Striking Hard: Deep Waters, Part 10

In Short

This story is a humorous, character-driven snapshot of early 20th-century working-class life in England. When Mr. Porter, a laborer, goes on strike for better pay and shorter hours, he is met with a domestic insurrection: his wife, Susan, declares a strike of her own, refusing to cook, clean, or care for the children. The narrative endures because of its droll, unsentimental dialogue and its cynical, accurate appraisal of the balance of power between husbands and wives, proving that domestic labor is just as political as any factory grievance.

The Story

The conflict begins when Mr. Porter returns home, weary and self-important after joining his fellow workmen on strike. He expects his wife, Susan, to provide a warm welcome and a hearty meal. Instead, he finds her sitting idly in the sun, smoking a cigarette and announcing that she, too, is on strike for shorter hours and more money. Mr. Porter is initially dismissive, convinced that a woman’s duty to the children and the home makes such a rebellion impossible. He mocks her claim, but Susan remains unmoved, effectively walking out to spend the day with her aunt and at the pictures, leaving him to face the chaos of a house filled with four hungry, unwashed children.

Forced into the role of a homemaker, Mr. Porter suffers immediate humiliation. He fails to cook sausages without burning them, struggles to maintain the house, and finds himself the object of neighborhood pity and ridicule. Desperate to regain his status, he hires a young girl, Maudie, to handle the chores. However, Susan returns and treats the girl like a "scab," driving her away with threats and public screaming. The power dynamic shifts further when Susan begins organizing the other wives in the neighborhood, hosting a meeting in the very parlour where the men once plotted their own strike.

The climax arrives when Mr. Porter’s fellow strikers, led by the blustering Benjamin Todd, attempt to hold a meeting in the Porters' home, only to be invaded and systematically unseated by the women. When Mrs. Gorman, a formidable woman, forcibly occupies Mr. Todd’s chair by sitting on his lap, the men’s resolve crumbles, and they flee in confusion. Mr. Porter is left to manage the house in a state of miserable resignation.

The impasse finally breaks two weeks later when the men’s industrial strike ends in victory, with a pay raise of six shillings. Mr. Porter returns home, emboldened and eager to boast of his success. Susan, however, is unimpressed. She pivots immediately, demanding a raise for herself to match her husband’s new income. Having learned the hard way that negotiation is the only path forward, Mr. Porter quickly acquiesces to her demand for four extra shillings a week. The story ends with a pragmatic, if lopsided, peace, as the household returns to its routine with a newly codified—and more expensive—arrangement.

How It Unfolds

The declaration of independence Mr. Porter returns from the picket line expecting domestic servitude, only to find his wife sitting in the sun, smoking, and announcing her own strike. He is baffled by the reversal, firmly believing that his authority and the children’s needs will force her back to work.

The domestic collapse Left alone with four children and a cold grate, Mr. Porter’s confidence evaporates as he attempts to cook and clean. He is quickly overwhelmed by the noise and the impossibility of maintaining a household, leading to a series of comedic failures in the kitchen.

The hiring of a scab In a bid to restore order, Mr. Porter hires a young girl to do the housework, effectively trying to break his wife’s strike. Susan returns to find this "unskilled laborer" in her kitchen and swiftly frightens the girl away, re-establishing her dominance.

The invasion of the parlour The men attempt to reclaim the parlour for a union meeting, only to be confronted by a coordinated group of wives. The women, led by the formidable Mrs. Gorman, turn the men’s meeting into a farce, causing the men to retreat in total disarray.

The final negotiation When the men win their strike, Mr. Porter attempts to return to the status quo, but his wife refuses to resume her chores without a raise. He realizes he has no choice but to negotiate, successfully concluding the domestic strike by meeting her financial terms.

The People

Mr. Porter is a man who prides himself on his "superior" masculine logic, viewing his strike as a grand, organized effort while dismissing his wife’s rebellion as a temper tantrum. He ends the story humbled, having learned that domestic authority is not a birthright but a position that must be bargained for.

Susan Porter is shrewd, calm, and entirely unmoved by her husband’s bluster. She treats the strike as a strategic career move, successfully leveraging her labor to demand a portion of the family’s increased income. She remains the steady, immovable center of the household throughout the chaos.

Benjamin Todd is a pompous, obese man who fancies himself a leader of men. He is quickly deflated by the women’s arrival and proves completely incapable of handling a real challenge, fleeing the moment a woman sits on his lap.

Maudie Stevens is a young, naive girl caught in the middle of the adult conflict. She represents the "scab" labor that Mr. Porter tries to use to solve his problem, only to find herself the primary target of Susan’s aggressive, protective fury.

In Its Own Voice

"You can keep your fairy-tales for them that like 'em," was the reply.

Susan’s sharp rejection of her husband’s self-important explanation of why he has gone on strike.

"I made a little speech all to myself, and here I am."

Susan’s matter-of-fact description of how she initiated her own domestic strike, mimicking the methods of the men.

"A strike-breaker!" said Mrs. Porter, rolling her eyes.

Susan’s dramatic accusation upon finding a girl hired to do her housework, using the language of the labor movement to protect her position.

What It's Really About

The book explores the hypocrisy inherent in the gender roles of its time. By mirroring the industrial strike with a domestic one, the narrative argues that the "private" sphere of the home is just as subject to power, negotiation, and economic calculation as the "public" sphere of the factory. It questions the stability of traditional male authority, suggesting that a man’s power over his home is often built on the unacknowledged and unpaid labor of his wife. When that labor is withdrawn, the entire structure of his perceived superiority collapses, revealing that the "master of the house" is often little more than a dependent.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy dry, character-focused humor will appreciate the sharp, rhythmic dialogue and the way the author avoids moralizing, opting instead for irony. The book captures a very specific slice of British working-class life, where the stakes are low in terms of money but feel monumental in terms of pride. It is a quick read that functions as a witty observation on the absurdity of human ego.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-accurate, often blunt attitudes toward gender and the use of regional dialect, which may require a moment of adjustment. The text does not shy away from the frustration of its characters, and those looking for a sentimental or soft ending will find something much more pragmatic and transactional instead. It remains a compelling, funny look at how domestic peace is actually a series of ongoing, often unspoken, negotiations. If you enjoy stories that deflate the pomposity of men who think they are in charge, this will provide an afternoon of sharp, satisfying amusement.