Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

“The Catbird Seat” was published in 1942. What do you know about women in the workplace at that time? Compare and contrast the presence of women in the workplace in the early 1940s with the present day. What changes have taken place since James Thurber’s short story was published?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on students’ initial responses, you may want to allow them time to research using the links below. You may also want to prompt them with specific questions such as, “When American men left for World War II in 1942, who filled their positions in factories and businesses?” and “What may have happened when those men returned home after the war?” Discussing this period of American history will prepare students for the historical context of “The Catbird Seat” and relates to the themes The Battle of the Sexes and Routine and Efficiency as Values.

• This video and the article that follows it highlight the changes that took place in the American workplace during and after World War II in the 1940s.