History Main / SculleryMaid

* Daisy Fitzroy in ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' worked at Comstock House as a scullery maid before she was chased out for killing Lady Comstock and went on the form the rebel group Vox Populi that fought against Columbia's extremely white supremacist society. [[spoiler:She was actually framed by Zachary Hale Comstock himself, who killed his wife because [[HeKnowsTooMuch she knew too much]].]]

"Do you want a maid?" says she.\\
"No, we don’t," said they.\\
"I haven't nowhere to go," says she; "and I ask no wages, and do any sort of work," says she.\\
"Well," said they, "if you like to wash the pots and scrape the saucepans you may stay," said they.\\

->''And then she went on and on till she came to a great house.\\

So she stayed there and washed the pots and scraped the saucepans and did all the dirty work.''

For reference, the scullery is a small, hot, sweaty room behind the kitchen, where heavy, dirty, menial work, such as cleaning pots and pans, is carried out. As the lowest-ranking servant in the household, the pay of a scullery maid was below abysmal and she would often be pressed into service doing any unpleasant tasks around the house (like emptying chamber pots) and serving upon the rest of the servants. In RealLife, most non-enslaved scullery maids only stayed in the position for a year or two, just long enough to get the character reference required to move on to a better job, and would typically have little to no contact with the family members.-- all in all, rather similar to the modern BurgerFool.

* In ALittlePrincess, Sara Crewe takes this role to pay her headmistress. Before that, she befriends Becky, the actual scullery maid at the school.

* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''The Book of Atrix Wolfe'', Saro, after the magic had rendered her mute and dazed.

-->--'''Literature/CapORushes'''

* This was popular with [[{{Ninja}} Kunoichi]]. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunoichi See]] ThatOtherWiki.

* Egwene in ''Literature/WheelOfTime'' is held prisoner in this position to keep her out of the way and break her back into being a novice. It gave her even more power than when she was forced to redo classes.

For reference, the scullery is a small, hot, sweaty room behind the kitchen, where heavy, dirty, menial work, such as cleaning pots and pans, is carried out. As the lowest-ranking servant in the household, the pay of a scullery maid was below abysmal and she would often be pressed into service doing any unpleasant tasks around the house (like emptying chamber pots) and serving upon the rest of the servants. In RealLife, most non-enslaved scullery maids only stayed in the position for a year or two, just long enough to get the character reference required to move on to a better job -- all in all, rather similar to the modern BurgerFool.

* In ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'', Mary's first relationship in her new home is with the young scullery maid who comes to clean the fireplace in her room. Mary can't do anything for herself (having always been waited on hand and foot) and the girl takes pity on her and helps her learn to be self sufficient.

For reference, the scullery is a small, hot, sweaty room behind the kitchen, where heavy, dirty, menial work, such as cleaning pots and pans, is carried out. As the lowest-ranking servant in the household, the pay of a scullery maid was below abysmal and she would often be pressed into service doing any unpleasant tasks around the house (like emptying chamber pots) and serving upon the rest of the servants. Most real life (not enslaved) scullery maids only stayed in the position for a year or two, just long enough to get the character reference required to move on to a better job.

The SpearCounterpart is also found, particularly in works more carefully based on the HighMiddleAges or earlier. Medieval households generally employed men (scullions) to work in the scullery, as women were considered too weak to do the heavy work. It was only during the Victorian Era that the job were mostly given to maids, as female servants were more plentiful and cheaper to hire. Compare FarmBoy. In modern times, the BurgerFool is a similarly menial and degrading job, but it's usually not as important to the plot.

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' actually plays this more or less straight with Arya.

* Egwene in ''WheelOfTime'' is held prisoner in this position to keep her out of the way and break her back into being a novice. It gave her even more power than when she was forced to redo classes.

* In KingArthur legends, Sir Gareth of Orkney starts by getting a job as a kitchen boy.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

If she's in for infiltration, scullery {{maid}}s (or any other menial help staff) are [[BeneathSuspicion practically invisible]]. They don't get very much access to sensitive areas of the castle, true, but chances are someone will notice our heroine's talents and give her a promotion, or else that she'll have a knack for attracting ExactEavesdropping. If the infiltration has some sort of assassination in mind, kitchen staff have a perfect opportunity to poison people. If there's [[DancesAndBalls a ball]], [[RagsToRoyalty promotions can go quite high]]. It is, indeed [[FallenOnHardTimesJob the go-to job]] for runaway FairyTale {{Princess}}es.

The SpearCounterpart is also found, particularly in works more carefully based on the HighMiddleAges or earlier. Medieval households generally employed men (scullions) to work in the scullery, as women were considered too weak to do the heavy work. It was only during the Victorian Era that the job were mostly given to maids, as female servants were more plentiful and cheaper to hire. Compare FarmBoy.

* In ''{{Erstwhile}}'', both [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/maidmaleen-12/#.T293lNm6SuI Maid Maleen]] and All-Furs get these jobs.

* In ''TheChineseMazeMurders'', Dee plants a spy in one household by sending her to get a job as a temporary maid.

* In PatriciaCWrede's ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'' story "Utensile Strength", Cimorene wants to interview people for the kitchen staff herself, to prevent a princess from being taken on. [[spoiler:She fails.]]

If she's in for infiltration, scullery {{maid}}s (or any other menial help staff) are [[BeneathSuspicion practically invisible]]. They don't get very much access to sensitive areas of the castle, it is true, but chances are someone will notice our heroine's talents and give her a promotion, or else that she'll have a knack for attracting ExactEavesdropping. If the infiltration has some sort of assassination in mind, kitchen staff have a perfect opportunity to poison people. If there's [[DancesAndBalls a ball]], [[RagsToRoyalty promotions can go quite high]]. It is, indeed [[FallenOnHardTimesJob the go-to job]] for runaway FairyTale {{Princess}}es.

If she's simply hiding out, believe me, no one suspects that TheChosenOne [[CinderellaCircumstances is sweating over boiling potatoes]].

* Stewie From ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' makes a comment that his new neighbor Eliza talks "like a scullery maid".

* Lessa in ''DragonridersOfPern'' starts out as a drudge with a ''very'' overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It takes years for her to finally get a chance at her foe, though she does enact loads of scorched-earth policies in the interim.

* Stewie From ''FamilyGuy'' makes a comment that his new neighbor Eliza talks "like a scullery maid".

For reference, the scullery is a small, hot, sweaty room behind the kitchen, where heavy, dirty, menial work, such as cleaning pots and pans, is carried out. As the most junior-ranking servant in the household, the pay of a scullery maid was below abysmal and she would often be pressed into service doing any unpleasant tasks around the house (like emptying chamber pots) and serving upon the rest of the servants. Most real life (not enslaved) scullery maids only stayed in the position for a year or two, just long enough to get the character reference required to move on to a better job.

* In David Eddings' [[TheBelgariad Belgariad]], powerful sorceress Polgara hides herself and the Chosen One as a cook for a rural farm and her nephew/scullery boy. This works [[spoiler:..sort of. Asharak apparently knew where Garion was the whole time, and they leave because Brill's found out where they are]].

* The two major examples that come to mind are Cinderella and Snow White, naturally.

* Malborn from ''{{Skyrim}}'' does this in an attempt to avenge his murdered family. It doesn't work out in that regard, but it definitely helps with the dragonpocalypse, anyway.