Elsie's Arsenal

It fell on Elsie to protect herself and her children from her husband’s alcoholic rages. This she did with ordinary household objects. Daughter Joan threw scissors at Gilbert’s ankle and watched in horror as his sock turned crimson. The rolling pin that Elsie used to make English meat pies was her favorite tool of resistance. The framed screwdriver actually belonged to Elsie. The image enlargement is Elsie and Gilbert in happier times. While the tools kept Elsie and her offspring safe to a certain extent, it wasn’t long before she divorced Gilbert, found full-time employment and raised the children on her own. Not an easy feat during the Great Depression.