Nice Work

Back in Rummidge, scene of Changing Places, Robyn Penrose, temporary lecturer in English literature and Vic Willcox, MD of Pringle and Sons Industrial Engineering meet when they take part in an "Industry Year" scheme. 'A work of immense intelligence, informative, disturbing and diverting' Anthony Burgess in the Observer 'As a comedy of society and class misunderstandings, Lodge has never observed more sharply... A very nice work indeed.' Andrew Sinclar in The Times 'A funny, intelligent, superbly paced social comedy' The New York Times 'We did Julius Caesar for O-Level,' Wilcox interjected. 'Had to learn great chunks of it by heart. Hated it, I did. The master was a toffee-nosed southerner, used to take the pi - used to make fun of our accents.' 'My field is the nineteenth century novel,' said Robyn. 'And women's studies.' 'Women's studies?' Wilcox echoed with a frown. 'What are they?' 'Oh, women's writing. The representation of women in literature. Feminist critical theory.' Wilcox sniffed. 'You give degrees for that?' 'It's one part of the course,' said Robyn stiffly. 'It's an option.' 'A soft one, if you ask me,' said Wilcox. 'Still, I suppose it's alright for girls.' 'Boys take it too,' said Robyn. 'And the reading load is very heavy, as a matter of fact.' 'Boys?' Wilcox curled a lip. 'Nancy boys?' 'Perfectly normal, decent, intelligent young men,' said Robyn, struggling to control her temper. 'Why aren't they studying someting useful, then?' 'Like mechanical engineering?' 'You said it.' Robyn sighed. 'Do I really have to tell you?' 'Not if you don't want to.' 'Because they're more interested in ideas, in feelings, than in the way machines work.' 'Won't pay the rent, though, will they - ideas, feelings?' 'Is money the only criterion?' 'I don't know a better one.' 'What about happiness?' 'Happiness?' Wilcox looked startled, caught off balance for the first time. 'Yes, I don't earn much money, but I'm happy in my job. Or would be, if I were certain of keeping it.' 'Why aren't you?' When Robyn explained her situation, Wilcox seemed more struck by her colleagues' security than by her own vulnerability. 'You mean, they've got jobs for life?' he said. 'Well, yes. But the government wants to abolish tenure in the future.' 'I should think so.' 'But it's essential!' Robyn exclaimed. 'It's the only guarentee of academic freedom. Its one of the things we were demonstrating for last week.' 'Hang about,' said Wilcox. 'You were demonstrating in support of the other lecturers' right to a job for life?' 'Partly,' said Robyn. 'But if they can't be shifted, there'll never be any room for you, no matter how much better than them you may be at the job.' This thought had crossed Robyn's mind before but she had suppressed it as ignoble. 'It's the principle of the thing,' she said. 'Besides, if it wasn't for the cuts, I'd have had a permanent job by now. We should be taking more students, not fewer.'