The eNotes Blog The Worst (Fictional) Jobs inLiterature

The Worst (Fictional) Jobs inLiterature Every week in a competition of wits The New Yorker asks a question of the Twitter-verse. One of our favorite questions was when they asked followers to reply to the question,  Whats the worst job in literature? Although James Joyces proofreader appeared several times in the list, most tweeters stuck to the fictional theme. In the end the job The NY  found worse than Hamlets motivational coach and Jay Gatsbys pool boy was the winning entry Narcissus girlfriend. There were, however, so many gems within the bunch that we had to round up a Top Ten for you. Think your jobs unbearable? Check out the hilarious responses below: 1. Captain Hooks harpsichord key repairman from  Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie 2. The reception committee for Godot from Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett 3. The chiropractor of Notre-Dame from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo 4.  Gregor Samsas exterminator from The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 5.  Public relations for Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 6. Richard IIIs physiotherapist from William Shakespeares Richard III 7. Hester Prynnes stylist from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 8. Huck Finns elocutionist from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 9. Ophelias swim instructor from Hamlet by William Shakespeare 10. Oedipuss shrink. Or  ophthalmologist. from Oedipus Rex by Sophocles