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offices; participate in government; etc。; but; in spite of all

that; the essential point remains the same。  She is; she remains;

an object of sensual desire; and she knows it。  It is slavery;

for slavery is nothing else than the utilization of the labor of

some for the enjoyment of others。  That slavery may not exist

people must refuse to enjoy the labor of others; and look upon it

as a shameful act and as a sin。



*A suburb of Moscow。





〃Actually; this is what happens。  They abolish the external

form; they suppress the formal sales of slaves; and then they

imagine and assure others that slavery is abolished。  They are

unwilling to see that it still exists; since people; as before;

like to profit by the labor of others; and think it good and

just。  This being given; there will always be found beings

stronger or more cunning than others to profit thereby。  The same

thing happens in the emancipation of woman。  At bottom feminine

servitude consists entirely in her assimilation with a means of

pleasure。  They excite woman; they give her all sorts of rights

equal to those of men; but they continue to look upon her as an

object of sensual desire; and thus they bring her up from infancy

and in public opinion。



〃She is always the humiliated and corrupt serf; and man remains

always the debauched Master。  Yes; to abolish slavery; public

opinion must admit that it is shameful to exploit one's neighbor;

and; to make woman free; public opinion must admit that it is

shameful to consider woman as an instrument of pleasure。



〃The emancipation of woman is not to be effected in the public

courts or in the chamber of deputies; but in the sleeping

chamber。  Prostitution is to be combated; not in the houses of

ill…fame; but in the family。  They free woman in the public

courts and in the chamber of deputies; but she remains an

instrument。  Teach her; as she is taught among us; to look upon

herself as such; and she will always remain an inferior being。 

Either; with the aid of the rascally doctors; she will try to

prevent conception; and descend; not to the level of an animal;

but to the level of a thing; or she will be what she is in the

great majority of cases;sick; hysterical; wretched; without

hope of spiritual progress。〃 。 。 。



〃But why that?〃 I asked。



〃Oh! the most astonishing thing is that no one is willing to see

this thing; evident as it is; which the doctors must understand;

but which they take good care not to do。  Man does not wish to

know the law of nature;children。  But children are born and

become an embarrassment。  Then man devises means of avoiding this

embarrassment。  We have not yet reached the low level of Europe;

nor Paris; nor the 'system of two children;' nor Mahomet。  We

have discovered nothing; because we have given it no thought。  We

feel that there is something bad in the two first means; but we

wish to preserve the family; and our view of woman is still

worse。



〃With us woman must be at the same time mistress and nurse; and

her strength is not sufficient。  That is why we have hysteria;

nervous attacks; and; among the peasants; witchcraft。  Note that

among the young girls of the peasantry this state of things does

not exist; but only among the wives; and the wives who live with

their husbands。  The reason is clear; and this is the cause of

the intellectual and moral decline of woman; and of her

abasement。



〃If they would only reflect what a grand work for the wife is the

period of gestation!  In her is forming the being who continues

us; and this holy work is thwarted and rendered painful 。 。 。 by

what?  It is frightful to think of it!  And after that they talk

of the liberties and the rights of woman!  It is like the

cannibals fattening their prisoners in order to devour them; and

assuring these unfortunates at the same time that their rights

and their liberties are guarded!〃



All this was new to me; and astonished me very much。



〃But if this is so;〃 said I; 〃it follows that one may love his

wife only once every two years; and as man〃 。 。 。



〃And as man has need of her; you are going to say。  At least; so

the priests of science assure us。  I would force these priests to

fulfil the function of these women; who; in their opinion; are

necessary to man。  I wonder what song they would sing then。 

Assure man that he needs brandy; tobacco; opium; and he will

believe those poisons necessary。  It follows that God did not

know how to arrange matters properly; since; without asking the

opinions of the priests; he has combined things as they are。  Man

needs; so they have decided; to satisfy his sensual desire; and

here this function is disturbed by the birth and the nursing of

children。



〃What; then; is to be done?  Why; apply to the priests; they will

arrange everything; and they have really discovered a way。  When;

then; will these rascals with their lies be uncrowned!  It is

high time。  We have had enough of them。  People go mad; and shoot

each other with revolvers; and always because of that!  And how

could it be otherwise?



〃One would say that the animals know that descent continues their

race; and that they follow a certain law in regard thereto。  Only

man does not know this; and is unwilling to know it。 He cares

only to have as much sensual enjoyment as possible。  The king of

nature;man! In the name of his love he kills half the human

race。  Of woman; who ought to be his aid in the movement of

humanity toward liberty; he makes; in the name of his pleasures;

not an aid; but an enemy。  Who is it that everywhere puts a check

upon the progressive movement of humanity?  Woman。  Why is it so?



For the reason that I have given; and for that reason only。



  

CHAPTER XIV。



〃Yes; much worse than the animal is man when he does not live as

a man。  Thus was I。  The horrible part is that I believed;

inasmuch as I did not allow myself to be seduced by other women

that I was leading an honest family life; that I was a very

mortal being; and that if we  had quarrels; the fault was in my

wife; and in her character。



〃But it is evident that the fault was not in her。  She was like

everybody else; like the majority。  She was brought up according

to the principles exacted by the situation of our society;that

is; as all the young girls of our wealthy classes; without

exception; are brought up; and as they cannot fail to be brought

up。  How many times we hear or read of reflections upon the

abnormal condition of women; and upon what they ought to be。  But

these are only vain words。  The education of women results from

the real and not imaginary view which the world entertains of

women's vocation。  According to this view; the condition of women

consists in procuring pleasure and it is to that end that her

education is directed。  From her infancy she is taught only those

things that are calculated to increase her charm。  Every young

girl is accustomed to think only of that。



〃As the serfs were brought up solely to please their masters; so

woman is brought up to attract men。  It cannot be otherwise。  But

you will say; perhaps; that that applies only to young girls who

are badly brought up; but that there is another education; an

education that is serious; in the schools; an education in the

dead languages; an education in the institutions of midwifery; an

education in medical courses; and in other courses。  It is

false。



〃Every sort of feminine education has for its sole object the

attraction of men。



〃Some attract by music or curly hair; others by science or by

civic virtue。  The object is the same; and cannot be otherwise

(since no other object exists);to seduce man in order to

possess him。  Imagine courses of instruction for women and

feminine science without men;that is; learned women; and men

not KNOWING them as learned。  Oh; no!  No education; no

instruction can change woman as long as her highest ideal shall

be marriage and not virginity; freedom from sensuality。  Until

that time she will remain a serf。  One need only imagine;

forgetting the universality of the case; the conditions in which

our young girls are brought up; to avoid astonishment at the

debauchery of the women of our upper classes。  It is the opposite

that would cause astonishment。



〃Follow my reasoning。  From infancy garments; ornaments;

cleanliness; grace; dances; music; reading of poetry; novels;

singing; the theatre; the concert; for use within and without;

according as women listen; or practice themselves。  With that;

complete physical idleness; an excessive care of the body; a vast

consumption of sweetmeats; and God knows how the poor maidens

suffer from their own sensuality; excited by all these things。 

Nine out of ten are tortured intolerably during the first period

of maturity; and afterward provided they do not marry at the age

of twenty。  That is what we are unwilling to see; but those who

have eyes see it all the same。  And even the majority of these

unfortunate creatures are so excited by a hidden sensuality (and

it is lucky if it is hidden) that they are fit for nothing。  They

become animated only in the presence of men。  Their whole life is

spent in preparations for coquetry; or in coquetry itself。  In

the presence of men they become too animated; they begin to live

by sensual energy。  But the moment the man goes away; the life

stops。



〃And that; not in the presence of a certain man; but in the

presence of any man; provided he is not utterly hideous。  You

will say that this is an exception。  No; it is a rule。  Only in

some it is made very evident; in other less so。  But no one lives

by her own life; they are all dependent upon man。  They cannot be

otherwise; since to them the attraction of the greatest number of

men is the ideal of life (young girls and married women); and it

is for this reason that they have no feeling stronger than that

of the animal need of every female who tries to attract the

largest number of males in order to increase the opportunities

for choice。  So it is in the life of young girls; and so it

continues during marriage。  In the life of young girls it is

necessary in order to selection; and in marriage it is necessary

in order to rule the husband。  Only one thing suppresses or

interrupts these tendencies for a time;namely; children;and

then only when the woman is not a monster;that is; when she

nurses her own children。  Here again the doctor interferes。



〃With my wife; who desired to nurse her own children; and who did

nurse six of them; it happened that the first child was sickly。 

The doctors; who cynically undressed her and felt of her

everywhere; and whom I had to thank and pay for these

acts;these dear doctors decided that she ought not to nurse her

child; and she was temporarily deprived of the only remedy for

coquetry。  A nurse finished the nursing

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