第2章

Aninterestingnoteinpassingisthis:whenweseektoexpresssociallyournoblest,ideas,Truth;Justice;Liberty;weusethewoman’sbodyasthehighesthumantype。Butindoingthis,theartist,truetohumanityandnotbiassedbysex,givesusastrong,grandfigure,beautifulindeed,butnever_decorated_。FancyLibertyinrufflesandfrills,withringsinherears——ornose。

Musicisinjuredbyaone—sidedhandling,partlyintheexcessoftheonedominantmasculinepassion,partlybythegeneralpresenceofegoism;thattendencytoself—expressioninsteadofsocialexpression,whichsodisfiguresourart;andthisistruealsoofpoetry。

Milesandmilesofpoetryconsistoftheceaselessoutcryofthemaleforthefemale,whichisbynomeanssooverwhelmingasafeatureofhumanlifeasheimaginesit;andothermilesexpresshisotherfeelings,withthatingenuouslackofreticencewhichisatitsbaseessentiallymasculine。Havingapain,thepoetmustneedspouritforth,thathiswoebesharedandsympathizedwith。

Asmoreandmorewomenwritersflockintothefieldthereisroomforfinehistoricstudyofthedifferenceinsexfeeling,andthegradualemergenceofthehumannote。

Literature,andinespecialtheartoffiction,issolargeafieldforthisstudythatitwillhaveachaptertoitself;thisonebuttouchingonthesevariousforms;andindicatinglinesofobservation。

Thatbestknownformofartwhichtomymindneedsnoqualifyingdescription——painting——isalsoawidefield;andcannotbedonefulljusticetowithintheselimits。Theeffectuponitoftoomuchmasculinityisnotsomuchinchoiceofsubjectasinmethodandspirit。

Theartistseesbeautyofformandcolorwheretheordinaryobserverdoesnot;andpaintstheoldanduglywithasmuchenthusiasmastheyoungandbeautiful——sometimes。Ifthereisinsomeanover—emphasisoffeminineattractionsitiscounterbalancedinothersbyafarbroaderlineofwork。

Butthemainevilsofatoomasculineartlieintheemphasislaidonself—expression。Theartist,passionatelyconsciousofhowhefeels,strivestomakeotherpeopleawareofthesesensations。Thisisnowsogenerallyacceptedbycritics,soseriouslyadvancedbypainters,thatwhatiscalled\"theartworld\"acceptsitasestablished。

Ifamanpaintsthesea,itisnottomakeyouseeandfeelasasightofthatsameoceanwould,buttomakeyouseeandfeelhowhe,personally,wasaffectedbyit;amattersurelyofthenarrowestimportance。Theultra—masculineartist,extremelysensitive,necessarily,andfullofthenaturalurgetoexpressionofthesex,usesthemediumofartasingenuouslyasthepartridge—cockuseshiswingsindrummingonthelog;orthebullmoosestampsandbellows;notnarrowlyasamatecall,butasaformofexpressionofhispersonalsensations。

Thehighertheartistthemorehumanheis,thebroaderhisvision,themoreheseesforhumanity,andexpressesforhumanity,andthelesspersonal,thelessultra—masculine,ishisexpression。

OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

V。

MASCULINELITERATURE。

Whenweareoffereda\"woman’s\"paper,page,orcolumn,wefinditfilledwithmattersupposedtoappealtowomenasasexorclass;thewritermainlydwellingupontheKaiser’sfourK’s——Kuchen,Kinder,Kirche,Kleider。Theyiterateandreiterateendlesslythediscussionofcookery,oldandnew;ofthecareofchildren;oftheoverwhelmingsubjectofclothing;andofmoralinstruction。Allthisisrecognizedas\"feminine\"literature,anditmusthavesomeappealelsethewomenwouldnotreadit。Whatparallelhavewein\"masculine\"literature?

\"None!\"istheproudreply。\"Menarepeople!Women,being’thesex,’

havetheirlimitedfeminineinterests,theirfemininepointofview,whichmustbeprovidedfor。Men,however,arenotrestricted——tothembelongstheworld’sliterature!\"

Yes,ithasbelongedtothem——eversincetherewasany。Theyhavewrittenitandtheyhavereadit。Itisonlylatelythatwomen,generallyspeaking,havebeentaughttoread;stillmorelatelythattheyhavebeenallowedtowrite。ItisbutalittlewhilesinceHarrietMartineauconcealedherwritingbeneathhersewingwhenvisitorscamein——writingwas\"masculine\"——sewing\"feminine。\"

Wehavenot,itIstrue,confinedmentoanarrowlyconstrued\"masculinesphere,\"andcomposedaspecialliteraturesuitedtoit。Theireffectonliteraturehasbeenfarwiderthanthat,monopolizingthisformofartwithspecialfavor。Itwassuitedaboveallotherstothedominantimpulseofself—expression;andbeing,aswehaveseenessentiallyandcontinually\"thesex;\"theyhaveimpressedthatsexuponthisartoverwhelmingly;theyhavegiventheworldamasculizedliterature。

Itishardforustorealizethis。Wecanreadilysee,thatifwomenhadalwayswrittenthebooks,nomeneitherwritingorreadingthem,thatwouldhavesurely\"feminized\"ourliterature;butwehavenotinourmindstheconcept,muchlesstheword,foranovermasculizedinfluence。

Menhavingbeenacceptedashumanity,womenbutaside—issue;(mostliterallyifweaccepttheHebrewlegend!),whatevermendidorsaidwashuman——andnottobecriticized。Innodepartmentoflifeisiteasiertocontravertthisoldbelief;toshowhowthemalesexassuchdiffersfromthehumantype;andhowthismalenesshasmonopolizedanddisfiguredagreatsocialfunction。

Humanlifeisaverylargeaffair;andliteratureisitschiefart。Welive,humanly,onlythroughourpowerofcommunication。Speechgivesusthispowerlaterally,asitwere,inimmediatepersonalcontact。Forpermanentusespeechbecomesoraltradition——apoordependence。

Literaturegivesnotonlyaninfinitemultiplicationtothelateralspreadofcommunionbutaddstheverticalreach。Throughitweknowthepast,governthepresent,andinfluencethefuture。Initsservicablecommonformsitistheindispensabledailyservantofourlives;initsnoblerflightsasagreatartnomeansofhumaninter—changegoessofar。

Inthesebrieflimitswecantouchbutlightlyonsomephasesofsogreatasubject;andwillrestthecasemainlyontheeffectofanexclusivelymasculinehandlingofthetwofieldsofhistoryandfiction。

Inpoetryandthedramathesameinfluenceiseasilytraced,butinthefirsttwoitissobaldlyprominentastodefyobjection。

Historyis,orshouldbe,thestoryofourraciallife。Whathavemenmadeit?Thestoryofwarfareandconquest。BeginattheverybeginningwiththecarvenstonesofEgypt,theclayrecordsofChaldea,whatdowefindofhistory?

\"IPharaoh,KingofKings!LordofLords!(etc。etc。),\"wentdownintothemiserablelandofKush,andslewoftheinhabitantsthereofanhundredandfortyandtwothousands!\"That,orsomethinglikeit,isthekindofrecordearlyhistorygivesus。

ThestoryofConqueringKings,whoandhowmanytheykilledandenslaved;thegrovellingadulationoftheabased;theunlimitedjubilationofthevictor;fromtheprimitivestateofmostancientkings,andtheRomantriumphswherequeenswalkedinchains,downtoouromnipresentsoldier’smonuments:thestoryofwarandconquest——warandconquest——overandover;withsuchboastingandtriumph,suchcock—crowandflappingofwingsasshowmostunmistakablythenaturalsource。

Allthiswillstrikethereaderatfirstasbiasedandunfair。\"Thatwasthewaypeoplelivedinthosedays!\"saysthereader。

No——itwasnotthewaywomenlived。

\"O,women!\"saysthereader,\"Ofcoursenot!Womenaredifferent。\"

Yea,womenaredifferent;and_menaredifferent!_Bothofthem,assexes,differfromthehumannorm,whichissociallifeandallsocialdevelopment。Societywasslowlygrowinginallthoseblackblindyears。

Thearts,thesciences,thetradesandcraftsandprofessions,religion,philosophy,government,law,commerce,agriculture——allthehumanprocessesweregoingonaswellastheywereable,betweenwars。

Themalenaturallyfights,andnaturallycrows,triumphsoverhisrivalandtakestheprize——thereforewashemademale。Malenessmeanswar。

Notonlyso;butbeingmale,hecaresonlyformaleinterests。Men,beingthesolearbitersofwhatshouldbedoneandsaidandwritten,havegivenusnotonlyasocialgrowthscarredandthwartedfromthebeginningbycontinualdestruction;butahistorywhichisoneunbrokenrecordofcourageandredcruelty,oftriumphandblackshame。

Astowhatwentonthatwasofrealconsequence,thegreatslowstepsoftheworkingworld,thediscoveriesandinventions,therealprogressofhumanity——thatwasnotworthrecording,fromamasculinepointofview。

Withinthislastcentury,\"thewoman’scentury,\"thecenturyofthegreatawakening,therisingdemandforfreedom,political,economic,anddomestic,wearebeginningtowriterealhistory,humanhistory,andnotmerelymasculinehistory。Butthatgreatbranchofliterature——Hebrew,Greek,Roman,andalldownlatertimes,showsbeyondallquestion,theinfluenceofourandrocentricculture。

Literatureisthemostpowerfulandnecessaryofthearts,andfictionisitsbroadestform。Ifart\"holdsthemirroruptonature\"thisart’smirroristhelargestofall,themostused。Sinceourverylifedependsonsomecommunication;andourprogressisinproportiontoourfullnessandfreedomofcommunication;sincerealcommunicationrequiresmutualunderstanding;sointhegrowthofthesocialconsciousness,wenotefromthebeginningapassionateinterestinotherpeople’slives。

Theartwhichgiveshumanityconsciousnessisthemostvitalart。Ourgreatestdramatistsarelaudedfortheirbreadthofknowledgeof\"humannature,\"theirrangeofemotionandunderstanding;ourgreatestpoetsarethosewhomostdeeplyandwidelyexperienceandrevealthefeelingsofthehumanheart;andthepoweroffictionisthatitcanreachandexpressthisgreatfieldofhumanlifewithnolimitsbutthoseoftheauthor。

Whenfictionbeganitwasthelegitimatechildoforaltradition;aproductofnaturalbrainactivity;thelegendconstructedinsteadofremembered。(Thisstageiswithusyetasseenintheconstantchangesinrepetitionofpopularjokesandstories。)

Fictionto—dayhasamuchwiderrange;yetitisstillrestricted,heavilyandmostmischievouslyrestricted。

Whatisthepreferredsubjectmatteroffiction?

Therearetwomainbranchesfoundeverywhere,fromtheRomauntoftheRosetothePurplishMagazine;——theStoryofAdventure,andtheLoveStory。

TheStory—of—Adventurebranchisnotsothickastheotherbyanymeans,butitisasturdyboughforallthat。StevensonandKiplinghaveproveditsimmensepopularity,withthewholebroodofdetectivestoriesandthetalesofsuccessfulrascalitywecall\"picaresque\"Ourmostpopularweeklyshowsthebroadappealofthisclassoffiction。

Allthesetalesofadventure,ofstruggleanddifficulty;ofhuntingandfishingandfighting;ofrobbingandmurdering,catchingandpunishing,aredistinctlyandessentiallymasculine。Theydonottouchonhumanprocesses,socialprocesses,butonthespecialfieldofpredatoryexcitementsolongthesoleprovinceofmen。

Itistobenotedherethatevenintheoverwhelmingriseofindustrialintereststo—day,these,whenusedasthebasisforastory,areforcedintolinewithone,orboth,ofthesetwomainbranchesoffiction;——conflictorlove。Unlessthestoryhasoneofthese\"interests\"init,thereisnostory——soholdstheeditor;thedictumbeing,putplainly,\"lifehasnointerestsexceptconflictandlove!\"

Itissurelysomethingmorethanacoincidencethatthesearethetwoessentialfeaturesofmasculinity——DesireandCombat——LoveandWar。

Asamatteroffactthemajorinterestsoflifeareinlinewithitsmajorprocesses;andthese——inourstageofhumandevelopment——aremorevariedthanourfictionwouldhaveusbelieve。Halftheworldconsistsofwomen,weshouldremember,whoaretypesofhumanlifeaswellasmen,andtheirmajorprocessesarenotthoseofconflictandadventure,theirlovemeansmorethanmating。Evenonsopooralineofdistinctionasthe\"woman’scolumn\"offers,ifwomenaretobekepttotheirfourKs,thereshouldbea\"men’scolumn\"also;andallthe\"sportingnews\"andfishstoriesbeputinthat;theyarenotworldinterests;theyaremaleinterests。

Nowforthemainbranch——theLoveStory。Ninetypercent。offictionisInthisline;thisispreeminentlythemajorinterestoflife——giveninfiction。Whatisthelove—story,asrenderedbythisart?

Itisthestoryofthepre—maritalstruggle。ItistheAdventuresofHiminPursuitofHer——anditstopswhenhegetsher!Storyafterstory,ageafterage,overandoverandover,thisceaselessrepetitionofthePreliminaries。

HereisHumanLife。Initslargesense,itsrealsense,itisamatterofinter—relationbetweenindividualsandgroups,coveringallemotions,allprocesses,allexperiences。Outofthisvastfieldofhumanlifefictionarbitrarilyselectsoneemotion,oneprocess,oneexperience,asitsnecessarybase。

\"Ah!butwearepersonsmostofall!\"proteststhereader。\"Thisispersonalexperience——ithastheuniversalappeal!\"

Takehumanlifepersonallythen。HereisaHumanBeing,alife,coveringsomeseventyyears;involvingthechanginggrowthofmanyfaculties;theevernewmarvelsofyouth,thelongworkingtimeofmiddlelife,theslowripeningofage。Hereisthehumansoul,inthehumanbody,Living。Outofthisfieldofpersonallife,withallofitsemotions,processes,andexperiences,fictionarbitrarilyselectsoneemotion,oneprocess,oneexperience,mainlyofonesex。

The\"love\"ofourstoriesisman’sloveofwoman。Ifanydaredisputethis,andsayittreatsequallyofwoman’sloveforman,Ianswer,\"Thenwhydothestoriesstopatmarriage?\"

Thereisacurrentjest,revealingmuch,tothiseffect:

Theyoungwifecomplainsthatthehusbanddoesnotwaituponandwooherashedidbeforemarriage;towhichhereplies,\"WhyshouldIrunafterthestreet—carwhenI’vecaughtit?\"

Woman’sloveforman,ascurrentlytreatedinfictionislargelyareflex;itisthewayhewantshertofeel,expectshertofeel;notafairrepresentationofhowshedoesfeel。If\"love\"istobeselectedasthemostimportantthinginlifetowriteabout,thenthemother’sloveshouldbetheprincipalsubject:Thisisthemainstream。Thisisthegeneralunderlying,world—liftingforce。The\"life—force,\"nowsogliblychatteredabout,findsitsfullestexpressioninmotherhood;notintheemotionsofanassistantinthepreliminarystages。

Whathasliterature,whathasfiction,toofferconcerningmother—love,orevenconcerningfather—love,ascomparedtothisvastvolumeofexcitementaboutlover—love?Whyisthesearch—lightcontinuallyfocusseduponatwoorthreeyearsspaceoflife\"midtheblankmilesroundabout?\"Whyindeed,exceptfortheclearreason,thatonastarklymasculinebasisthisishisoneperiodofoverwhelminginterestandexcitement。

Ifthebeehiveproducedliterature,thebee’sfictionwouldberichandbroad;fullofthecomplextasksofcomb—buildingandfilling;thecareandfeedingoftheyoung,theguardian—serviceofthequeen;andfarbeyondthatitwouldspreadtothebluegloryofthesummersky,thefreshwinds,theendlessbeautyandsweetnessofathousandthousandflowers。Itwouldtreatofthevastfecundityofmotherhood,theeducativeandselectiveprocessesofthegroup—mothers;andthepassionofloyalty,ofsocialservice,whichholdsthehivetogether。

Butifthedroneswrotefiction,itwouldhavenosubjectmattersavethefeastingofmany;andthenuptialflight,ofone。

Tothemale,assuch,thismatinginstinctisfranklythemajorinterestoflife;eventhebelligerentinstinctsaresecondtoit。Tothefemale,assuch,itisforallitsintensity,butapassinginterest。

Innature’seconomy,hisisbutatemporarydevotion,herstheslowprocessesoflife’sfulfillment。

InHumanitywehavelongsince,notoutgrown,butovergrown,thisstageoffeeling。InHumanParentageeventhemother’ssharebeginstopalebesidethatever—growingSocialloveandcare,whichguardsandguidesthechildrenofto—day。

Theartofliteratureinthismainformoffictionisfartoogreatathingtobewhollygovernedbyonedominantnote。Aslifewidenedandintensified,theartist,ifgreatenough,hastranscendedsex;andinthemightierworksoftherealmasters,wefindfictiontreatingoflife,lifeingeneral,inallitscomplexrelationships,andrefusingtobeheldlongertotherigidcanonsofanandrocentricpast。

ThiswasthepowerofBalzac——hetookinmorethanthisonefield。ThiswastheuniversalappealofDickens;hewroteofpeople,allkindsofpeople,doingallkindsofthings。Asyourecallwithpleasuresomepreferrednovelofthisgeneralfavorite,youfindyourselflookingnarrowlyforthe\"lovestory\"init。Itisthere——foritispartoflife;butitdoesnotdominatethewholescene——anymorethanitdoesinlife。

Thethoughtoftheworldismadeandhandedouttousinthemain。Themakersofbooksarethemakersofthoughtsandfeelingsforpeopleingeneral。Fictionisthemostpopularforminwhichthisworld—foodistaken。Ifitweretrue,itwouldteachuslifeeasily,swiftly,truly;

teachnotbypreachingbutbytrulyre—presenting;andweshouldgrowupbecomingacquaintedwithafarwiderrangeoflifeinbooksthancouldevenbeoursinperson。Thenmeetinglifeinrealityweshouldbewise——andnotbedisappointed。

Asitis,ourgreatseaoffictionissteepedanddyedandflavoredalloneway。Ayoungmanfaceslife——theseventyyearstretch,remember,andisgivenbookuponbookwhereinonesetoffeelingsiscontinuallyvocalizedandoverestimated。Hereadsforeveroflove,goodloveandbadlove,naturalandunnatural,legitimateandillegitimate;withtheunavoidableinferencethatthereisnothingelsegoingon。

Ifheisahealthyyoungmanhebreaksloosefromthewholething,despises\"lovestories\"andtakesuplifeashefindsit。Butwhatimpressionhedoesreceivefromfictionisafalseone,andhesufferswithoutknowingitfromlackofthetruerbroaderviewsoflifeitfailedtogivehim。

Ayoungwomanfaceslife——theseventyyearstretchremember;andisgiventhesamebooks——withrestrictions。RemembertheremarkofRochefoucauld,\"Therearethirtygoodstoriesintheworldandtwenty—ninecannotbetoldtowomen。\"Thereisacertainbroadfieldofliteraturesogrosslyandrocentricthatforveryshamemenhavetriedtokeepittothemselves。Butinamilderform,thespadesallnamedteaspoons,orattheworstappearingastrowels——theyoungwomanisgiventhesamefiction。Loveandloveandlove——from\"firstsight\"tomarriage。Thereitstops——justtheflutteringribbonofannouncement,\"andlivedhappilyeverafter。\"

Isthatkindoffictionanysortofpictureofawoman’slife?Fiction,underourandrocentricculture,hasnotgivenanytruepictureofwoman’slife,verylittleofhumanlife,andadisproportionedsectionofman’slife。

Aswedailygrowmorehuman,bothofus,thisnobleartischangingforthebettersofastthatashortlifetimecanmarkthegrowth。Newfieldsareopeningandnewlaborersareworkinginthem。Butitisnoswiftandeasymattertodisabusetheracemindfromattitudesandhabitsinculcatedforathousandyears。Whatwehavebeenfeduponsolongwearewellusedto,whatweareusedtowelike,whatwelikewethinkisgoodandproper。

Thewideningdemandforbroader,truerfictionisdisputedbytheslowracialmind:andopposedbythemarketersofliteratureongroundsofvisibleself—interest,aswellaslethargicconservatism。

Itisdifficultformen,heretoforethesoleproducersandconsumersofliterature;andforwomen,newtothefield,andfollowingmasculinecanonsbecauseallthecanonsweremasculine;tostretchtheirmindstoarecognitionofthechangewhichisevennowuponus。

Thisonenarrowfieldhasbeenforsolongoverworked,ourmindsaresofilledwithheroesandheroescontinuallyrepeatingtheone—actplay,thatwhenabooklikeDavidHarumisofferedthepublisherrefusesitrepeatedly,andfinallyinsistsona\"heartinterest\"beinginjectedbyforce。

DidanyonereadDavidHarumforthatheartinterest?Doesanyonerememberthatheartinterest?Hashumanitynointerestsbutthoseoftheheart?

RobertEllesmerewasapopularbook——butnotbecauseofitsheartinterest。

UncleTom’sCabinappealedtotheentireworld,morewidelythananyworkoffictionthatwaseverwritten;butifanybodyfellinloveandmarriedinittheyhavebeenforgotten。Therewasplentyofloveinthatbook,loveoffamily,loveoffriends,loveofmasterforservantandservantformaster;loveofmotherforchild;loveofmarriedpeopleforeachother;loveofhumanityandloveofGod。

Itwasextremelypopular。Somesayitwasnotliterature。Thatopinionwilllive,likethenameofEmpedocles。

Theartoffictionisbeingre—borninthesedays。Lifeisdiscoveredtobelonger,wider,deeper,richer,thanthesemonotonousplayersofoneJunewouldhaveusbelieve。

Thehumanizingofwomanofitselfopensfivedistinctlyfreshfieldsoffiction:Firstthepositionoftheyoungwomanwhoiscalledupontogiveupher\"career\"——herhumanness——formarriage,andwhoobjectstoit;second,themiddle—agedwomanwhoatlastdiscoversthatherdiscontentissocialstarvation——thatitisnotmorelovethatshewants,butmorebusinessinlife:Thirdtheinterrelationofwomenwithwomen——athingwecouldneverwriteaboutbeforebecauseweneverhaditbefore:exceptinharemsandconvents:Fourththeinter—actionbetweenmothersandchildren;thisnottheeternal\"motherandchild,\"whereinthechildisalwaysababy,butthelongdramaofpersonalrelationship;

theloveandhope,thepatienceandpower,thelastingjoyandtriumph,thesloweatingdisappointmentwhichmustneverbeownedtoalivingsoul——herearegroundsfornovelsthatamillionmothersandmanymillionchildrenwouldeagerlyread:Fifththenewattitudeofthefull—grownwomanwhofacesthedemandsoflovewiththehighstandardsofconsciousmotherhood。

Thereareotherfields,broadandbrilliantlypromising,butthischapterismeantmerelytoshowthatourone—sidedculturehas,inthisart,mostdisproportionatelyoverestimatedthedominantinstinctsofthemale——LoveandWar——anoffenseagainstartandtruth,andaninjurytolife。

OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

VI。

GAMESANDSPORTS

Oneofthesharpestdistinctionsbothbetweentheessentialcharactersandtheartificialpositionsofmenandwomen,isinthematterofgamesandsports。Byfarthegreaterproportionofthemareessentiallymasculine,andassuchalientowomen;whilefromthosewhicharehumanlyinteresting,womenhavebeenlargelydebarredbytheirarbitraryrestrictions。

Theplayinstinctiscommontogirlsandboysalike;andenduresinsomemeasurethroughoutlife。Asotheryounganimalsexpresstheiraboundingenergiesincapriciousactivitiessimilartothosefollowedinthebusinessofliving,sosmallchildrengambol,physically,likelambsandkids;andastheyoungofhigherkindsofanimalsimitateintheirplaythemorecomplexactivitiesoftheirelders,sodochildrenimitatewhateveractivitiestheyseeaboutthem。Inthisfieldofplayingthereisnosex。

Similarlyinadultlifehealthyandhappypersons,menandwomen,naturallyexpresssurplusenergyinvariousformsofsport。Wehavehereoneofthemostdistinctivelyhumanmanifestations。Thegreataccumulationofsocialenergy,andthenecessarylimitationsofonekindofwork,leaveahumanbeingtiredofoneformofaction,yetstilluneasyforlackoffullexpression;andthissocialneedhasbeenmetbyourgreatsafetyvalveofgamesandsports。

Inasocietyofeithersex,orinasocietywithoutsex,therewouldstillbebothpleasureanduseingames;theyarevitallyessentialtohumanlife。Inasocietyoftwosexes,whereinonehasdictatedallthetermsoflife,andtheotherhasbeenconfinedtoanextremelylimitedfractionofhumanliving,wemaylooktoseethisgreatfieldofenjoymentasdisproportionatelydivided。

Itisnotonlythatwehavereducedtheplayimpulseinwomenbyrestrictingthemtoonesetofoccupations,andovertaxingtheirenergieswithmother—workandhouseworkcombined;andnotonlythatbyourandrocentricconventionswefurtherrestricttheiramusements;butwebeginininfancy,andforciblydifferentiatetheirmethodsofplaylongbeforeanynaturaldistinctionwouldappear。

Takethatuniversaljoythedoll,orpuppet,asaninstance。Asmallimitationofalargeknownobjectcarriesdelighttotheheartofachildofeithersex。Theworstedcat,thewoodenhorse,thelittlewagon,thetinsoldier,thewaxdoll,thetoyvillage,the\"Noah’sArk,\"

theomnipresent\"TeddyBear,\"anyandeverysmallmodelofarealthingisadelighttotheyounghumanbeing。Ofallthingsthepuppetisthemostintimate,thelittleimageofanotherhumanbeingtoplaywith。

Thefancyofthechild,makingendlesscombinationswiththesevisibletypes,playsasfreelyasakittenintheleaves;orgravelycarriesoutsomeobservedformsoflife,asthekittenimitatesitsmother’shunting。

Sofarallisnaturalandhuman。

Nowseeourattitudetowardchild’splay——underamasculineculture。

Regardingwomenonlyasasex,andthatsexasmanifestfrominfancy,wemakeandbuyforourlittlegirlstoyssuitabletothisview。Beingfemales——whichmeansmothers,wemustneedsprovidethemwithbabiesbeforetheyceasetobebabiesthemselves;andweexpecttheirplaytoconsistinanimitationofmaternalcares。Thedoll,thepuppet,whichinterestsallchildren,wehaverenderedasaneternalbaby;andwefoistthemuponourgirlchildrenbyceaselessmillions。

Thedoll,assuch,isdeartothelittleboyaswellasthegirl,butnotasababy。Helikeshisjumping—jack,hisworstedSambo,oftenagenuinerag—doll;butheisdiscouragedandridiculedinthis。Wedonotexpectthelittleboytomanifestafather’sloveandcareforanimitationchild——butwedoexpectthelittlegirltoshowmaternalfeelingsforherimitationbaby。Ithasnotyetoccurredtousthatthisismonstrous。

Littlechildrenshouldnotbeexpectedtoshow,inpainfulprecocity,feelingswhichoughtnevertobeexperiencedtilltheycomeattheproperage。Ourkittensplayatcat—sports,littleTomandTabbytogether;butlittleTabbydoesnotplaysheisamother!

Beyondthecontinuousdollsandtheircontinuousdressing,weprovideforourlittlegirlsteasetsandkitchensets,doll’shouses,littlework—boxes——theimitationtoolsoftheirnarrowtrades。Fortheboythereisalargerchoice。Wemakeforthemnotonlytheessentiallymasculinetoysofcombat——alltheengineryofmimicwar;butalsothemodelsofhumanthings,likeboats,railroads,wagons。Forthem,too,arethecomprehensivetoysofthecenturies,thekite,thetop,theball。Astheboygetsoldenoughtoplaythegamesthatrequireskill,heenterstheworld—lists,andthelittlesister,leftinside,withhereverlastingdolls,learnsthatsheis\"onlyagirl,\"and\"mustn’tplaywithboys——boysaresorough!\"Shehasherdollandherteaset。She\"playshouse。\"Ifveryactiveshemayjumprope,insolitaryenthusiasm,orincombinationoffromtwotofour。Herbrotherisplayinggames。Fromthistimeonheplaysthegamesoftheworld。The\"sportingpage\"shouldbecalled\"theMan’sPage\"asthatarrayofrecipes,fashionsandcheapadviceiscalled\"theWoman’sPage。\"

Oneoftheimmediateeducationaladvantagesoftheboy’spositionisthathelearns\"teamwork。\"Thisisnotamasculinecharacteristic,itisahumanone;asocialpower。Womenareequallycapableofitbynature;butnotbyeducation。Tendingone’simitationbabyisnotteam—work;norisplayinghouse。Thelittlegirliskeptforeverwithinthelimitationsofhermother’s\"sphere\"ofaction;whiletheboylearnslife,andfanciesthathisnewgrowthisduetohissuperiorsex。

Nowtherearecertainessentialdistinctionsinthesexes,whichwouldmanifestthemselvestosomedegreeeveninnormallyrearedchildren;asforinstancethelittlemalewouldbemoregiventofightinganddestroying;thelittlefemalemoretocaringforandconstructingthings。

\"Boysaresodestructive!\"wesaywithmodestpride——asifitwasinsomewayacredittothem。Butearlyyouthisnotthetimetodisplaysexdistinction;andtheyshouldbediscouragedratherthanapproved。

Thegamesoftheworld,nowthegamesofmen,easilyfallintotwobroadclasses——gamesofskillandgamesofchance。

Theinterestandpleasureinthelatterispurelyhuman,andassuchissharedbythetwosexesevennow。Women,intheinnocentbeginningsortheviciousextremesofthislineofamusement,makeaswildgamblersasmen。Attheraces,attheroulettewheel,atthebridgetable,thisisclearlyseen。

Ingamesofskillwehaveadifferentshowing。Mostofthesearedevelopedbyandformen;butwhentheyareallowed,womentakepartinthemwithinterestandsuccess。Incardgames,inchess,checkers,andthelike,incroquetandtennis,theyplay,andplaywellifwell—trained。Wheretheyfallshortinsomanygames,andaresowhollyexcludedinothers,isnotforlackofhumancapacity,butforlackofmasculinity。Mostgamesaremale。Intheirelementofdesiretowin,togettheprize,theyaremale;andintheiruniversalattitudeofcompetitiontheyaremale,thebasicspiritofdesireandofcombatworkingoutthroughsubtlemodernforms。

Thereissomethinginherentlymasculinealsointheuniversaldominanceoftheprojectileintheirgames。Theballistheoneunescapableinstrumentofsport。Fromthesnappedmarbleofinfancytotheflyingmissileofthebat,thisformendures。Tosendsomethingforthwithviolence;tothrowit,batit,kickit,shootit;thisimpulseseemstodatebacktooneofthetwinforcesoftheuniverse——thecentrifugalandcentripetalenergiesbetweenwhichswingtheplanets。

Thebasicfeminineimpulseistogather,toputtogether,toconstruct;

thebasicmasculineimpulsetoscatter,todisseminate,todestroy。Itseemstogivepleasuretoamantobangsomethinganddriveitfromhim;

theharderhehitsitandthefartheritgoesthebetterpleasedheis。

Gamesofthissortwillneverappealtowomen。Theyarenotwrong;notnecessarilyevilintheirplace;ourmistakeisinconsideringthemashuman,whereastheyareonlymasculine。

Play,inthechildishsenseisanexpressionofprevioushabit;andtobestudiedinthatlight。Playintheeducationalsenseshouldbeencouragedordiscouragedtodevelopdesiredcharacteristics。Thisweknow,andpractice;onlywedoitunderandrocentriccanons;confiningthegirltothenarrowrangeweconsiderproperforwomen,andassistingtheboytocoverlifewiththeexpressionofmasculinity,whenweshouldbehelpingbothtoamorehumandevelopment。

Oursettledconvictionthatmenarepeople——thepeople,andthatmasculinequalitiesarethemaindesiderataminlife,iswhatkeepsupthisfalseestimateofthevalueofourpresentgames。Advocatesoffootball,forinstance,proudlyclaimthatitfitsamanforlife。

Life——fromthewhollymalepointofview——isabattle,withaprize。Towantsomethingbeyondmeasure,andtofighttoget——thatisthesimpleproposition。Thisviewoflifefindsitsmostnaiveexpressioninpredatorywarfare;andstilltendstomakepredatorywarfareofthelaterandmorehumanprocessesofindustry。Becausetheyseelifeinthiswaytheyimaginethatskillandpracticeintheartoffighting,especiallyincollectivefighting,issovaluableinourmodernlife。

Thisisanarchaismwhichwouldbelaughableifitwerenotsodangerousinitseffects。

Thevaluableprocessesto—dayarethoseofinvention,discovery,allgradesofindustry,and,mostespeciallyneeded,thecapacityforhonestserviceandadministrationofourimmenseadvantages。Thesearenotlearnedonthefootballfield。Thisspiritofdesireandcombatmaybeseenfurtherinallpartsofthisgreatsubject。Ithasdevelopedintoacultofsportsmanship;souniversallyacceptedamongmenasofsuperlativemeritastoquiteblindthemtootherstandardsofjudgment。

IntheCook—Pearycontroversyof1909,thiscanonwasmademanifest。

Here,onemanhadspentalifetimeintryingtoaccomplishsomething;

andattheeleventhhoursucceeded。Then,comingoutintherichtriumphlongdeferred,hefindsanotherman,ofcharacterwellknowntohim,impudentlyandfalselyclaimingthathehaddoneitfirst。Mr。

Pearyexpressedhimself,quiterestrainedlyandcorrectly,inregardtotheeffronteryandfalsityofthisclaim——andallthecountryroseupanddenouncedhimas\"unsportsmanlike!\"

Sportandthecanonsofsportaresodominantinthemasculinemindthatwhattheyconsideredadeviationfromthesestandardswasoffarmoreimportancethanthequestionoffactinvolved;tosaynothingofthemoralobliquityofonelyingtothewholeworld,formoney;andthatatthecostofanother’shard—wontriumph。

Ifwomenhadcondemnedtheconductofoneortheotheras\"notgoodhouse—wifery,\"thiswouldhavebeenconsideredamostpuerilecomment。

Buttobe\"unsportsmanlike\"istheunpardonablesin。

Owingtoourwarpedstandardsweglaringlymisjudgetheattitudeofthetwosexesinregardtotheiramusements。Oflateyearsmorewomenthaneverbeforehavetakentoplayingcards;andsome,unfortunately,playformoney。Asteadystreamofcommentandblamefollowsuponthis。Theamountofcardplayingamongmen——andtheamountofmoneylostandwon,doesnotproduceanequivalentcomment。

Quiteasidefromthisonefieldofdissipation,lookattheshareoflife,oftime,ofstrength,ofmoney,givenbymentotheirwiderangeofrecreation。Theprimitivesatisfactionofhuntingandfishingtheymaintainatenormousexpense。Thisistheindulgenceofamostrudimentaryimpulse;pre—socialandlargelypre—human,ofnoservicesaveasitaffectsbodilyhealth,andofamostdeterringinfluenceonrealhumandevelopment。Wherehuntingandfishingisofrealhumanservice,doneasameansoflivelihood,itislookeddownuponlikeanyotherindustry;itisnolonger\"sport。\"

Thehumanbeingkillstoeat,ortosellandeatfromthereturns;hekillsforthecreature’shideortusks,foruseofsomesort;ortoprotecthiscropsfromvermin,hisflocksfromdepredation;butthesportsmankillsforthegratificationofaprimevalinstinct,andunderrulesofanarbitrarycult。\"Game\"creaturesarehisprey;bird,beastorfishthatishardtocatch,thatrequiressomeskilltoslay;thatwillgivehimnotmeremeatandbones,but\"thepleasureofthechase。\"

Thepleasureofthechaseisaveryrealone。Itisexemplified,initsbroadsenseinchildren’splay。Therunningandcatchinggames,thehidingandfindinggames,arealwaysattractivetoourinfancy,astheyaretothatofcubsandkittens。Butthelongcontinuanceofthisindulgenceamongmaturecivilizedbeingsisduetotheirmasculinity。

Thatgroupofassociatedsexinstincts,whichinthewomanpromptstothepatientserviceandfiercedefenceofthelittlechild,inthemanhasitsdeepestrootinseeking,pursuingandcatching。Tohuntismorethanameansofobtainingfood,inhislongancestry;itistofollowatanycost,toseekthroughalldifficulties,tostruggleforandsecurethecentralprizeofhisbeing——amate。

His\"protectiveinstincts\"arefarlaterandmoresuperficial。Tosupportandcareforhiswife,hischildren,isarecenthabit,inplainsighthistorically;but\"thepleasureofthechase\"isolderthanthat。

Weshouldrememberthatassociatehabitsandimpulseslastforagesuponagesinlivingforms;asinthetreeclimbinginstinctsofourearliestyears,ofSimianorigin;andtheloveofwater,whichdatesbackthroughunmeasuredtime。Whereformillionsofyearsthestrongestpleasureagivenorganismisfittedfor,isobtainedbyacertaingroupofactivities,thoseactivitieswillcontinuetogivepleasurelongaftertheirearlieruseisgone。

Thisiswhymenenjoy\"theardorofpursuit\"farmorethanwomen。Itisanessentiallymasculineardor。Tocomeeasilybywhathewantsdoesnotsatisfyhim。Hewantstowantit。Hewantstohuntit,seekit,chaseit,catchit。Hewantsittobe\"game。\"Heisbyvirtueofhissexasportsman。

Thereisnoreasonwhythesespecialinstinctsshouldnotbegratifiedsolongasitdoesnoharmtothemoreimportantsocialprocesses;butitisdistinctlydesirablethatweshouldunderstandtheirnature。Thereasonwhywehavethepresentoverwhelmingmassof\"sportingevents,\"

fromtheballgametotheprizefight,isbecauseourcivilizationissooverwhelminglymasculine。Weshallcriticizethemmorejustlywhenweseethatallthismassofindulgenceisinthefirstplaceaformofsex—expression,andinthesecondplaceasurvivalofinstinctsolderthantheoldestsavagery。

Besidesourgamesandsportswehavealargefieldof\"amusements\"alsoworthexamining。Wenotonlyenjoydoingthings,butweenjoyseeingthemdonebyothers。Inthesehighlyspecializeddaysmostofouramusementconsistsinpayingtwodollarstositthreehoursandseeotherpeopledothings。

Thisinitslargestsenseiswhollyhuman。We,associalcreatures,canenjoyathousandformsofexpressionquitebeyondthepersonal。Thebirdsmusteachsinghisownsong;thecricketschirpinmillionfoldperformance;buthumanbeingfeelsthedeepthrillofjoyintheirspecialsingers,actors,dancers,aswellasintheirownpersonalattempts。Thatweshouldfindpleasureinwatchingoneanotherishumanlynatural,butwhatitiswewatch,thekindofpleasureandthekindofperformance,opensawidefieldofchoice。

Weknow,forinstance,somethingofthecrudeexcessesofaboriginalAustraliandances;weknowmoreofthegrosslicenseofoldRome;weknowthebreadthofthejokesinmedievaltimes,andthechildishbrutalityofthebull—ringandthecockpit。Weknow,inaword,thatamusementsvary;thattheyformareadygaugeofcharacterandculture;

thattheyhaveastrongeducationalinfluenceforgoodorbad。Whatwehavenothithertoobservedisthepredominantmasculineinfluenceonouramusements。Ifwerecalloncemorethestatementwithregardtoentertaininganecdotes,\"Therearethirtygoodstoriesintheworld,andtwenty—nineofthemcannotbetoldtowomen,\"wegetaglaringsidelightonthemasculinespecializationinjokes。

\"Womenhavenosenseofhumor\"hasbeenfrequentlysaid,when\"Womenhavenotamasculinesenseofhumor\"wouldbetruer。Ifwomenhadthirty\"goodstories\"twenty—nineofwhichcouldnotbetoldtomen,itispossiblethatmen,iftheyheardsomeofthetwenty—nine,wouldnotfindthemfunny。Theoverweightofonesexhastoldinouramusementsaseverywhereelse。

Becausemenarefurtherdevelopedinhumanitythanwomenareasyet,theyhavebuiltandorganizedgreatplacesofamusement;becausetheycarriedintotheirhumanitytheiruncheckedmasculinity,theyhavemadetheseamusementstocorrespond。Dramaticexpression,isinitstruesense,notonlyahumandistinction,butoneofournoblestarts。Itisalliedwiththehighestemotions;isreligious,educational,patriotic,coveringthewholerangeofhumanfeeling。Throughitweshouldbeablecontinuallytoexpress,inaudible,visibleforms,aliveandmoving,whateverphaseoflifewemostenjoyedorwishedtosee。Therewasatimewhenthedramaledlife;lifted,taught,inspired,enlightened。

Nowitsmainfunctionistoamuse。Underthedemandforamusement,ithascheapenedandcoarsened,andnowthethousandvaudevillesandpictureshowsgiveusthebrokenfragmentsofadegradedartofwhichouronemaindemandisthatitshallmakeuslaugh。

Therearemanycausesatworkhere;andwhilethisstudyseekstoshowinvariousfieldsonecause,itdoesnotclaimthatcauseistheonlyone。Oureconomicconditionshaveenormousweightuponouramusements,asonallotherhumanphenomena;butevenundereconomicpressurethereactionsofmenandwomenareoftendissimilar。Tiredmenandwomenbothneedamusement,therelaxationandrestfulchangeofirresponsiblegayety。Thegreatmajorityofwomen,whoworklongerhoursthananyotherclass,needitdesperatelyandnevergetit。Amusement,entertainment,recreation,shouldbeopentousall,enjoyedbyall。

Thisisahumanneed,andnotadistinctionofeithersex。Likemosthumanthingsitisnotonlylargelymonopolizedbymen,butmasculizedthroughout。Manyformsofamusementareformenonly;moreformenmostly;allareformeniftheychoosetogo。

Theentranceofwomenuponthestage,andtheirincreasedattendanceattheatreshassomewhatmodifiedthenatureoftheperformance;eventhe\"refinedvaudeville\"nowbeginstoshowtheinfluenceofwomen。Itwouldbenogreatadvantagetohavethisdepartmentofhumanlifefeminized;theimprovementdesiredistohaveitlessmasculized;toreducetheexcessiveinfluenceofone,andtobringoutthosebroadhumaninterestsandpleasureswhichmenandwomencanequallyparticipateinandenjoy。

OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

VII。

ETHICSANDRELIGION。

Thelawsofphysicswereatworkbeforewewereonearth,andcontinuedtoworkonuslongbeforewehadintelligenceenoughtoperceive,muchlessunderstand,them。Ourprovenknowledgeoftheseprocessesconstitutes\"thescienceofphysics\";butthelawsweretherebeforethescience。

Physicsisthescienceofmaterialrelation,howthingsandnaturalforcesworkwithandononeanother。Ethicsisthescienceofsocialrelation,howpersonsandsocialforcesworkwithandononeanother。

Ethicsistothehumanworldwhatphysicsistothematerialworld;

ignoranceofethicsleavesusinthesamehelplesspositioninregardtooneanotherthatignoranceofphysicsleftusinregardtoearth,air,fireandwater。

Tobesure,peoplelivedanddiedandgraduallyimproved,whileyetignorantofthephysicalsciences;theydevelopedarough\"ruleofthumb\"method,asanimalsdo,andusedgreatforceswithoutunderstandingthem。Buttheirlivesweresaferandtheirimprovementmorerapidastheylearnedmore,andbegantomakeservantsoftheforceswhichhadbeentheirmasters。

Wehaveprogressed,lamelyenough,withterriblelossandsuffering,fromstarksavagerytoourpresentdegreeofcivilization;weshallgoonmoresafelyandswiftlywhenwelearnmoreofthescienceofethics。

Letusnotefirstthatwhiletheunderlyinglawsofethicsremainsteadyandreliable,humannotionsofthemhavevariedwidelyandstilldoso。

Indifferentraces,ages,classes,sexes,differentviewsofethicsobtain;theconductofthepeopleismodifiedbytheirviews,andtheirprosperityismodifiedbytheirconduct。

Primitivemanbecameverysoonawarethatconductwasofimportance。Asconsciousnessincreased,withthepowertomodifyactionfromwithin,insteadofhelplesslyreactingtostimulifromwithout,therearosethecrudefirstcodesofethics,the\"Thoushalt\"and\"Thoushaltnot\"oftheblunderingsavage。Itwasmostly\"Thoushaltnot。\"Inhibition,thecheckingofanimpulseprovendisadvantageous,wasanearlierandeasierformofactionthanthelaterhumanpowertoconsciouslydecideonandfollowacourseofactionwithnostimulusbutone’sownwill。

PrimitiveethicsconsistsmostlyofTabus——thethingsthatareforbidden;andallourdimnotionsofethicstothisday,aswellasmostofourreligions,dealmainlywithforbidding。

Thisisalmostthewholeofournurserygovernment,toanextentshownbythewell—worntaleofthechildwhosaidhernamewas\"Mary。\"\"Marywhat?\"theyaskedher。Andsheanswered,\"MaryDon’t。\"Itisalsothemainbodyofourlegalsystems——acomplexmassofprohibitionsandpreventions。Andeveninmannersandconventions,thethingsoneshouldnotdofaroutnumberthethingsoneshould。Ageneralpolicyofnegationcolorsourconceptionsofethicsandreligion。

Whenthepositivesidebegantobedeveloped,itwasatfirstinpurelyarbitraryandartificialform。Thefollowersofagivenreligionwererequiredtogothroughcertainmotions,asprostratingthemselves,kneeling,andthelike;theywererequiredtobringtributetothegodsandtheirpriests,sacrifices,tithes,oblations;theyweresetlittlespecialperformancestogothroughatgiventimes;therangeofthingsforbiddenwasbroad;therangeofthingscommandedwasnarrow。TheChristianreligion,practicallyinterpreted,requiresafuller\"changeofheart\"andchangeoflifethananyprecedingit;whichmayaccountatonceforitswideappealtoenlightenedpeoples,andtoitsscarcityofapplication。

Again,insurveyingthefield,itisseenthatasourgraspofethicalvalueswidened,aswecalledmoreandmoreactsandtendencies\"right\"

and\"wrong,\"wehaveshownastonishingfluctuationsandvagariesinourjudgment。Notonlyinourreligions,whichhavenecessarilyupheldeachitsownsetofprescribedactionsasmost\"right,\"anditsownspecialprohibitionsasmost\"wrong\";butinourbeliefsaboutethicsandourrealconduct,wehavevariedabsurdly。

Take,forinstance,theethicalconceptamong\"gentlemen\"acenturyorsosince,whichputthepayingofone’sgamblingdebtsasawell—nighsacredduty,andthepayingofatradesmanwhohadfedandclothedoneasaquitenegligiblematter。Iftheprocessofgamblingwasofsocialservice,andthefurnishingoffoodandclotheswasnot,thismightbegoodethics;butasthecontraryistrue,wehavetoaccountforthispeculiarviewonothergrounds。

Again,whereinJapanagirl,tomaintainherparents,isjustifiedinleadingalifeofshame,wehaveapeculiarethicalstandarddifficultforWesternmindstoappreciate。Yetinsuchaninstanceasisdescribedin\"AuldRobinGray,\"weseepreciselythesamecode;thegirl,tobenefitherparents,marriesaricholdmanshedoesnotlove——whichistoleadalifeofshame。Theethicalviewwhichjustifiesthis,putsthebenefitofparentsabovethebenefitofchildren,robsthedaughterofhappinessandmotherhood,injuresposteritytoassistancestors。

Thisisoneoftheproductsofthatveryearlyreligion,ancestorworship;andherewelayafingeronadistinctlymasculineinfluence。

Weknowlittleofethicalvaluesduringthematriarchate;whatevertheywere,theymusthavedependedforsanctiononacultofpromiscuousbutefficientmaternity。Ourrecordedhistorybeginsinthepatriarchalperiod,anditisitsethicsalonewhichweknow。

Themotherinstinct,throughoutnature,isoneofunmixeddevotion,ofloveandservice,careanddefence,withnoself—interest。Theanimalfather,insuchcasesasheisofservicetotheyoung,assiststhemotherinherworkinsimilarfashion。Butthehumanfatherinthefamilywiththemaleheadsoonmadethatfamilyaninstrumentofdesire,andcombat,andself—expression,followingtheessentiallymasculineimpulses。Thechildrenwerehis,andifmales,valuabletoserveandglorifyhim。Inhisdominanceoverservilewomenandhelplesschildren,freereinwasgiventothegrowthofprideandtheexerciseofirresponsibletyranny。Tothesefeelings,developedwithoutcheckforthousandsofyears,andtothementalhabitsresultant,itiseasytotracemuchofthebiasofourearlyethicalconcepts。

Perhapsitisworthwhiletorepeatherethattheeffortofthisbookisbynomeanstoattributeawhollyevilinfluencetomen,andawhollygoodonetowomen;itisnotevenclaimedthatapurelyfeminineculturewouldhaveadvancedtheworldmoresuccessfully。Itdoesclaimthattheinfluenceofthetwotogetherisbetterthanthatofeitheronealone;

andinespecialtopointoutwhatspecialkindofinjuryisduetotheexclusiveinfluenceofonesexheretofore。

Wehaveto—dayreachedadegreeofhumandevelopmentwherebothmenandwomenarecapableofseeingoverandacrossthedistinctionsofsex,andmutuallyworkingfortheadvancementoftheworld。Ourprogressis,however,seriouslyimpededbywhatwemaycallthemasculinetradition,theunconsciousdominanceofaracehabitbasedonthislongandrocentricperiod;anditiswellworthwhile,intheinterestsofbothsexes,toshowthemischievouseffectsofthepredominanceofone。

Wehaveinourethicsnotonlya\"doublestandard\"inonespecialline,butinnearlyall。Man,asasex,hasquitenaturallydeifiedhisownqualitiesratherthanthoseofhisopposite。Inhiscodesofmanners,ofmorals,oflaws,inhisearlyconceptsofGod,hisancientreligions,weseemasculinitywrittenlargeoneveryside。Confiningwomenwhollytotheirfemininefunctions,hehasrequiredofthemonlywhathecalledfemininevirtues,andtheonevirtuehehasdemanded,tothecompleteovershadowingofallothers,ismeasuredbywhollymasculinerequirements。

lntheinterestsofhealthandhappiness,monogamousmarriageprovesitssuperiorityinourraceasithasinothers。Itisessentialtothebestgrowthofhumanitythatwepracticethevirtueofchastity;itisahumanvirtue,notafeminineone。Butinmasculinehandsthisvirtuewasenforceduponwomenunderpenaltiesofhideouscruelty,andquiteignoredbymen。Masculineethics,coloredbymasculineinstincts,alwaysdominatedbysex,hasatoncerecognizedthevalueofchastityinthewoman,whichisright;punisheditsabsenceunfairly,whichiswrong;andthenreversedthewholematterwhenappliedtomen,whichisridiculous。

Ethicallawsarelaws——notidlenotions。Chastityisavirtuebecauseitpromoteshumanwelfare——notbecausemenhappentoprizeitinwomenandignoreitthemselves。Theunderlyingreasonforthewholethingisthebenefitofthechild;andtothatendapureandnoblefatherhoodisrequisite,aswellassuchamotherhood。Underthelimitationsofatoomasculineethics,wehavedevelopedonthisonelinesocialconditionswhichwouldbeabsurdlyfunnyiftheywerenotsohorrible。

Religion,beitnoticed,doesnotbearoutthisattitude。Theimmensehumanneedofreligion,thenoblehumancharacterofthegreatreligiousteachers,hasalwayssetitsstandards,whenfirstestablished,aheadofhumanconduct。

Somethereare,menoflearningandauthority,whoholdthatthedeadeningimmobilityofourreligions,theirresistancetoprogressandrelentlesspreservationofprimitiveideals,isduetotheconservatismofwomen。Men,theysay,areprogressivebynature;womenareconservative。Womenaremorereligiousthanmen,andsopreserveoldreligiousformsunchangedaftermenhaveoutgrownthem。

Ifwesawwomeninabsolutefreedom,withaseparatereligiondevisedbywomen,practicedbywomen,andremainingunchangedthroughthecenturies;whilemen,ontheotherhand,boundedbravelyforward,makingnewonesasfastastheywereneeded,thisbeliefmightbemaintained。

Butwhatdowesee?Alltheoldreligionsmadebymen,andforcedonthewomenwhethertheylikeditornot。Oftenwomennotevenconsideredaspartofthescheme——deniedsouls——givenamuchlowerplaceinthesystem——goingfromtheserviceoftheirfather’sgodstotheserviceoftheirhusbands——havingnoneoftheirown。Weseereligionswhichmakepracticallynoplaceforwomen,aswiththeMoslem,asrigidlybigotedandunchangingasanyother。

Weseealsothis:thatthewideranddeeperthereligion,themorehuman,themoreitcallsforpracticalapplicationsinChristianity——themoreitappealstowomen。Further,inthedivergingsectsoftheChristianreligion,wefindthatitsprogressivenessistobemeasured,notbythenumbersofitswomenadherents,butbytheirrelativefreedom。ThewomenofAmerica,whobelongtoathousandsects,whofollownewoneswithavidity,whoevenmakethem,andwhoalsoleavethemallasmendo,arewomen,aswellasthoseofSpain,whoremaincontentedRomanists,butinAmericathestatusofwomenishigher。

Thefactisthis:aservilewomanhoodisinastateofarresteddevelopment,andassuchdoesformagroundfortheretentionofancientideas。Butthisisduetotheconditionofservility,nottowomanhood。

Thatwomenatpresentarethebulwarkoftheolderformsofourreligionsisduetotheactionoftwoclassesofmen:themenoftheworld,whokeepwomenintheirrestrictedposition,andthemenofthechurch,whotakeeveryadvantageofthelimitationsofwomen。Whenwehaveforthefirsttimeinhistoryareallycivilizedwomanhood,wecanthenjudgebetterofitseffectonreligion。

Meanwhile,wecanseequiteclearlytheeffectofmanhood。Keepinginmindthosebasicmasculineimpulses——desireandcombat——weseethemreflectedfromhighheavenintheirreligiousconcepts。Reward!

Somethingtowanttremendouslyandstruggletoachieve!Thisisaconceptperfectlymasculineandmostimperfectlyreligious。Areligionispartlyexplanation——atheoryoflife;itispartlyemotion——anattitudeofmind,itispartlyaction——asystemofmorals。Man’sspecialeffectonthislargefieldofhumandevelopmentisclear。Hepicturedhisearlygodsasliketohimself,andtheybehavedinaccordancewithhisideals。Inthedimmest,oldestreligions,nearestthematriarchate,wefindgreatgoddesses——typesofMotherhood,Mother—love,Mother—careandService。Butundermasculinedominance,IsisandAshterothdwindleawaytoanalluringAphrodite——notWomanhoodforthechildandtheWorld——buttheincarnationoffemaleattractivenessforman。

Astheideaofheavendevelopedintheman’sminditbecametheHappyHuntingGroundofthesavage,thebeeryandgoryValhallaoftheNorseman,thevoluptuous,many—houri—edParadiseoftheMohammedan。

Thesearemen’sheavensall。Womenhaveneverbeensofondofhunting,beerorblood;andtheirhouriswouldbeoftheotherkind。ItmaybesaidthattheearlyChristianideaofheavenisbynomeansplannedformen。Thatistrite,andisperhapsthereasonwhyithasneverhadsocompellinganattractionforthem。

Veryearlyinhisvagueeffortstowardsreligiousexpression,manvoicedhissecondstrongestinstinct——thatofcombat。Hisuniverseisalwaysdual,alwaysasceneofcombat。Bornwiththatimpulse,exercisingitcontinually,henaturallyassumedittobethemajorprocessinlife。

Itisnot。Growthisthemajorprocess。Combatisausefulsubsidiaryprocess,chieflyvaluableforitsinitialuse,totransmitthephysicalsuperiorityofthevictor。Psychicandsocialadvantagesarenotthussecuredortransmitted。

Innooneparticularistheandrocentriccharacterofourcommonthoughtmoreclearlyshownthaninthegeneraldeificationofwhatarenowdescribedas\"conflictstimuli。\"Thatwhichistrueofthemalecreatureassuchisassumedtobetrueoflifeingeneral;quitenaturally,butbynomeanscorrectly。Tothisuniversalmasculineerrorwemaytraceinthefieldofreligionandethicsthegreatdeviltheory,whichhasforsolongobscuredourminds。AGodwithoutanAdversarywasinconceivabletothemasculinemind。Fromthisbasicmisconceptionwefindallourideasofethicsdistorted;thatwhichshouldhavebeentreatedasagroupoftruthstobelearnedandhabitstobecultivatedwastreatedintermsofcombat,andmoralgrowthmadeaneverlastingbattle。Thiscombattheorywemayfollowlaterintoourcommonnotionsofdiscipline,government,lawandpunishment;hereisitenoughtoseeitspainfuleffectsinthisprimaryfieldofethicsandreligion?

Thethirdessentialmaletraitofself—expressionwemayfollowfromitsinnocentnaturalforminstruttingcockorstampingstaguptothecharacteristicswelabelvanityandpride。Thedegradationofwomeninforcingthemtoadoptmasculinemethodsofpersonaldecorationasameansoflivelihood,hascarriedwiththeconcomitantofpersonalvanity:buttothisdayandattheirworstwedonotfindinwomenthe_naive_exultantglowofpridewhichswellsthebosomofthemenwhomarchinprocessionwithbrassbands,infullregaliaofanysort,sothatitbegorgeous,exhibitingtheirgloriestoall。

ItisthispurelymasculinespiritwhichhasgiventoourearlyconceptsofDeitytheunadmirablequalitiesofboundlessprideandathirstforconstantpraiseandprostrateadmiration,characteristicscertainlyunbefittinganynobleideaofGod。Desire,combatandself—expressionallhavehadtheirunavoidableinfluenceonmasculinereligions。WhatdeifiedMaternityapurelyfeminineculturemighthaveputforthwedonotknow,havinghadnonesuch。Womenaregenerallycreditedwithasmuchmoralsenseasmen,andasmuchreligiousinstinct;butsofarithashadsmallpowertomodifyourprevailingcreeds。

Asamatteroffact,nospecialsexattributesshouldhaveanyweightinourideasofrightandwrong。Ethicsandreligionaredistinctlyhumanconcerns;theybelongtousassocialfactors,notasphysicalones。Aswelearntorecognizeourhumanness,andtoleaveoursexcharacteristicswheretheybelong,weshallatlastlearnsomethingaboutethicsasasimpleandpracticalscience,andseethatreligionsgrowasthemindgrowstoformulatethem。

Ifanyoneseeksforaclear,simple,easilygraspedproofofourethics,itistobefoundinapopularproverb。Strugglingupwardfrombeastandsavageintohumanness,manhasseen,reverenced,andstriventoattainvarioushumanvirtues。

Hewaswillingtocheckmanyprimitiveimpulses,tochangemanybarbaroushabits,tomanifestnewer,noblerpowers。MuchhewouldconcedetoHumanness,butnothissex——thatwasbeyondtherangeofEthicsorReligion。Bythestateofwhathecalls\"morals,\"andthelawshemakestoregulatethem,byhisattitudeincourtshipandinmarriage,andbythegrossanomalyofmilitarism,inallitssenselesswasteoflifeandwealthandjoy,wemayperceivethislittlemasculineexception:

\"All’sfairinloveandwar。\"

OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

VIII。

EDUCATION。

Theoriginofeducationismaternal。Themotheranimalisseentoteachheryoungwhatsheknowsoflife,itsgainsandlosses;and,whetherconsciouslydoneornot,thisiseducation。Inourhumanlife,education,eveninitspresentstate,isthemostimportantprocess。

Withoutitwecouldnotmaintainourselves,muchlessdominateandimproveconditionsaswedo;andwheneducationiswhatitshouldbe,ourpowerwillincreasefarbeyondpresenthopes。

Inloweranimals,speakinggenerally,thepowersoftheracemustbelodgedineachindividual。Nogainofpersonalexperienceisofavailtotheothers。Noadvantagesremain,savethosephysicallytransmitted。

Thenarrowlimitsofpersonalgainandpersonalinheritancerigidlyheminsub—humanprogress。Withus,whatonelearnsmaybetaughttotheothers。Ourlifeissocial,collective。Ourgainisforall,andprofitsusinproportionasweextendittoall。Asthehumansouldevelopsinus,webecomeabletograspmorefullyourcommonneedsandadvantages;andwiththisgrowthhascometheextensionofeducationtothepeopleasawhole。Socialfunctionsaredevelopedundernaturallaws,likephysicalones,andmaybestudiedsimilarly。

Intheevolutionofthisbasicsocialfunction,whathasbeentheeffectofwhollymasculineinfluence?

Theoriginalprocess,instructionofindividualchildbyindividualmother,hasbeenlargelyneglectedinourman—madeworld。Thatwasconsideredasasubsidiarysex—functionofthewoman,andassuch,lefttoher\"instinct。\"Thisisthemainreasonwhyweshowsuchgreatprogressineducationforolderchildren,andespeciallyforyouths,andsolittlecomparativelyinthatgiventolittleones。

Wehavehadontheonesidethenaturalcurrentofmaternaleducation,withitsfirstassistant,thenursemaid,anditssecond,the\"dame—school\";andontheothertheinfluenceofthedominantclass,organizedinuniversity,college,andpublicschool,slowlyfilteringdownward。

Educationalforcesaremany。Thechildisbornintocertainconditions,physicalandpsychic,and\"educated\"thereby。Hegrowsupintosocial,politicalandeconomicconditions,andisfurthermodifiedbythem。Alltheseconditions,sofar,havebeenofandrocentriccharacter;butwhatwecalleducationasaspecialsocialprocessiswhatthechildisdeliberatelytaughtandsubjectedto;anditisherewemayseethesamedominantinfluencesoclearly。

Thisconsciouseducationwas,forlong,giventoboysalone,thegirlsbeinglefttomaternalinfluence,eachtolearnwhathermotherknew,andnomore。Thisveryclearinstanceofthemasculinetheoryisglaringenoughbyitselftorestacaseon。Itshowshowabsolutewastheassumptionthattheworldwascomposedofmen,andmenaloneweretobefittedforit。Womenwerenopartoftheworld,andneedednotrainingforitsuses。Asfemalestheywerebornandnotmade;ashumanbeingstheywereonlyservants,trainedassuchbytheirservantmothers。

Thissystemofeducationweareoutgrowingmoreswiftlywitheachyear。

Thegrowinghumannessofwomen,anditsrecognition,isforcinganequaleducationforboyandgirl。Whenthisdemandwasfirstmade,bywomenofunusualcalibre,andbymensufficientlyhumantooverlooksex—prejudice,howwasitmet?Whatwastheattitudeofwoman’s\"naturalprotector\"whenshebegantoasksomeshareinhumanlife?

Undertheuniversalassumptionthatmenalonewerehumanity,thattheworldwasmasculineandformenonly,theeffortsofthewomenweremetasadeliberateattemptto\"unsex\"themselvesandbecomemen。Tobeawomanwastobeignorant,uneducated;tobewise,educated,wastobeaman。Womenwerenotmen,visibly;thereforetheycouldnotbeeducated,andoughtnottowanttobe。

Underthisandrocentricprejudice,theequalextensionofeducationtowomenwasopposedateverystep,andisstillopposedbymany。Seeinginwomenonlysex,andnothumanness,theywouldconfineherexclusivelytofeminineinterests。Thisisthemasculineview,_parexcellence_。

Inspiteofit,thehumandevelopmentofwomen,whichsosplendidlycharacterizesourage,hasgoneon;andnowbothwoman’scollegesandthoseforbothsexesoffer\"thehighereducation\"toourgirls,aswellasthelowergradesinschoolandkindergarten。

Inthespecialprofessionaltraining,thesameoppositionwasexperienced,evenmorerancorousandcruel。Onewouldthinkthatontheentranceofafewstragglingandnecessarilyinferiorfemininebeginnersintoatradeorprofession,thoseinpossessionwouldextendtothemtherighthandoffellowship,ascomrades,extraassistanceasbeginners,andspecialcourtesyaswomen。

Thecontraryoccurred。Womenwerebarredout,discriminatedagainst,takenadvantageof,ascompetitors;andaswomentheyhavehadtomeetspecialdangerandoffenceinsteadofspecialcourtesy。Anunforgettableinstanceofthisliesintheattitudeofthemedicalcollegestowardwomenstudents。Themen,strongenough,onewouldthink,innumbers,inknowledge,inestablishedprecedent,tobegenerous,opposedthenewcomersfirstwithabsoluterefusal;then,whenthepatient,persistentapplicantsdidgetinside,bothstudentsandteachersmetthemnotonlywithunkindnessandunfairness,butwithaweaponingeniouslywellchosen,andmostdiscreditable——namely,obscenity。Graveprofessors,inlectureandclinic,aswellasgrinningstudents,usedoffensivelanguage,andplayedoffensivetricks,todrivethewomenout——amostandrocentricperformance。

Rememberthattheessentialmasculineattitudeisoneofopposition,ofcombat;hisdesireisobtainedbyfirstovercomingacompetitor;andthenseehowthisdominantmasculinitystandsoutwhereithasnopossibleuseorbenefit——inthefieldofeducation。Allalongtheline,man,longmasterofasubjectsex,foughteverystepofwomantowardmentalequality。Nevertheless,sincemodernmanhasbecomehumanenoughtobejust,hehasatlastletherhaveashareintheadvantagesofeducation;andshehasprovenherfullpowertoappreciateandusetheseadvantages。

Thento—dayrisesanewcryagainst\"womenineducation。\"HereisMr。

BarrettWendell,ofHarvard,solemnlyclaimingthatteachingwomenweakenstheintellectoftheteacher,andeverynowandthenburstsoutafranticsputterofalarmoverthe\"feminization\"ofourschools。Itistruethatthemajorityofteachersarenowwomen。Itistruethattheydohaveaninfluenceongrowingchildren。Itwouldevenseemtobetruethatthatislargelywhatwomenarefor。

Butthemaleassumeshisinfluencetobenormal,human,andthefemaleinfluenceaswhollyamatterofsex;therefore,wherewomenteachboys,theboysbecome\"effeminate\"——agrievousfall。Whenmenteachgirls,dothegirlsbecome—————?Hereagainwelacktheanalogue。Neverhasitoccurredtotheandrocentricmindtoconceiveofsuchathingasbeingtoomasculine。Thereisnosuchword!Itisoddtonoticethatwhicheverwaythewomanisplaced,sheissupposedtoexertthisdegradinginfluence;iftheteacher,sheeffeminizesherpupils;ifthepupil,sheeffeminizesherteachers。

Nowletusshakeourselvesfree,ifonlyforamoment,fromtheandrocentrichabitofmind。

Asamatterofsex,thefemaleisthemoreimportant。Hershareoftheprocesseswhichsexdistinctionservesisbyfarthegreater。Tobefeminine——ifonewerenothingelse,isafarmoreextensiveanddignifiedofficethantobemasculine——andnothingelse。

Butasamatterofhumanitythemaleofourspeciesisatpresentfaraheadofthefemale。Bythissuperiorhumanness,hisknowledge,hisskill,hisexperience,hisorganizationandspecialization,hemakesandmanagestheworld。Allthisishuman,notmale。Allthisisasopentothewomanasthemanbynature,buthasbeendeniedherduringourandrocentricculture。

Butevenif,inapurelyhumanprocess,suchaseducation,shedoesbringherspecialfemininecharacteristicstobear,whatarethey,andwhataretheresults?

Wecanseethemasculineinfluenceeverywherestilldominantandsuperior。Thereisthefirstspur,Desire,thebaseoftherewardsystem,theincentiveofself—interest,theattitudewhichsays,\"WhyshouldImakeaneffortunlessitwillgivemepleasure?\"withitsconcomitantlaziness,unwillingnesstoworkwithoutpayment。Thereisthesecondspur,Combat,thecompetitivesystem,whichsetsoneagainstanother,andfindspleasurenotinlearning,notexercisingthemind,butingettingaheadofone’sfellows。Underthesetwowhollymasculineinfluenceswehavemadetheeducationalprocessajoytothefewwhosuccessfullyattain,andawearyeffort,withfailureandcontumelyattached,toalltheothers。Thismaybeagoodmethodinsex—competition,butiswhollyoutofplaceandmischievousineducation。Itsprevalenceshowstheinjuriousmasculizationofthisnoblesocialprocess。