第1章
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  I。

  ASTOHUMANNESS。

  Letusbegin,inoffensively,withsheep。Thesheepisabeastwithwhichweareallfamiliar,beingmuchusedinreligiousimagery;thecommonstockofpainters;astaplearticleofdiet;oneofourmainsourcesofclothing;andaneverydaysymbolofbashfulnessandstupidity。

  Insomegrazingregionsthesheepisanobjectofterror,destroyinggrass,bushandforestbyomnipresentnibbling;onthegreatplains,sheep—keepingfrequentlyresultsininsanity,owingtothelonelinessoftheshepherd,andthemonotonousappearanceandbehaviorofthesheep。

  Bythepoet,youngsheeparepreferred,thelambgambollinggaily;

  unlessitbeinhymns,where\"allwelikesheep\"arerepeatedlydescribed,andmuchstressislaiduponthestrayingpropensitiesoftheanimal。

  Tothescientificmindthereisspecialinterestinthesequacityofsheep,theirhabitoffollowingoneanotherwithautomaticimitation。

  Thisinstinct,wearetold,hasbeendevelopedbyagesofwildcrowdedracingonnarrowledges,alongprecipices,chasms,aroundsuddenspursandcorners,onlytheleaderseeingwhen,whereandhowtojump。Ifthosebehindjumpedexactlyashedid,theylived。Iftheystoppedtoexerciseindependentjudgment,theywerepushedoffandperished;theyandtheirjudgmentwiththem。

  Allthesethings,andmanythataresimilar,occurtouswhenwethinkofsheep。Theyarealsoewesandrams。Yes,truly;butwhatofit?

  Allthathasbeensaidwassaidofsheep,_genusovis,_thatblandbeast,compoundofmutton,wool,andfoolishness。sowidelyknown。Ifwethinkofthesheep—dog(anddog—ess),theshepherd(andshepherd—ess),oftheferocioussheep—eatingbirdofNewZealand,theKea(andKea—ess),alltheseherd,guard,orkillthesheep,bothramsandewesalike。Inregardtomutton,towool,togeneralcharacter,wethinkonlyoftheirsheepishness,notatalloftheirramishnessoreweishness。Thatwhichisovineorbovine,canine,felineorequine,iseasilyrecognizedasdistinguishingthatparticularspeciesofanimal,andhasnorelationwhatevertothesexthereof。

  Returningtoourmuttons,letusconsidertheram,andwhereinhischaracterdiffersfromthesheep。Wefindhehasamorequarrelsomedisposition。Hepawstheearthandmakesanoise。Hehasatendencytobutt。Sohasagoat——Mr。Goat。SohasMr。Buffalo,andMr。Moose,andMr。Antelope。Thistendencytoplungeheadforemostatanadversary——andtofindanyothergentlemananadversaryonsight——evidentlydoesnotpertaintosheep,to_genusovis;_buttoanymalecreaturewithhorns。

  As\"functioncomesbeforeorgan,\"wemayevengiveareminiscentglancedownthelongpathofevolution,andseehowthemereactofbutting——passionatelyandperpetuallyrepeated——bornofthebeliggerentspiritofthemale——producedhorns!

  Theewe,ontheotherhand,exhibitsloveandcareforherlittleones,givesthemmilkandtriestoguardthem。Butsodoesagoat——Mrs。Goat。

  SodoesMrs。Buffaloandtherest。Evidentlythismotherinstinctisnopeculiarityof_genusovis,_butofanyfemalecreature。

  Eventhebird,thoughnotamammal,showsthesamemother—loveandmother—care,whilethefatherbird,thoughnotabutter,fightswithbeakandwingandspur。Hiscompetitionismoreeffectivethroughdisplay。Thewishtoplease,theneedtoplease,theovermasteringnecessityuponhimthathesecurethefavorofthefemale,hasmadethemalebirdblossomlikeabutterfly。Heblazesingorgeousplumage,rearshaughtycrestsandcombs,showsdroopingwattlesanddanglingblobssuchastheturkey—cockaffords;longsplendidfeathersforpureornamentappearuponhim;whatinherisameretail—effectbecomesinhimamassofglitteringdrapery。

  Partridge—cock,farmyard—cock,peacock,fromsparrowtoostrich,observehismien!Tostrutandlanguish;toexhibiteverybeauteouslure;tosacrificeease,comfort,speed,everything——tobeauty——forhersake——thisisthenatureofthehe—birdofanyspecies;thecharacteristic,notoftheturkey,butofthecock!Withdrummingofloudwings,withcrowandquackandburstsofglorioussong,hewooshismate;displayshissplendorsbeforeher;fightsfiercelywithhisrivals。Tobutt——tostrut——tomakeanoise——allforlove’ssake;theseactsarecommontothemale。

  Wemaynowgeneralizeandclearlystate:Thatismasculinewhichbelongstothemale——toanyorallmales,irrespectiveofspecies。Thatisfemininewhichbelongstothefemale,toanyorallfemales,irrespectiveofspecies。Thatisovine,bovine,feline,canine,equineorasininewhichbelongstothatspecies,irrespectiveofsex。

  Inourownspeciesallthisischanged。Wehavebeensotakenupwiththephenomenaofmasculinityandfemininity,thatourcommonhumanityhaslargelyescapednotice。Weknowwearehuman,naturally,andareveryproudofit;butwedonotconsiderinwhatourhumannessconsists;

  norhowmenandwomenmayfallshortofit,oroverstepitsbounds,incontinualinsistenceupontheirspecialdifferences。Itis\"manly\"todothis;itis\"womanly\"todothat;butwhatahumanbeingshoulddounderthecircumstancesisnotthoughtof。

  Theonlytimewhenwedorecognizewhatwecall\"commonhumanity\"isinextremecases,mattersoflifeanddeath;wheneithermanorwomanisexpectedtobehaveasiftheywerealsohumancreatures。Sincetherangeoffeelingandactionpropertohumanity,assuch,isfarwiderthanthatpropertoeithersex,itseemsatfirstsomewhatremarkablethatwehavegivenitsolittlerecognition。

  Alittleclassificationwillhelpushere。Wehavecertainqualitiesincommonwithinanimatematter,suchasweight,opacity,resilience。Itisclearthatthesearenothuman。Wehaveotherqualitiesincommonwithallformsoflife;cellularconstruction,forinstance,thereproductionofcellsandtheneedofnutrition。Theseagainarenothuman。Wehaveothers,manyothers,commontothehighermammals;whicharenotexclusivelyours——arenotdistinctively\"human。\"Whatthenaretruehumancharacteristics?Inwhatwayisthehumanspeciesdistinguishedfromallotherspecies?

  Ourhuman—nessisseenmostclearlyinthreemainlines:itismechanical,psychicalandsocial。Ourpowertomakeandusethingsisessentiallyhuman;wealonehaveextra—physicaltools。Wehaveaddedtoourteeththeknife,sword,scissors,mowingmachine;toourclawsthespade,harrow,plough,drill,dredge。Weareaproteancreature,usingthelargerbrainpowerthroughawidevarietyofchangingweapons。Thisisoneofourmainandvitaldistinctions。Ancientanimalracesaretracedandknownbymerebonesandshells,ancienthumanracesbytheirbuildings,toolsandutensils。

  Thatdegreeofdevelopmentwhichgivesusthehumanmindisacleardistinctionofrace。Thesavagewhocancountahundredismorehumanthanthesavagewhocancountten。

  Moreprominentthaneitheroftheseisthesocialnatureofhumanity。

  Wearebynomeanstheonlygroup—animal;thatancienttypeofindustrytheant,andeventhewell—wornbee,aresocialcreatures。Butinsectsoftheirkindarefoundlivingalone。Humanbeingsnever。Ourhuman—nessbeginswithsomelowformofsocialrelationandincreasesasthatrelationdevelops。

  HumanlifeofanysortisdependentuponwhatKropotkincalls\"mutualaid,\"andhumanprogresskeepsstepabsolutelywiththatinterchangeofspecializedserviceswhichmakessocietyorganic。Thenomad,livingoncattleasantsliveontheirs,islesshumanthanthefarmer,raisingfoodbyintelligentlyappliedlabor;andtheextensionoftradeandcommerce,frommerevillagemarket—placestotheworld—exchangesofto—day,isextensionofhuman—nessaswell。

  Humanity,thusconsidered,isnotathingmadeatonceandunchangeable,butastageofdevelopment;andisstill,asWellsdescribesit,\"inthemaking。\"Ourhuman—nessisseentolienotsomuchinwhatweareindividually,asinourrelationstooneanother;andeventhatindividualityisbuttheresultofourrelationstooneanother。Itisinwhatwedoandhowwedoit,ratherthaninwhatweare。Some,philosophicallyinclined,exalt\"being\"over\"doing。\"Tothemthisquestionmaybeput:\"Canyoumentionanyformoflifethatmerely’is,’

  withoutdoinganything?\"

  Takenseparatelyandphysically,weareanimals,_genushomo_;takensociallyandpsychically,weare,invaryingdegree,human;andourrealhistoryliesinthedevelopmentofthishuman—ness。

  Ourhistoricperiodisnotverylong。Realwrittenhistoryonlygoesbackafewthousandyears,beginningwiththestonerecordsofancientEgypt。DuringthisperiodwehavehadalmostuniversallywhatisherecalledanAndrocentricCulture。Thehistory,suchasitwas,wasmadeandwrittenbymen。

  Themental,themechanical,thesocialdevelopment,wasalmostwhollytheirs。Wehave,sofar,livedandsufferedanddiedinaman—madeworld。Sogeneral,sounbroken,hasbeenthiscondition,thattomentionitarousesnomoreremarkthanthestatementofanaturallaw。

  Wehavetakenitforgranted,sincethedawnofcivilization,that\"mankind\"meantmen—kind,andtheworldwastheirs。

  Womenwehavesharplydelimited。Womenwereasex,\"thesex,\"accordingtochivalroustoasts;theyweresetapartforspecialservicespeculiartofemininity。AsoneEnglishscientistputit,in1888,\"Womenarenotonlynottherace——theyarenotevenhalftherace,butasubspeciestoldoffforreproductiononly。\"

  ThismentalattitudetowardwomenisevenmoreclearlyexpressedbyMr。

  H。B。Marriot—Watsoninhisarticleon\"TheAmericanWoman\"inthe\"NineteenthCentury\"forJune,1904,wherehesays:\"Herconstitutionalrestlessnesshascausedhertoabdicatethosefunctionswhichaloneexcuseorexplainherexistence。\"Thisisapeculiarlyhappyandcondensedexpressionoftherelativepositionofwomenduringourandrocentricculture。Themanwasacceptedastheracetypewithoutonedissentientvoice;andthewoman——astrange,diversecreature,quitedisharmoniousintheacceptedschemeofthings——wasexcusedandexplainedonlyasafemale。

  Shehasneededvolumesofsuchexcuseandexplanation;also,apparently,volumesofabuseandcondemnation。Inanylibrarycataloguewemayfindbooksuponbooksaboutwomen:physiological,sentimental,didactic,religious——allmannerofbooksaboutwomen,assuch。Evento—dayintheworksofMarholm——pooryoungWeininger,Moebius,andothers,wefindthesameperpetualdiscussionofwomen——assuch。

  Thisisabookaboutmen——assuch。Itdifferentiatesbetweenthehumannatureandthesexnature。Itwillnotgosofarastoallegeman’smasculinetraitstobeallthatexcuse,orexplainhisexistence:butitwillpointoutwhataremasculinetraitsasdistinctfromhumanones,andwhathasbeentheeffectonourhumanlifeoftheunbridleddominanceofonesex。

  Wecanseeatonce,glaringly,whatwouldhavebeentheresultofgivingallhumanaffairsintofemalehands。Suchanextraordinaryanddeplorablesituationwouldhave\"feminized\"theworld。Weshouldhaveallbecome\"effeminate。\"

  Seehowinouruseoflanguagethecaseisclearlyshown。Theadjectivesandderivativesbasedonwoman’sdistinctionsarealienandderogatorywhenappliedtohumanaffairs;\"effeminate\"——toofemale,connotescontempt,buthasnomasculineanalogue;whereas\"emasculate\"——notenoughmale,isatermofreproach,andhasnofeminineanalogue。\"Virile\"——manly,weopposeto\"puerile\"——childish,andtheveryword\"virtue\"isderivedfrom\"vir\"——aman。

  Eveninthenamingofotheranimalswehavetakenthemaleastheracetype,andputonaspecialterminationtoindicate\"hisfemale,\"asinlion,lioness;leopard,leopardess;whileallourhumanschemeofthingsrestsonthesametacitassumption;manbeingheldthehumantype;womanasortofaccompanimentaudsubordinateassistant,merelyessentialtothemakingofpeople。

  Shehasheldalwaystheplaceofaprepositioninrelationtoman。Shehasbeenconsideredabovehimorbelowhim,beforehim,behindhim,besidehim,awhollyrelativeexistence——\"Sydney’ssister,\"\"Pembroke’smother\"——butneverbyanychanceSydneyorPembrokeherself。

  Actingonthisassumption,allhumanstandardshavebeenbasedonmalecharacteristics,andwhenwewishtopraisetheworkofawoman,wesayshehas\"amasculinemind。\"

  Itisnoeasymattertodenyorreverseauniversalassumption。Thehumanmindhashadagoodmanyjoltssinceitbegantothink,butaftereachupheavalitsettlesdownaspeacefullyasthevine—growersonVesuvius,acceptingthelastlavacrustaspermanentground。

  Whatweseeimmediatelyaroundus,whatwearebornintoandgrowupwith,beitmentalfurnitureorphysical,weassumetobetheorderofnature。

  Ifagivenideahasbeenheldinthehumanmindformanygenerations,asalmostallourcommonideashave,ittakessincereandcontinuedefforttoremoveit;andifitisoneoftheoldestwehaveinstock,oneofthebig,common,unquestionedworldideas,vastisthelaborofthosewhoseektochangeit。

  Nevertheless,ifthematterisoneofimportance,ifthepreviousideawasapalpableerror,oflargeandevileffect,andifthenewoneistrueandwidelyimportant,theeffortisworthmaking。

  Thetaskhereundertakenisofthissort。Itseekstoshowthatwhatwehaveallthistimecalled\"humannature\"anddeprecated,wasingreatpartonlymalenature,andgoodenoughinitsplace;thatwhatwehavecalled\"masculine\"andadmiredassuch,wasinlargeparthuman,andshouldbeappliedtobothsexes:thatwhatwehavecalled\"feminine\"andcondemned,wasalsolargelyhumanandapplicabletoboth。Ourandrocentriccultureissoshowntohavebeen,andstilltobe,amasculinecultureinexcess,andthereforeundesirable。

  Inthepreliminaryworkofapproachingthesefactsitwillbewelltoexplainhowitcanbethatsowideandseriousanerrorshouldhavebeenmadebypracticallyallmen。Thereasonissimplythattheyweremen。

  Theyweremales,avidsawwomenasfemales——andnototherwise。

  Soabsoluteisthisconvictionthatthemanwhoreadswillsay,\"Ofcourse!Howelsearewetolookatwomenexceptasfemales?Theyarefemales,aren’tthey?\"Yes,theyare,asmenaremalesunquestionably;

  butthereispossibletheframeofmindoftheoldmarquisewhowasaskedbyanEnglishfriendhowshecouldbeartohavethefootmanserveherbreakfastinbed——tohaveamaninherbed—chamber——andrepliedsincerely,\"Callyouthatthingthereaman?\"

  Theworldisfullofmen,buttheirprincipaloccupationishumanworkofsomesort;andwomenseeinthemthehumandistinctionpreponderantly。Occasionallysomeunhappyladymarrieshercoachman——longcontemplationofbroadshouldershavinganeffect,apparently;butingeneralwomenseethehumancreaturemost;themalecreatureonlywhentheylove。

  Totheman,thewholeworldwashisworld;hisbecausehewasmale;andthewholeworldofwomanwasthehome;becauseshewasfemale。Shehadherprescribedsphere,strictlylimitedtoherfeminineoccupationsandinterests;hehadalltherestoflife;andnotonlyso,but,havingit,insistedoncallingitmale。

  Thisaccountsforthegeneralattitudeofmentowardthenowrapidhumanizationofwomen。Fromherfirstfaintstrugglestowardfreedomandjustice,toherpresentvalianteffortstowardfulleconomicandpoliticalequality,eachstephasbeentermed\"unfeminine\"andresentedasanintrusionuponman’splaceandpower。Hereshowstheneedofournewclassification,ofthethreedistinctfieldsoflife——masculine,feminineandhuman。

  Asamatteroffact,thereisa\"woman’ssphere,\"sharplydefinedandquitedifferentfromhis;thereisalsoa\"man’ssphere,\"assharplydefinedandevenmorelimited;butthereremainsacommonsphere——thatofhumanity,whichbelongstobothalike。

  Intheearlierpartofwhatisknownas\"thewoman’smovement,\"itwassharplyopposedonthegroundthatwomenwouldbecome\"unsexed。\"Letusnoteinpassingthattheyhavebecomeunsexedinoneparticular,mostglaringlyso,andthatnoonehasnoticedorobjectedtoit。

  Aspartofourandrocentricculturewemaypointtothepeculiarreversalofsexcharacteristicswhichmakethehumanfemalecarrytheburdenofornament。Shealone,ofallhumancreatures,hasadoptedtheessentiallymasculineattributeofspecialsex—decoration;shedoesnotfightforhermateasyet,butshebloomsforthasthepeacockandbirdofparadise,inpoignantreversalofnature’slaws,evenwearingmasculinefeatherstofurtherherfeminineends。

  Woman’snaturalworkasafemaleisthatofthemother;man’snaturalworkasamaleisthatofthefather;theirmutualrelationtothisendbeingasourceofjoyandwell—beingwhenrightlyheld:buthumanworkcoversallourlifeoutsideofthesespecialties。Everyhandicraft,everyprofession,everyscience,everyart,allnormalamusementsandrecreations,allgovernment,education,religion;thewholelivingworldofhumanachievement:allthisishuman。

  Thatonesexshouldhavemonopolizedallhumanactivities,calledthem\"man’swork,\"andmanagedthemassuch,iswhatismeantbythephrase\"AndrocentricCulture。\"

  OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

  II。

  THEMAN—MADEFAMILY。

  Thefamilyisolderthanhumanity,andthereforecannotbecalledahumaninstitution。Apostoffice,now,iswhollyhuman;noothercreaturehasapostoffice,buttherearefamiliesinplentyamongbirdsandbeasts;allkindspermanentandtransient;monogamous,polygamousandpolyandrous。

  Wearenowtoconsiderthegrowthofthefamilyinhumanity;whatisitsrationaldevelopmentinhumanness;inmechanical,mentalandsociallines;intheextensionofloveandservice;andtheeffectuponitofthisstrangenewarrangement——amasculineproprietor。

  Likeallnaturalinstitutionsthefamilyhasapurpose;andistobemeasuredprimarilyasitservesthatpurpose;whichis,thecareandnurtureoftheyoung。Toprotectthehelplesslittleones,tofeedandshelterthem,toensurethemthebenefitsofaneverlongerperiodofimmaturity,andsotoimprovetherace——thisistheoriginalpurposeofthefamily。

  Whenanaturalinstitutionbecomeshumanitenterstheplaneofconsciousness。Wethinkaboutit;and,inourstrangenewpowerofvoluntaryactiondothingstoit。Wehavedonestrangethingstothefamily;or,morespecifically,menhave。

  Balsac,athisbitterest,observed,\"Women’svirtueisman’sbestinvention。\"Balsacwaswrong。Virtue——theunswervingdevotiontoonemate——iscommonamongbirdsandsomeofthehighermammals。IfBalsacmeantcelibacywhenhesaidvirtue,whythatisoneofman’sinventions——thoughhardlyhisbest。

  Whatmanhasdonetothefamily,speakingbroadly,istochangeitfromaninstitutionforthebestserviceofthechildtoonemodifiedtohisownservice,thevehicleofhiscomfort,powerandpride。

  AmongtheheavymillionsofthestirredEast,achild——necessarilyamalechild——isdesiredforthecreditandgloryofthefather,andhisfathers;inplaceofseeingthatallaparentisforisthebestserviceofthechild。Ancestorworship,thatgrossreversalofallnaturallaw,isofwhollyandrocentricorigin。Itisstrongestamongoldpatriarchalraces;lingersoninfeudalEurope;istobetracedeveninAmericatodayinafewsporadiceffortstomagnifythedeedsofourancestors。

  Thebestthinganyofuscandoforourancestorsistobebetterthantheywere;andweoughttogiveourmindstoit。Whenweuseourpastmerelyasaguide—book,andconcentrateournobleemotionsonthepresentandfuture,weshallimprovemorerapidly。

  Thepeculiarchangesbroughtaboutinfamilylifebythepredominanceofthemaleareeasilytraced。Inthesestudieswemustkeepclearlyinmindthebasicmasculinecharacteristics:desire,combat,self—expression——alllegitimateandrightinproperuse;onlymischievouswhenexcessiveoroutofplace。Throughthemthemaleisledtostrenuouscompetitionforthefavorofthefemale;intheoverflowingardoursofsong,asinnightingaleandtomcat;inwastefulsplendorofpersonaldecoration,fromthepheasant’sbreasttoanembroideredwaistcoat;andindirectstrugglefortheprize,fromthestag’slockedhornstotheclashingspearsofthetournament。

  Itisearnestlyhopedthatnoreaderwilltakeoffenceatthenecessarilyfrequent,referencetotheseessentialfeaturesofmaleness。

  Inthemanybooksaboutwomenitis,naturally,theirfemalenessthathasbeenstudiedandenlargedupon。Andthoughwomen,afterthousandsofyearsofsuchdiscussion,havebecomealittlerestiveundertheconstantuseofthewordfemale:men,asrationalbeings,shouldnotobjecttoananalogousstudy——atleastnotforsometime——afewcenturiesorso。

  How,then,dowefindthesemasculinetendencies,desire,combatandself—expression,affectthehomeandfamilywhengiventoomuchpower?

  Firstcomestheeffectinthepreliminaryworkofselection。Oneofthemostupliftingforcesofnatureisthatofsexselection。Themales,numerous,varied,pouringafloodofenergyintowidemodifications,competeforthefemale,andsheselectsthevictor,thissecuringtotheracethenewimprovements。

  Informingtheproprietaryfamilythereisnosuchcompetition,nosuchselection。Theman,byviolenceorbypurchase,doesthechoosing——heselectsthekindofwomanthatpleaseshim。Naturedidnotintendhimtoselect;heisnotgoodatit。Neitherwasthefemaleintendedtocompete——sheisnotgoodatit。

  Ifthereisaracebetweenmalesforamate——theswiftestgetsherfirst;butifonemaleischasinganumberoffemaleshegetstheslowestfirst。Theonemethodimprovesourspeed:theotherdoesnot。

  Ifmalesstruggleandfightwithoneanotherforamate,thestrongestsecuresher;ifthemalestrugglesandfightswiththefemale——(apeculiarandunnaturalhorror,knownonlyamonghumanbeings)hemostreadilysecurestheweakest。Theonemethodimprovesourstrength——theotherdoesnot。

  Whenwomenbecamethepropertyofmen;soldandbartered;\"givenaway\"

  bytheirpaternalownertotheirmaritalowner;theylostthisprerogativeofthefemale,thisprimaldutyofselection。Themaleswerenolongerimprovedbytheirnaturalcompetitionforthefemale;andthefemaleswerenotimproved;becausethemaledidnotselectforpointsofracialsuperiority,butforsuchqualitiesaspleasedhim。

  ThereisalocalityinnorthernAfrica,whereyounggirlsaredeliberatelyfedwithacertainoilyseed,tomakethemfat,——thattheymaybethemorereadilymarried,——asthemenlikefatwives。AmongcertainmoresavageAfricantribesthechief’swivesarepreparedforhimbybeingkeptinsmalldarkhutsandfedon\"mealies’andmolasses;

  preciselyasaStrasbourggooseisfattenedforthegourmand。Nowfatnessisnotadesirableracecharacteristic;itdoesnotaddtothewoman’shappinessorefficiency;ortothechild’s;itismerelyanaccessorypleasanttothemaster;hisattitudebeingmuchastheamorousmonadecstaticallyputsit,inSill’squaintpoem,\"FiveLives,\"

  \"Othelittlefemalemonad’slips!

  Othelittlefemalemonad’seyes!

  Othelittle,little,female,femalemonad!\"

  ThisultralittlenessandultrafemalenesshasbeendemandedandproducedbyourAndrocentricCulture。

  Followingthis,andpartofit,comestheeffectonmotherhood。Thisfunctionwastheoriginalandlegitimatebaseoffamilylife;anditsamplesustainingpowerthroughoutthelongearlyperiodof\"themother—right;\"oraswecallit,thematriarchate;thefatherbeingherassistantinthegreatwork。Thepatriarchate,withitsproprietaryfamily,changedthisaltogether;thewoman,asthepropertyofthemanwasconsideredfirstandforemostasameansofpleasuretohim;andwhileshewasstillvaluedasamother,itwasinatributarycapacity。

  Herchildrenwerenowhis;hisproperty,asshewas;thewholeengineryofthefamilywasturnedfromitstrueusetothisnewone,hithertounknown,theserviceoftheadultmale。

  Tothisdaywearelivingundertheinfluenceoftheproprietaryfamily。

  Thedutyofthewifeisheldtoinvolveman—serviceaswellaschild—service,andindeedfarmore;asthedutyofthewifetothehusbandquitetranscendsthedutyofthemothertothechild。

  SeeforinstancetheEnglishwifestayingwithherhusbandinIndiaandsendingthechildrenhometobebroughtup;becauseIndiaisbadforchildren。Seeourcommonlawthatthemandecidestheplaceofresidence;ifthewiferefusestogowithhimtohowsoeverunfitaplaceforherandforthelittleones,suchrefusalonherpartconstitutes\"desertion\"andisgroundfordivorce。

  Seeagaintheideathatthewifemustremainwiththehusbandthoughadrunkard,ordiseased;regardlessofthesinagainstthechildinvolvedinsucharelation。Publicfeelingonthesemattersisindeedchanging;

  butasawholetheidealsoftheman—madefamilystillobtain。

  Theeffectofthisonthewomanhasbeeninevitablytoweakenandovershadowhersenseoftherealpurposeofthefamily;oftherelentlessresponsibilitiesofherdutyasamother。Sheisfirsttaughtdutytoherparents,withheavyreligioussanction;andthendutytoherhusband,similarlybuttressed;butherdutytoherchildrenhasbeenlefttoinstinct。Sheisnottaughtingirlhoodastoherpreeminentpoweranddutyasamother;heryoungidealsareallofdevotiontotheloverandhusband:withonlythevaguestsenseofresults。

  Theyounggirlisrearedinwhatwecall\"innocence;\"poeticallydescribedas\"bloom;\"andthisconditionisheldoneofherchief\"charms。\"Therequisiteiswhollyandrocentric。This\"innocence\"doesnotenablehertochooseahusbandwisely;shedoesnotevenknowthedangersthatpossiblyconfronther。Wevaguelyimaginethatherfatherorbrother,whodoknow,willprotecther。Unfortunatelythefatherandbrother,underourcurrent\"doublestandard\"ofmoralitydonotjudgetheapplicantsasshewouldifsheknewthenatureoftheiroffenses。

  Furthermore,ifherheartissetononeofthem,noamountofgeneraladviceandoppositionservestopreventhermarryinghim。\"Ilovehim!\"

  shesays,sublimely。\"Idonotcarewhathehasdone。Iwillforgivehim。Iwillsavehim!\"

  Thisstateofmindservestoforwardtheinterestsofthelover,butisofnoadvantagetothechildren。Wehavemagnifiedthedutiesofthewife,andminifiedthedutiesofthemother;andthisisinevitableinafamilyrelationeverylawandcustomofwhichisarrangedfromthemasculineviewpoint。

  Fromthissameviewpoint,equallyessentialtotheproprietaryfamily,comestherequirementthatthewomanshallservetheman。Herserviceisnotthatoftheassociateandequal,aswhenshejoinshiminhisbusiness。Itisnotthatofabeneficialcombination,aswhenshepracticesanotherbusinessandtheysharetheprofits;itisnoteventhatofthespecialist,astheserviceofatailororbarber;itispersonalservice——theworkofaservant。

  Inlargegeneralization,thewomenoftheworldcookandwash,sweepanddust,sewandmend,forthemen。

  Wearesoaccustomedtothisrelation;havehelditforsolongtobethe\"natural\"relation,thatitisdifficultindeedtoshowthatitisdistinctlyunnaturalandinjurious。Thefatherexpectstobeservedbythedaughter,aservicequitedifferentfromwhatheexpectsoftheson。

  Thisshowsatoncethatsuchserviceisnointegralpartofmotherhood,orevenofmarriage;butissupposedtobetheproperindustrialpositionofwomen,assuch。

  Whyisthisso?Why,onthefaceofit,givenadaughterandason,shouldaformofservicebeexpectedoftheone,whichwouldbeconsideredignominiousbytheother?

  Theunderlyingreasonisthis。Industry,atitsbase,isafemininefunction。Thesurplusenergyofthemotherdoesnotmanifestitselfinnoise,orcombat,ordisplay,butinproductiveindustry。Becauseofhermother—powershebecamethefirstinventorandlaborer;beingintruththemotherofallindustryaswellasallpeople。

  Man’sentranceuponindustryislateandreluctant;aswillbeshownlaterintreatinghiseffectoneconomics。Inthisfieldoffamilylife,hiseffectwasasfollows:

  Establishingtheproprietaryfamilyatanagewhentheindustrywasprimitiveanddomestic;andthereafterconfiningthewomansolelytothedomesticarea,hetherebyconfinedhertoprimitiveindustry。Thedomesticindustries,inthehandsofwomen,constituteasurvivalofourremotestpast。Suchworkwas\"woman’swork\"aswasalltheworkthenknown;suchworkisstillconsideredwoman’sworkbecausetheyhavebeenpreventedfromdoinganyother。

  Theterm\"domesticindustry\"doesnotdefineacertainkindoflabor,butacertaingradeoflabor。Architecturewasadomesticindustryonce——wheneverysavagemothersetupherowntepee。Tobeconfinedtodomesticindustryisnoproperdistinctionofwomanhood;itisanhistoricdistinction,aneconomicdistinction,itsetsadateandlimittowoman’sindustrialprogress。

  Inthisrespecttheman—madefamilyhasresultedinarrestingthedevelopmentofhalfthefield。Wehaveaworldwhereinmen,industrially,liveinthetwentiethcentury;andwomen,industrially,liveinthefirst——andbackofit。

  Tothesamesourcewetracethesocialandeducationallimitationssetaboutwomen。Thedominantmale,holdinghiswomenasproperty,andfiercelyjealousofthem,consideringthemalwaysas_his,_notbelongingtothemselves,theirchildren,ortheworld;hashedgedtheminwithrestrictionsofathousandsorts;physical,asinthecrippledChineseladyortheimprisonedodalisque;moral,asintheoppressivedoctrinesofsubmissiontaughtbyallourandrocentricreligions;

  mental,asintheenforcedignorancefromwhichwomenarenowsoswiftlyemerging。

  Thisabnormalrestrictionofwomenhasnecessarilyinjuredmotherhood。

  Theman,free,growingintheworld’sgrowth,hasmountedwiththecenturies,fillinganeverwiderrangeofworldactivities。Thewoman,bound,hasnotsogrown;andthechildisborntoaprogressivefatherhoodandastationarymotherhood。Thustheman—madefamilyreactsunfavorablyuponthechild。Werobourchildrenofhalftheirsocialhereditybykeepingthemotherinaninferiorposition;howeverlegalized,hallowed,orossifiedbytime,thepositionofadomesticservantisinferior。

  Itisforthisreasonthatchildcultureisatsolowalevel,andforthemostpartutterlyunknown。Today,whentheforcesofeducationaresteadilyworkingnearertothecradle,anewsenseiswakeningoftheimportanceoftheperiodofinfancy,anditswisertreatment;yetthosewhoknowofsuchamovementarefew,andofthemsomearecontenttoearneasypraise——andpay——bybelittlingrightprogresstogratifytheprejudicesoftheignorant。

  Thewholepositionissimpleandclear;andeasilytraceabletoitsroot。Givenaproprietaryfamily,wherethemanholdsthewomanprimarilyforhissatisfactionandservice——thennecessarilyheshutsherupandkeepsherforthesepurposes。Beingsokept,shecannotdevelophumanly,ashehas,throughsocialcontact,socialservice,truesociallife。(Wemaynoteinpassing,herpassionatefondnessforthechild—gamecalled\"society\"shehasbeenallowedtoentertainherselfwithal;thatpoorsimiacrumofrealsociallife,inwhichpeopledecoratethemselvesandmadlycrowdtogether,chattering,forwhatiscalled\"entertainment。\")Thuscheckedinsocialdevelopment,wehavebutalowgrademotherhoodtoofferourchildren;andthechildren,rearedintheprimitiveconditionsthusartificiallymaintained,enterlifewithafalseperspective,notonlytowardmenandwomen,buttowardlifeasawhole。

  Thechildshouldreceiveinthefamily,fullpreparationforhisrelationtotheworldatlarge。Hiswholelifemustbespentintheworld,servingitwellorill;andyouthisthetimetolearnhow。Buttheandrocentrichomecannotteachhim。Weliveto—dayinademocracy—theman—madefamilyisadespotism。Itmaybeaweakone;thedespotmaybedethronedandovermasteredbyhislittleharemofone;butinthatcaseshebecomesthedespot——thatisall。Themaleisesteemed\"theheadofthefamily;\"itbelongstohim;hemaintainsit;andtherestoftheworldisawidehuntinggroundandbattlefieldwhereinhecompeteswithothermalesasofold。

  Thegirl—child,peeringout,seesthisforbiddenfieldasbelongingwhollytomen—kind;andherrelationtoitistosecureoneforherself——notonlythatshemaylove,butthatshemaylive。Hewillfeed,clotheandadornher——shewillservehim;fromthesubjectionofthedaughtertothatofthewifeshesteps;fromonehometotheother,andneverenterstheworldatall——man’sworld。

  Theboy,ontheotherhand,considersthehomeasaplaceofwomen,aninferiorplace,andlongstogrowupandleaveit——fortherealworld。

  Heisquiteright。Theerroristhatthisgreatsocialinstinct,callingforfullsocialexercise,exchange,service,isconsideredmasculine,whereasitishuman,andbelongstoboyandgirlalike。

  Thechildisaffectedfirstthroughtheretardeddevelopmentofhismother,thenthroughthearrestedconditionofhomeindustry;andfurtherthroughthewrongidealswhichhavearisenfromtheseconditions。Anormalhome,wheretherewashumanequalitybetweenmotherandfather,wouldhaveabetterinfluence。

  Wemustnotoverlooktheeffectoftheproprietaryfamilyontheproprietorhimself。He,too,hasbeenheldbacksomewhatbythisreactionaryforce。Intheprocessofbecominghumanwemustlearntorecognizejustice,freedom,humanrights;wemustlearnself—controlandtothinkofothers;havemindsthatgrowandbroadenrationally;wemustlearnthebroadmutualinterserviceandunboundedjoyofsocialintercourseandservice。Thepettydespotoftheman—madehomeishinderedinhishumannessbytoomuchmanness。

  Foreachmantohaveonewholewomantocookforandwaituponhimisapooreducationfordemocracy。Theboywithaservilemother,themanwithaservilewife,cannotreachthesenseofequalrightsweneedto—day。Tooconstantconsiderationofthemaster’stastesmakesthemasterselfish;andtheassaultuponhisheartdirect,orthroughthatproverbialside—avenue,thestomach,whichthedependentwomanneedsmustmakewhenshewantsanything,isbadfortheman,aswellasforher。

  Weareslowlyforminganoblertypeoffamily;theunionoftwo,basedonloveandrecognizedbylaw,maintainedbecauseofitshappinessanduse。Weareevennowapproachingatendernessandpermanenceoflove,highpureenduringlove;combinedwiththebroaddeep—rootedfriendlinessandcomradeshipofequals;whichpromisesusmorehappinessinmarriagethanwehaveyetknown。Itwillbegoodforallthepartiesconcerned——man,womanandchild:andpromoteourgeneralsocialprogressadmirably。

  Ifitneeds\"ahead\"itwillelectachairmanprotem。Friendshipdoesnotneed\"ahead。\"Lovedoesdotneed\"ahead。\"Whyshouldafamily?

  OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

  III。

  HEALTHANDBEAUTY。

  NOTE——Theword\"Androcentric\"weowetoProf。LesterF。Ward。Inhisbook,\"PureSociology,\"Chap。14,hedescribestheAndrocentricTheoryoflife,hithertouniversallyaccepted;andintroduceshisown\"GyneacocentricTheory。\"Allwhoareinterestedinthedeeperscientificaspectsofthisquestionareurgedtoreadthatchapter。

  Prof。Ward’stheoryistomymindthemostimportantthathasbeenofferedtheworldsincetheTheoryofEvolution;andwithoutexceptionthemostimportantthathaseverbeenputforwardconcerningwomen。

  Amongthemanyparadoxeswhichwefindinhumanlifeisourlowaveragestandardofhealthandbeauty,comparedwithourpowerandknowledge。

  Allcreaturessufferfromconflictwiththeelements;fromenemieswithoutandwithin——theprowlingdevourersoftheforest,and\"theterrorthatwalkethindarkness\"andattacksthebodyfrominside,inhiddenmillions。

  Amongwildanimalsgenerally,thereisacertainstandardofexcellence;

  ifyoushootabearorabird,itisafairsampleofthespecies;youdonotsay,\"Owhatanuglyone!\"or\"Thismusthavebeenaninvalid!\"

  Wherewehavedomesticatedanyanimal,andinterferedwithitsnaturalhabits,illnesshasfollowed;thedogissaidtohavethemostdiseasessecondtoman;thehorsecomesnext;butthewildonesputustoshamebytheirsuperiorhealthandthebeautythatbelongstorightdevelopment。

  Inourlongagesofblindinfancyweassumethatsicknesswasavisitationfrownthegods;somestillbelievethis,holdingittobeaspecialprerogativeofdivinitytoafflictusinthisway。Wespeakof\"theillsthatfleshisheirto\"asiftheinheritancewasentailedandinalienable。Onlyoflateyears,aftermuchstudyandlongstrugglewiththisoldbeliefwhichmadeussubmittosicknessasablowfromthehandofGod,wearebeginningtolearnsomethingofthemanycausesofourmanydiseases,andhowtoremovesomeofthem。

  Itisstilltrue,however,thatalmosteveryoneofusistosomedegreeabnormal;thefeaturesasymmetrical,thevisiondefective,thedigestionunreliable,thenervoussystemerratic——wearebutajobloteveninwhatwecall\"goodhealth\";andaresubjecttoaburdenofpainandprematuredeaththatwouldmakelifehideousifitwerenotsoridiculouslyunnecessary。

  Astobeauty——wedonotthinkofexpectingitsaveintherarelyexceptionalcase。Lookatthefaces——thefigures——inanycrowdyoumeet;comparetheaveragemanortheaveragewomanwiththenormaltypeofhumanbeautyasgivenusinpictureandstatue;andconsiderifthereisnotsomegeneralcauseforsogeneralaconditionofugliness。

  Moreover,leavingourdefectivebodiesconcealedbygarments;whatarethosegarments,asconducivetohealthandbeauty?Isthepracticaluglinessofourmen’sattire,andtheimpracticalabsurdityofourwomen’s,anycontributiontohumanbeauty?Lookatourhouses——aretheybeautiful?Eventhehousesoftherich?

  Wedonotevenknowthatweoughttoliveinaworldofoverflowingloveliness;andthatourcontributiontoitshouldbetheloveliestofall。Wearesosoddeninthedulluglinessofourinteriors,sousedtocallingatamewearylow—tonedcolorscheme\"goodtaste,\"thatonlychildrendarefranklyyearnforBeauty——andtheyarespeedilyeducatedoutofit。

  Thereasonsspeciallygivenforourlowstandardsofhealthandbeautyareignorance,poverty,andtheevileffectsofspecialtrades。TheManwiththeHoebecomesbrothertotheoxbecauseofover—muchhoeing;thehousepainterislead—poisonedbecauseofhispainting;bookshavebeenwrittentoshowtheinjuriousinfluenceofnearlyallourindustriesuponworkers。

  Thesecausesaresoundasfarastheygo;butdonotcoverthewholeground。

  Thefarmermaybemuscle—boundandstoopingfromhislabor;butthatdoesnotaccountforhisdyspepsiaorhisrheumatism。

  Thenweallegepovertyascoveringall。Povertydoescoveragooddeal。

  Butwhenwefindevenahalf—fedsavagebetterdevelopedthanawellpaidcashier;andapoorpeasantwomanamorevigorousmotherthantheidlewifeofarichman,povertyisnotenough。

  Thenwesayignoranceexplainsit。Buttherearemostlearnedprofessorswhoareuglyandasthmathic;thereareevendoctorswhocanboastnobeautyandbutmoderatehealth;therearesomeofthepettedchildrenofthewealthy,uponwhomeverycareislavishedfrombirth,andwhostillareilltolookatandworsetomarry。

  Allthesespecialcausesareadmitted,giventheirdueshareinloweringourstandards,butthereisanotherfarmoreuniversalinitsapplicationanditseffects。Letuslookbackonourlittleancestorsthebeasts,andseewhatkeepsthemsotruetotype。

  Thetypeitselfsetbythatbalanceofconditionsandforceswecall\"naturalselection。\"Astheenvironmentchangestheymustbeadaptedtoit,iftheycannotsoadaptthemselvestheydie。Thosewholiveare,byliving,provencapableofmaintainingthemselves。Everycreaturewhichhasremainedonearth,whilesomanylesseffectivekindsdiedout,remainsasaconqueror。Thespeedofthedeer——theconstantuseofspeed——iswhatkeepsitaliveandmakesithealthyandbeautiful。Thevariedactivitiesofthelifeofaleopardarewhathavedevelopedthesinuousgracilestrengthwesoadmire。Itiswhatthecreaturedoesforitsliving,itsdailylife—longexercisewhichmakesitwhatitis。

  Butthereisanothergreatnaturalforcewhichworkssteadilytokeepallanimalsuptotheracestandard;thatissexualselection。

  Throughoutnaturethemaleisthevariant,aswehavealreadynoted。

  HisenergyfindsventnotonlyinthatprofuseoutputofdecorativeappendagesWarddefinesas\"masculineefflorescence\"butinvariationsnotdecorative,notusefulordesirableatall。

  Thefemale,ontheotherhand,variesmuchless,remainingnearertheracetype;andherfunctionistoselectamongthesevaryingmalesthespecimensmostvaluabletotherace。Intheintensemasculinecompetitionthevictormustnecessarilybestrongerthanhisfellows;heisfirstprovenequaltohisenvironmentbyhavinglivedtogrowup,thenmorethanequaltohisfellowsbyovercomingthem。Thishighergradeofselectionalsodevelopsnotonlythecharacteristicsnecessarytomakealiving;butsecondaryones,oftenofapurelyaestheticnature,whichmakemuchofwhatwecallbeauty。Betweenthetwo,allwholivemustbeuptoacertaingrade,andthosewhobecomeparentsmustbeaboveit;amasterlyarrangementsurely!

  Hereiswhere,duringtheperiodofourhumanhistory,weinournewbornconsciousnessandimperfectknowledge,havegrieviouslyinterferedwiththelawsofnature。Theancientproprietaryfamily,treatingthewomanasaslave,keepingheraprisonerandsubjecttothewillofhermaster,cutheroffatoncefromtheexerciseofthoseactivitieswhichalonedevelopandmaintaintheracetype。

  Taketheonesimplequalityofspeed。Weareacreaturebuiltforspeed,afreeswiftgracefulanimal;andamongsavagesthisisstillseen——thecapacityforrunning,mileaftermile,hourafterhour。

  Runningisasnaturalagaitfor_genushomo_asfor_genuscervus。_

  Nowsupposeamongdeer,thedoewasprohibitedfromrunning;thestagcontinuingfreeonthemountain;thedoelivingincavesandpens,unequaltoanyexercise。Theeffectonthespecieswouldbe,inevitably,toreduceitsspeed。

  Inthisway,bykeepingwomentoonesmallrangeofduties,andinmostcaseshousebound,wehaveinterferedwithnaturalselectionanditsresultanthealthandbeauty。Itcaneasilybeseenwhattheeffectontheracewouldhavebeenifallmenhadbeenveiledandswathed,hiddeninharems,kepttothetentorhouse,andconfinedtotheactivitiesofahouse—servant。Ourstalwartlaborers,ourproudsoldiers,ourathletes,wouldneverhaveappearedundersuchcircumstances。Theconfinementtothehousealone,cuttingwomenofffromsunshineandair,isbyitselfaninjury;andtherangeofoccupationallowedthemisnotsuchastodevelopahighstandardofeitherhealthorbeauty。Thuswehavecutoffhalftheracefromthestrengtheninginfluenceofnaturalselection,andsoloweredourrace—standardsinlargedegree。

  Thisalone,however,wouldnothavehidsuchmischievouseffectsbutforourfurtherblunderincompletelyreversingnature’sorderofsexualselection。Itisquitepossiblethatevenunderconfinementandrestrictionwomencouldhavekeptuptheracelevel,passably,throughthisgreatfunctionofselection;buthereisthegreatfundamentalerroroftheAndrocentricCulture。Assumingtobethepossessorofwomen,theirownerandmaster,ableatwilltogive,buyandsell,ordowithashepleases,manbecametheselector。

  Itseemsasimplechange;andinthoseearlydays,whollyignorantofnaturallaws,therewasnosuspicionthatanymischiefwouldresult。Inthelightofmodernknowledge,however,thecaseisclear。Thewomanwasdeprivedofthebeneficentactionofnaturalselection,andthemanwasthen,byhisownact,freedfromthesternbutelevatingeffectofsexualselection。Nothingwasrequiredofthewomanbynaturalselectionsavesuchcapacityasshouldpleasehermaster;nothingwasrequiredofthemanbysexualselectionsavepowertotakebyforce,orbuy,awoman。

  Itdoesnottakeaveryhighstandardoffeminineintelligence,strength,skill,health,orbeautytobeahouseservant,orevenahousekeeper;witnesstheaverage。

  Itdoesnottakeaveryhighstandardofmasculine,intelligence,strength,skill,healthorbeautytomaintainawomaninthatcapacity——witnessaverage。

  Hereattheveryrootofourphysiologicalprocess,atthebeginningoflife,wehavepervertedtheorderofnature,andaresufferingtheconsequences。

  Ithasbeenheldbysomethatmanastheselectorhasdevelopedbeauty,morebeautythanwehadbefore;andwepointtothecharmsofourwomenascomparedwiththoseofthesquaw。Theanswertothisisthatthesquawbelongstoadecadentrace;thatshetooissubjecttotheman,thatthecomparisontohaveweightshouldbemadebetweenourwomenandthewomenofthematriarchate——anobviousimpossibility。Wehavenotonearthwomeninastateofnormalfreedomandfulldevelopment;butwehaveenoughdifferenceintheirplacingtolearnthathumanstrengthandbeautygrowswithwoman’sfreedomandactivity。

  Thesecondansweristhatmuchofwhatmancallsbeautyinwomanisnothumanbeautyatall,butgrossoverdevelopmentofcertainpointswhichappealtohimasamale。Theexcessivefatness,previouslyreferredto,isacaseinpoint;thatbeingconsideredbeautyinawomanwhichisinrealityanelementofweakness,inefficiencyandill—health。Therelativelysmallsizeofwomen,deliberatelypreferred,steadfastlychosen,andsobuiltintotherace,isablowatrealhumanprogressineveryparticular。Inourupwardjourneyweshouldanddogrowlarger,leavingfarbehindusourdwarfishprogenitors。Yetthemale,inhisunnaturalpositionasselector,preferringforreasonsbothpracticalandsentimental,tohave\"hiswoman\"smallerthanhimself,hasdeliberatelystriventolowerthestandardofsizeintherace。Weusedtoreadinthenovelsofthelastgeneration,\"Hewasamagnificentspecimenofmanhood\"——\"Hergoldenheadreachedscarcelytohisshoulder\"——\"Shewasafairycreature——thetiniestofhersex。\"Thuswehavemated,andyetexpectedthatbysomehocuspocustheboyswouldall\"takeaftertheirfather,\"andthegirls,theirmother。Inhiseffortstoimprovethebreedofotheranimals,manhasnevertriedtodeliberatelycrossthelargeandsmallandexpecttokeepupthestandardofsize。

  Asamaleheisappealedtobytheultra—feminine,andhasgivensmallthoughttoeffectsontherace。Hewasnotdesignedtodotheselecting。Underhisfosteringcarewehavebredaraceofwomenwhoarephysicallyweakenoughtobehandedaboutlikeinvalids;ormentallyweakenoughtopretendtheyare——andtolikeit。Wehavemadewomenwhorespondsoperfectlytotheforcewhichmadethem,thattheyattachalltheirideaofbeautytothosecharacteristicswhichattractmen;

  sometimeshumanlyuglywithoutevenknowingit。

  Forinstance,ourlongrestrictiontohouse—limits,theheavylimitationsofourclothing,andtheheavieronesoftraditionaldecorum,havemadewomendisproportionatelyshort—legged。Thisisaparticularlyundignifiedandinjuriouscharacteristic,bredinwomenandinheritedbymen,mostseenamongthoseraceswhichkeeptheirwomenmostclosely。Yetwhenonewomanescapesthetendencyandappearswithanormallengthoffemurandtibia,anormalheightofhipandshoulder,sheiscriticizedandcalledawkwardbyhersquattysisters!

  ThemostconvenientproofoftheinferiorityofwomeninhumanbeautyisshownbythosecompositestatuespreparedbyMr。SargentfortheWorld’sFairof’93。TheseweremadefromgymnasiummeasurementsofthousandsofyoungcollegiansofbothsexesalloverAmerica。Thestatueofthegirlhasaprettyface,smallhandsandfeet,rathernicearms,thoughweak;butthelegsaretoothickandshort;thechestandshoulderspoor;andthetrunkisquitepitifulinitsweakness。Thefigureofthemanismuchbetterproportioned。

  Thustheeffectonhumanbeautyofmasculineselection。

  Beyondthispositivedeteriorativeeffectonwomenthroughman’sarbitrarychoicecomesthenegativeeffectofwoman’slackofchoice。

  Boughtorstolenorgivenbyherfather,shewasdeprivedoftheinnatelyfemininerightanddutyofchoosing。\"Whogiveththiswoman?\"

  westillinquireinourarchaicmarriageservice,andonemanstepsforwardandgiveshertoanotherman。

  Free,thefemalechosethevictor,andthevanquishedwentunmated——andwithoutprogeny。Dependent,havingtobefedandcaredforbysomeman,thevictorstaketheirpickperhaps,butthevanquishedtakewhatisleft;andthepoorwomen,\"marryingforahome,\"takeanything。Asaconsequencetheinferiormaleisasfreetotransmithisinferiorityasthesuperiortogivebetterqualities,anddoesso——beyondcomputation。

  Inmoderndays,womenarefreer,insomecountriesfreerthaninothers;

  hereinmodernAmericafreestofall;andtheresultisseeninourimprovingstandardsofhealthandbeauty。

  Stillthereremainsthefieldofinter—masculinecompetition,doestherenot?Donotthemalesstillstruggletogether?Isnotthatasofold,asourceofraceadvantage?

  Tosomedegreeitis。Whenlifewassimpleandouractivitiesconsistedmainlyinfightingandhardwork;themalewhocouldvanquishtheotherswasbiggerandstronger。Butinter—masculinecompetitionceasestobeofsuchadvantagewhenweenterthefieldofsocialservice。Whatisrequiredinorganizedsocietyisthespecializationoftheindividual,thedevelopmentofspecialtalents,notalwaysofimmediatebenefittothemanhimself,butofultimatebenefittosociety。Thebestsocialservant,progressive,meetingfutureneeds,isalmostalwaysatadisadvantagebesidesthewell—establishedlowertypes。Weneed,forsocialservice,qualitiesquitedifferentfromthesimplemasculinecharacteristics——desire,combat,self—expression。

  Bykeepingwhatwecall\"theoutsideworld\"sowhollymale,wekeepupmasculinestandardsattheexpenseofhumanones。Thismaybebroadlyseenintheslowandpainfuldevelopmentofindustryandscienceascomparedtotheeasydominanceofwarfarethroughoutallhistoryuntilourowntimes。

  Theeffectofallthisultramasculinecompetitionuponhealthandbeautyisbuttooplainlytobeseen。Amongmenthemaleideaofwhatisgoodlookingisaccentuatedbeyondreason。Readaboutany\"hero\"youplease;orstudytheproductsoftheillustratorandnotethebroadshoulders,theruggedfeatures,thestrong,square,determinedjaw。

  Thatjawisinevidenceifeverythingelsefails。Hemaybecross—eyed,wide—eared,thick—necked,bandy—legged——whatyouplease;buthemusthaveamoreorlessprognathousjaw。

  Meanwhileanyanthropologistwillshowyouthatthelineofhumandevelopmentisawayfromthatfeatureofthebulldogandthealligator,andtowardthemeasureddignityoftheGreektype。Thepossessorofthatkindofjawmayenablemaletoconquermale,butdoesnotmakehimofanymoreservicetosociety;ofanybetterhealthorhigherbeauty。

  Further,intheexternaldecorationofourbodies,whatistheinfluencehereofmasculinedominance。

  Wehavebeforespokenofthepeculiarpositionofourraceinthatthewomanistheonlyfemalecreaturewhocarriestheburdenofsexornament。Thisamazingreversaloftheorderofnatureresultsatitsmildestinaperversionofthenaturalfeminineinstinctsofloveandservice,andanappearanceofthemasculineinstinctsofself—expressionanddisplay。Aloneamongallfemalethingsdowomendecorateandpreenthemselvesandexhibittheirborrowedplumage(literally!)toattractthefavorofthemale。Thisignominyisforceduponthembytheirpositionofeconomicdependence;andtheirgeneralhelplessness。Asallbroaderlifeismadetodepend,forthem,onwhomtheymarry,indeedaseventhenecessitiesoflifesooftendependontheirmarryingsomeone,theyhavebeendrivenintothisformofcompetition,soalientothetruefemaleattitude。

  Theresultisenoughtomakeangelsweep——andlaugh。Perhapsnostepintheevolutionofbeautywentfartherthanourhumanpowerofmakingacontinuousfabric;softandmobile,showinganycolorandtexturedesired。Thebeautyofthehumanbodyissupreme,andwhenweaddtoittheflowofcolor,therippleoffluentmotion,thatcomesofasoft,lightgarmentoverfreelimbs——itisanewfieldoflovelinessanddelight。Naturallythisshouldhavefilledthewholeworldwithanewpleasure。Ourgarments,firstunderrightnaturalselectiondevelopingperfectuse,underrightsexselectiondevelopingbeauty;andfurther,asourhumanaestheticsenseprogresses,showinganoblesymbolism,wouldhavebeenanaddedstrengthandglory,aceaselessjoy。

  Whatisthecase?

  Men,underatoostrictlyinter—masculineenvironment,haveevolvedthemainlyusefulbutbeautilesscostumecommonto—day;andwomen——?

  Womenwearbeautifulgarmentswhentheyhappentobethefashion;anduglygarmentswhentheyarethefashion,andshownosignsofknowingthedifference。Theyshownoaddedprideinthebeautiful,nohintofmortificationinthehideous,andarenotevensensitiveundercriticism,oropentoanypersuasionorargument。Whyshouldtheybe?

  Theircondition,physicalandmental,islargelyabnormal,theirwholepassionateabsorptionindressanddecorationisabnormal,andtheyhaveneverlooked,fromafranklyhumanstandpoint,attheirpositionanditspeculiarities,untilthepresentage。

  Intheeffectofourwrongrelationontheworld’shealth,wehavespokenofthechecktovigorandgrowthduetothehouseboundstateofwomenandtheirburdensomeclothes。Therefollowotherinfluences,similarinorigin,evenmoreevilinresult。Toroughlyandbrieflyclassifywemaydistinguishthediseasesduetobadair,tobadfood,andthatfieldofcruelmischiefweareonlynowbeginningtodiscuss——thediseasesdirectlyduetotheerroneousrelationbetweenmenandwomen。

  Wearetheonlyracewherethefemaledependsonthemaleforalivelihood。Wearetheonlyracethatpracticesprostitution。Fromthefirstharmless—lookingbutabnormalgeneralrelationfollowsthewellrecognizedevilofthesecond,solongcalled\"asocialnecessity,\"andfromit,indeadlysequence,comesthe\"wagesofsin;\"deathnotonlyoftheguilty,butoftheinnocent。ItisnolightpartofourcriticismoftheAndrocentricCulturethatasocietybasedonmasculinedesiresalone,haswillinglysacrificedsuchanarmyofwomen;andhasrepaidthesacrificebytheheaviestpunishments。

  Thattheunfortunatewomanshouldsickenanddiewasheldtobeherjustpunishment;thatmantooshouldbearpartpenaltywasfoundunavoidable,thoughmuchlegislationandmedicalefforthasbeenspenttoshieldhim;

  buttothefurtherconsequencessocietyisbutnowwakingup。

  OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD

  IV。

  MENANDART。

  Amongthemanycountsinwhichwomenhavebeenproveninferiortomeninhumandevelopmentistheoft—heardchargethattherearenogreatwomenartists。Whereoneortwoareproudlyexhibitedinevidence,theyareeitherpooh—poohedasnotverygreat,orheldtobethetriflingexceptionswhichdobutprovetherule。

  Defendersofwomengenerallymakethemistakeofover—estimatingtheirperformances,insteadofaccepting,andexplaining,thevisiblefacts。

  Whatarethefactsastotherelationofmenandwomentoart?Andwhat,inespecial,hasbeentheeffectuponartofasolelymasculineexpression?

  Whenwelookforthebeginningsofart,wefindourselvesinaperiodofcrudedecorationofthepersonandofpersonalbelongings。Tattooing,forinstance,isanearlyformofdecorativeart,stillinpracticeamongcertainclasses,eveninadvancedpeople。Mostboys,iftheyareincontactwiththisearlyart,admireit,andwishtoadornthemselvestherewith;somedoso——tolatermortification。Earlypersonaldecorationconsistedlargelyindirectmutilationofthebody,andthehanginguponit,orfasteningtoit,ofdecorativeobjects。Thisweseeamongsavagesstill,initsgrossandprimitiveformsmonopolizedbymen,thensharedbywomen,and,inourtime,leftalmostwhollytothem。

  Inpersonaldecorationtoday,womenarestillnearthesavage。The\"artists\"developedinthisfieldofartarethetonsorial,thesartorial,andallthosespecializedadornersofthebodycommonlyknownas\"beautydoctors。\"

  Here,asinothercases,thegreatestartistsaremen。Thegreatestmilliners,thegreatestdressmakersandtailors,thegreatesthairdressers,andthemastersanddesignersinallourdecorativetoilettesandaccessories,aremen。Women,inthisasinsomanyotherlines,consumeratherthanproduce。Theycarrythemajorpartofpersonaldecorationtoday;butthedecoratoristheman。Inthedecorationofobjects,woman,astheoriginatorofprimitiveindustry,originatedalsotheprimitivearts;andinthepottery,basketry,leatherwork,needlework,weaving,withallbeadwork,dyeingandembroideriesofancientpeoplesweseetheworkofthewomandecorator。

  Muchofthisisstrongandbeautiful,butitstimeislongpast。Theartwhichispartofindustry,natural,simple,spontaneous,makingbeautyineveryobjectofuse,addingpleasuretolaborandtolife,isnotArtwithalargeA,theArtwhichrequiresArtists,amongwhomaresofewwomenofnote。

  Artasaprofession,andtheArtistasaprofessional,camelater;andbythattimewomenhadleftthefreedomandpowerofthematriarchateandbecomeslavesinvaryingdegree。Thewomenwhowereidlepetsinharems,orthewomenwhoworkedhardasservants,werealikecutofffromthejoyofmakingthings。Whereconstructiveworkremainedtothem,artremained,initsearlydecorativeform。Men,intheproprietaryfamily,restrictingthenaturalindustryofwomentopersonalservice,cutofftheirartwiththeirindustry,andbysomuchimpoverishedtheworld。

  Thereisnomoreconspicuouslypatheticproofoftheaborteddevelopmentofwomenthanthiscommonplace——theirlackofacivilizedartsense。

  Notonlyinthechildishandsavagedisplayupontheirbodies,butinthepitifulproductstheyhanguponthewallsofthehome,isseenthearrestinnormalgrowth。

  Afteragesofculture,inwhichmenhavedevelopedArchitecture,Sculpture,Painting,MusicandtheDrama,wefindwomenintheirprimitiveenvironmentmakingflowersofwax,andhair,andworsted;

  doingmottoesofperforatedcardboard,makingcrazyquiltsandmatsand\"tidies\"——asiftheylivedinalongpastage,orbelongedtoalowerrace。

  This,aspartofthegeneralinjurytowomendatingfromthebeginningofourandrocentricculture,reactsheavilyupontheworldatlarge。

  Men,specializing,givingtheirlivestothecontinuouspursuitofonelineofservice,haveliftedourstandardinaestheticculture,astheyhaveinothermatters;butbyrefusingthesamegrowthtowomen,theyhavenotonlyweakenedandreducedtheoutput,butruinedthemarketasitwere,hopelesslyandpermanentlykeptdowntheleveloftaste。

  Amongthemanysidesofthisgreatquestion,somesoterrible,somesopathetic,somesoutterlyabsurd,thisparticularphaseoflifeisespeciallyeasytostudyandunderstand,andhasitsownelementsofamusement。Men,holdingwomenatthelevelofdomesticservice,goingonthemselvestolonelyheightsofachievement,havefoundtheireffortshamperedandtheirattainmentsrenderedbarrenandunsatisfactorybytheamazingindifferenceoftheworldatlarge。Astheworldatlargeconsistshalfofwomen,andwhollyoftheirchildren,itwouldseempatenttothemeanestunderstandingthatthewomenmustbeallowedtoriseinordertolifttheworld。Butsuchhasnotbeenthemethod——heretofore。

  Wehavespokensofarinthischapteroftheeffectofmenonartthroughtheirinterferencewiththeartofwomen。Thereareothersidestothequestion。Letusconsideroncemoretheessentialcharacteristicsofmaleness,andseehowtheyhaveaffectedart,keepingalwaysinmindthetriunedistinctionbetweenmasculine,feminineandhuman。Perhapsweshallbestseethisdifferencebyconsideringwhatthedevelopmentofartmighthavebeenonpurelyhumanterms。

  Thehumancreature,assuch,naturallydelightsinconstruction,andaddsdecorationtoconstructionasnaturally。Thecook,makinglittleregularpatternsaroundtheedgeofthepie,doessofromapurelyhumaninstinct,theinnateeye—pleasureinregularity,symmetry,repetition,andalternation。Hadthisnaturalsocialinstinctgrownuncheckedinus,itwouldhavemanifesteditselfinacertainproportionofspecialists——artistsofallsorts——andanaccompanyingdevelopmentofappreciationonthepartoftherestofus。Suchisthecaseinprimitiveart;themakerofbeautyisupheldandrewardedbyapopularappreciationofherwork——orhis。

  Hadthisconditionremained,weshouldfindagenerallevelofartisticexpressionandappreciationfarhigherthanweseenow。Taketheonefieldoftextileart,forinstance:thatwideandfluentmediumofexpression,themakingofvariedfabrics,thefashioningofgarmentsandthedecorationofthem——allthisishumanworkandhumanpleasure。Itshouldhaveledustoaconditionwhereeveryhumanbeingwasapleasuretotheeye,appropriatelyandbeautifullyclothed。

  Ourrealconditioninthisfieldistoopatenttoneedemphasis;thestiff,blackuglinessofourmen’sattire;theirritatingvariegatedfollyofourwomen’s;thewayinwhichwespoilthebeautyandshamethedignityofchildhoodbymodesofdress。

  Innormalhumangrowth,ourhouseswouldbeapleasuretotheeye;ourfurnitureandutensils,alloursocialproducts,wouldblossomintobeautyasnaturallyastheystilldointhoselowstagesofsocialevolutionwhereourmajorerrorshavenotyetbornefullfruit。

  Appliedartinallitsformsisahumanfunction,commontoeveryonetosomedegree,eitherinproductionorappreciation,orboth。\"Pureart,\"

  asanideal,isalsohuman;andthesingle—hearteddevotionofthetrueartisttothisidealisoneofthehighestformsofthesocialsacrifice。Ofallthethousandwaysbywhichhumanityisspecializedforinter—service,noneismoreexquisitethanthis;theevolutionofthesocialEye,orEar,orVoice,thedevelopmentofthosewhoseworkiswhollyforothers,andtowhomtheappreciationofothersisasthebreadoflife。Thisweshouldhaveinaproperlydevelopedcommunity;

  thepleasureofappliedartinthemakingandusingofeverythingwehave;andthenthehighjoyoftheGreatArtist,andthenobleworkthereof,spreadfarandwide。

  Whatdowefind?

  Appliedartataverylowlevel;smalljoyeitherforthemakerortheuser。Pureart,afine—spunspecialty,aprocesscarriedonbyanelectfewwhoopenlydespisetheunappreciativemany。Arthasbecomeanoccultprofessionrequiringalongspecialeducationeventoenjoy,andevolvingajargonofcriticismwhichbecomesmoreesotericyearly。

  LetusnowseewhatpartinthisundesirableoutcomeisduetoourAndrocentricCulture。

  Assoonasthemaleofourspeciesassumedtheexclusiverighttoperformallsocialfunctions,henecessarilybroughttothatperformancetheadvantages——anddisadvantages——ofmaleness,ofthosedominantcharacteristics,desire,combat,self—expression。

  Desirehasoverweightedartinmanyvisibleforms;itisprominentinpaintingandmusic,almostmonopolizesfiction,andhaspitifullydegradeddancing。

  Combatisnotsoeasilyexpressedinart,whereevencompetitionisonahighplane;butthelastelementisthemainevil,self—expression。

  Thisimpulseisinherentlyandineradicablymasculine。Itrestsonthatmostbasicofdistinctionsbetweenthesexes,thecentripetalandcentrifugalforcesoftheuniverse。Intheverynatureofthesperm—cellandthegerm—cellwefindthisdifference:theoneattracts,gathers,drawsin;theotherrepels,scatters,pushesout。Thatprojectiveimpulseisseeninthemalenatureeverywhere;theconstanturgetowardexpression,toallboastinganddisplay。Thisspirit,likeallthingsmasculine,isperfectlyrightandadmirableinitsplace。

  Itisthedutyofthemale,asamale,tovary;burstingforthinathousandchangingmodifications——thefemale,selecting,maysoincorporatebeneficialchangesintherace。Itishisdutytothusexpresshimself——anessentiallymasculineduty;butmasculinityisonething,andartisanother。Neitherthemasculinenorthefemininehasanyplaceinart——ArtisHuman。

  Itisnotinanyfaintestdegreealliedtothepersonalprocessesofreproduction;butisasocialprocess,amostdistinctivesocialprocess,quiteabovetheplaneofsex。Thetrueartisttranscendshissex,orhersex。Ifthisisnotthecase,theartsuffers。

  Dancingisanearly,andabeautifulart;directexpressionofemotionthroughthebody;beginninginsubhumantype,amongmalebirds,asthebower—birdofNewGuinea,andthedancingcrane,whoswingandcaperbeforetheirmates。Amongearlypeopleswefinditacommonformofsocialexpressionintribaldancesofallsorts,religious,military,andother。Lateritbecomesamoreexplicitformofcelebration,asamongtheGreeks;inwhoseexquisitepersonalculturedancingandmusicheldhighplace。

  Butundertheprogressiveeffectsofpurelymasculinedominancewefindthebroaderhumanelementsofdancingleftout,andthesex—elementmoreandmoreemphasized。Aspracticedbymenalonedancinghasbecomeameredisplayofphysicalagility,aformofexhibitioncommontoallmales。Aspracticedbymenandwomentogetherwehaveoursocialdances,solackinginallthevariedbeautyofpostureandexpression,sosteadilybecomingapleasantformofdalliance。

  Aspracticedbywomenalonewehaveoneoftheclearestproofsofthedegradingeffectofmasculinedominance:——thedancinggirl。InthefranksensualismoftheOrient,thispersonageisadmiredandenjoyedonhermerits。We,moresophisticatedinthismatter,jokeshamefacedlyabout\"thebald—headedrow,\"andoccasionallyburstforthinshrillscandaloversomedinnerpartywhereladiescladinaveilandabraceletdanceonthetable。Nowhereelseinthewholerangeoflifeonearth,isthisdegradationfound——thefemalecaperingandprancingbeforethemale。Itisabsolutelyandessentiallyhisfunction,nothers。Thatwe,asarace,presentthispitifulspectacle,anaturalartwrestedtounnaturalends,anobleartdegradedtoignobleends,hasoneclearcause。

  Architecture,initsownnature,isleastaffectedbythatsamecause。

  Thehumanneedssecuredbyit,aresohuman,sounescapablyhuman,thatwefindlesstraceofexcessivemasculinitythaninotherarts。Itmeetsoursocialdemands,itexpressesinlastingformoursocialfeeling,uptothehighest;andithasbeeninjurednotsomuchbyanexcessofmasculinityasbyalackoffemininity。

  Themostuniversalarchitecturalexpressionisinthehome;thehomeisessentiallyaplaceforthewomanandthechild;yettheneedsofwomanandchildarenotexpressedinourdomesticarchitecture。Thehomeisbuiltonlinesofancientprecedent,mainlyasanindustrialform;thekitchenisitsworkingcentreratherthanthenursery。

  Eachmanwisheshishometopreserveandsecludehiswoman,hislittleharemofone;andinitsheistolaborforhiscomfortortomanifesthisabilitytomaintainherinidleness。Thehouseisthephysicalexpressionofthelimitationsofwomen;andassuchitfillstheworldwithasmalldrabugliness。Adwellinghouseisrarelyabeautifulobject。Inordertobesuch,itshouldtrulyexpresssimpleandnaturalrelations;orgrowinlargerbeautyasourlivesdevelop。

  Thedeadlockforarchitecturalprogress,thelowlevelofourgeneraltaste,theeverlastingpredominanceofthecommonplaceinbuildings,isthenaturalresultoftheproprietaryfamilyanditsexpressioninthisform。

  Insculpturewehaveanobleartforcingitselfintosomeservicethroughmanylimitations。Itscheck,asfarasitcomesunderthislineofstudy,hasbeenindicatedinourlastchapter;thedegradationofthehumanbody,theviciousstandardsofsex—consciousnessenforcedunderthenameofmodesty,thecoveredugliness,whichwedonotrecognize,allthisisadeadlyinjurytofreehighworkinsculpture。

  Withanoblyequalwomanhood,stalwartandathletic;withthehighstandardsofbeautyandofdecorumwhichwecanneverhavewithoutfreewomanhood;weshouldshowadifferentproductinthisgreatart。

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