of ineffective help, the town felt that it could not bolster Lois Burdoo any longer. She was given warning that the two oldest children would be put up to Public Vendue on the thirty first day of December. Vendues were auctions at which townspeople could bid for the privilege of affording care to the indigent.
