our androcentric culture-第7章

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thousand　changing　modificationsthe　female；　selecting；　may　so
incorporate　beneficial　changes　in　the　race。　　It　is　his　duty　to　thus
express　himselfan　essentially　masculine　duty；　but　masculinity　is　one
thing；　and　art　is　another。　　Neither　the　masculine　nor　the　feminine　has
any　place　in　artArt　is　Human。

It　is　not　in　any　faintest　degree　allied　to　the　personal　processes　of
reproduction；　but　is　a　social　process；　a　most　distinctive　social
process；　quite　above　the　plane　of　sex。　　The　true　artist　transcends　his
sex；　or　her　sex。　　If　this　is　not　the　case；　the　art　suffers。

Dancing　is　an　early；　and　a　beautiful　art；　direct　expression　of　emotion
through　the　body；　beginning　in　subhuman　type；　among　male　birds；　as　the
bower…bird　of　New　Guinea；　and　the　dancing　crane；　who　swing　and　caper
before　their　mates。　　Among　early　peoples　we　find　it　a　common　form　of
social　expression　in　tribal　dances　of　all　sorts；　religious；　military；
and　other。　　Later　it　becomes　a　more　explicit　form　of　celebration；　as
among　the　Greeks；　in　whose　exquisite　personal　culture　dancing　and　music
held　high　place。

But　under　the　progressive　effects　of　purely　masculine　dominance　we　find
the　broader　human　elements　of　dancing　left　out；　and　the　sex…element　more
and　more　emphasized。　　As　practiced　by　men　alone　dancing　has　become　a
mere　display　of　physical　agility；　a　form　of　exhibition　common　to　all
males。　　As　practiced　by　men　and　women　together　we　have　our　social
dances；　so　lacking　in　all　the　varied　beauty　of　posture　and　expression；
so　steadily　becoming　a　pleasant　form　of　dalliance。

As　practiced　by　women　alone　we　have　one　of　the　clearest　proofs　of　the
degrading　effect　of　masculine　dominance：the　dancing　girl。　　In　the
frank　sensualism　of　the　Orient；　this　personage　is　admired　and　enjoyed　on
her　merits。　　We；　more　sophisticated　in　this　matter；　joke　shamefacedly
about　〃the　bald…headed　row；〃　and　occasionally　burst　forth　in　shrill
scandal　over　some　dinner　party　where　ladies　clad　in　a　veil　and　a
bracelet　dance　on　the　table。　　Nowhere　else　in　the　whole　range　of　life　on
earth；　is　this　degradation　foundthe　female　capering　and　prancing
before　the　male。　　It　is　absolutely　and　essentially　his　function；　not
hers。　　That　we；　as　a　race；　present　this　pitiful　spectacle；　a　natural　art
wrested　to　unnatural　ends；　a　noble　art　degraded　to　ignoble　ends；　has　one
clear　cause。

Architecture；　in　its　own　nature；　is　least　affected　by　that　same　cause。　
The　human　needs　secured　by　it；　are　so　human；　so　unescapably　human；　that
we　find　less　trace　of　excessive　masculinity　than　in　other　arts。　　It
meets　our　social　demands；　it　expresses　in　lasting　form　our　social
feeling；　up　to　the　highest；　and　it　has　been　injured　not　so　much　by　an
excess　of　masculinity　as　by　a　lack　of　femininity。

The　most　universal　architectural　expression　is　in　the　home；　the　home　is
essentially　a　place　for　the　woman　and　the　child；　yet　the　needs　of　woman
and　child　are　not　expressed　in　our　domestic　architecture。　　The　home　is
built　on　lines　of　ancient　precedent；　mainly　as　an　industrial　form；　the
kitchen　is　its　working　centre　rather　than　the　nursery。

Each　man　wishes　his　home　to　preserve　and　seclude　his　woman；　his　little
harem　of　one；　and　in　it　she　is　to　labor　for　his　comfort　or　to　manifest
his　ability　to　maintain　her　in　idleness。　　The　house　is　the　physical
expression　of　the　limitations　of　women；　and　as　such　it　fills　the　world
with　a　small　drab　ugliness。　　A　dwelling　house　is　rarely　a　beautiful
object。　　In　order　to　be　such；　it　should　truly　express　simple　and　natural
relations；　or　grow　in　larger　beauty　as　our　lives　develop。

The　deadlock　for　architectural　progress；　the　low　level　of　our　general
taste；　the　everlasting　predominance　of　the　commonplace　in　buildings；　is
the　natural　result　of　the　proprietary　family　and　its　expression　in　this
form。

In　sculpture　we　have　a　noble　art　forcing　itself　into　some　service
through　many　limitations。　　Its　check；　as　far　as　it　comes　under　this　line
of　study；　has　been　indicated　in　our　last　chapter；　the　degradation　of　the
human　body；　the　vicious　standards　of　sex…consciousness　enforced　under
the　name　of　modesty；　the　covered　ugliness；　which　we　do　not　recognize；
all　this　is　a　deadly　injury　to　free　high　work　in　sculpture。

With　a　nobly　equal　womanhood；　stalwart　and　athletic；　with　the　high
standards　of　beauty　and　of　decorum　which　we　can　never　have　without　free
womanhood；　we　should　show　a　different　product　in　this　great　art。

An　interesting　note　in　passing　is　this：　when　we　seek　to　express　socially
our　noblest；　ideas；　Truth；　Justice；　Liberty；　we　use　the　woman's　body　as
the　highest　human　type。　　But　in　doing　this；　the　artist；　true　to　humanity
and　not　biassed　by　sex；　gives　us　a　strong；　grand　figure；　beautiful
indeed；　but　never　_decorated_。　　Fancy　Liberty　in　ruffles　and　frills；
with　rings　in　her　earsor　nose。

Music　is　injured　by　a　one…sided　handling；　partly　in　the　excess　of　the
one　dominant　masculine　passion；　partly　by　the　general　presence　of
egoism；　that　tendency　to　self…expression　instead　of　social　expression；
which　so　disfigures　our　art；　and　this　is　true　also　of　poetry。

Miles　and　miles　of　poetry　consist　of　the　ceaseless　outcry　of　the　male
for　the　female；　which　is　by　no　means　so　overwhelming　as　a　feature　of
human　life　as　he　imagines　it；　and　other　miles　express　his　other
feelings；　with　that　ingenuous　lack　of　reticence　which　is　at　its　base
essentially　masculine。　　Having　a　pain；　the　poet　must　needs　pour　it
forth；　that　his　woe　be　shared　and　sympathized　with。

As　more　and　more　women　writers　flock　into　the　field　there　is　room　for
fine　historic　study　of　the　difference　in　sex　feeling；　and　the　gradual
emergence　of　the　human　note。

Literature；　and　in　especial　the　art　of　fiction；　is　so　large　a　field　for
this　study　that　it　will　have　a　chapter　to　itself；　this　one　but　touching
on　these　various　forms；　and　indicating　lines　of　observation。

That　best　known　form　of　art　which　to　my　mind　needs　no　qualifying
descriptionpaintingis　also　a　wide　field；　and　cannot　be　done　full
justice　to　within　these　limits。　　The　effect　upon　it　of　too　much
masculinity　is　not　so　much　in　choice　of　subject　as　in　method　and　spirit。
　The　artist　sees　beauty　of　form　and　color　where　the　ordinary　observer
does　not；　and　paints　the　old　and　ugly　with　as　much　enthusiasm　as　the
young　and　beautifulsometimes。　　If　there　is　in　some　an　over…emphasis　of
feminine　attractions　it　is　counterbalanced　in　others　by　a　far　broader
line　of　work。

But　the　main　evils　of　a　too　masculine　art　lie　in　the　emphasis　laid　on
self…expression。　　The　artist；　passionately　conscious　of　how　he　feels；
strives　to　make　other　people　aware　of　these　sensations。　　This　is　now　so
generally　accepted　by　critics；　so　seriously　advanced　by　painters；　that
what　is　called　〃the　art　world〃　accepts　it　as　established。

If　a　man　paints　the　sea；　it　is　not　to　make　you　see　and　feel　as　a　sight
of　that　same　ocean　would；　but　to　make　you　see　and　feel　how　he；
personally；　was　affected　by　it；　a　matter　surely　of　the　narrowest
importance。　　The　ultra…masculine　artist；　extremely　sensitive；
necessarily；　and　full　of　the　natural　urge　to　expression　of　the　sex；　uses
the　medium　of　art　as　ingenuously　as　the　partridge…cock　uses　his　wings　in
drumming　on　the　log；　or　the　bull　moose　stamps　and　bellows；　not　narrowly
as　a　mate　call；　but　as　a　form　of　expression　of　his　personal　sensations。

The　higher　the　artist　the　more　human　he　is；　the　broader　his　vision；　the
more　he　sees　for　humanity；　and　expresses　for　humanity；　and　the　less
personal；　the　less　ultra…masculine；　is　his　expression。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


V。

MASCULINE　LITERATURE。


When　we　are　offered　a　〃woman's〃　paper；　page；　or　column；　we　find　it
filled　with　matter　supposed　to　appeal　to　women　as　a　sex　or　class；　the
writer　mainly　dwelling　upon　the　Kaiser's　four　K'sKuchen；　Kinder；
Kirche；　Kleider。　　They　iterate　and　reiterate　endlessly　the　discussion　of
cookery；　old　and　new；　of　the　care　of　children；　of　the　overwhelming
subject　of　clothing；　and　of　moral　instruction。　　All　this　is　recognized
as　〃feminine〃　literature；　and　it　must　have　some　appeal　else　the　women
would　not　read　it。　　What　parallel　have　we　in　〃masculine〃　literature？

〃None！〃　is　the　proud　reply。　　〃Men　are　people！　　Women；　being　'the　sex；'
have　their　limited　feminine　interests；　their　feminine　point　of　view；
which　must　be　provided　for。　　Men；　however；　are　not　restrictedto　them
belongs　the　world's　literature！〃

Yes；　it　has　belonged　to　themever　since　there　was　any。　　They　have
written　it　and　they　have　read　it。　　It　is　only　lately　that　women；
generally　speaking；　have　been　taught　to　read；　still　more　lately　that
they　have　been　allowed　to　write。　　It　is　but　a　little　while　since　Harriet
Martineau　concealed　her　writing　beneath　her　sewing　when　visitors　came
inwriting　was　〃masculine〃sewing　〃feminine。〃

We　have　not；　it　Is　true；　confined　men　to　a　narrowly　construed　〃masculine
sphere；〃　and　composed　a　special　literature　suited　to　it。　　Their　effect
on　literature　has　been　far　wider　than　that；　monopolizing　this　form　of
art　with　special　favor。　　It　was　suited　above　all　others　to　the　dominant
impulse　of　self…expression；　and　being；　as　we　have　seen　essentially　and
continually　〃the　sex；〃　they　have　impressed　that　sex　upon　this　art
overwhelmingly；　they　have　given　the　world　a　masculized　literature。

It　is　hard　for　us　to　realize　this。　　We　can　readily　see；　that　if　women
had　always　written　the　books；　no　men　either　writing　or　reading　them；
that　would　have　surely　〃feminized〃　our　literature；　but　we　have　not　in
our　minds　the　concept；　much　less　the　word；　for　an　overmasculized
influence。

Men　having　been　accepted　as　humanity；　women　but　a　side…issue；　（most
literally　if　we　accept　the　Hebrew　legend！）；　whatever　men　did　or　said　was
humanand　not　to　be　criticized。　　In　no　department　of　life　is　it　easier
to　contravert　this　old　belief；　to　show　how　the　male　sex　as　such　differs
from　the　human　type；　and　how　this　maleness　has　monopolized　and
disfigured　a　great　social　function。

Human　life　is　a　very　large　affair；　and　literature　is　its　chief　art。　　We
live；　humanly；　only　through　our　power　of　communication。　　Speech　gives　us
this　power　laterally；　as　it　were；　in　immediate　personal　contact。　　For
permanent　use　speech　becomes　oral　traditiona　poor　dependence。　
Literature　gives　not　only　an　infinite　multiplication　to　the　lateral
spread　of　communion　but　adds　the　vertical　reach。　　Through　it　we　know　the
past；　govern　the　present；　and　influence　the　future。　　In　its　servicable
common　forms　it　is　the　indispensable　daily　servant　of　our　lives；　in　its
nobler　flights　as　a　great　art　no　means　of　human　inter…change　goes　so
far。

In　these　brief　limits　we　can　touch　but　lightly　on　some　phases　of　so
great　a　subject；　and　will　rest　the　case　mainly　on　the　effect　of　an
exclusively　masculine　handling　of　the　two　fields　of　history　and　fiction。
　In　poetry　and　the　drama　the　same　influence　is　easily　traced；　but　in　the
first　two　it　is　so　baldly　prominent　as　to　defy　objection。

History　is；　or　should　be；　the　story　of　our　racial　life。　　What　have　men
made　it？　　The　story　of　warfare　and　conquest。　　Begin　at　the　very
beginning　with　the　carven　stones　of　Egypt；　the　clay　records　of　Chaldea；
what　do　we　find　of　history？

〃I　Pharaoh；　King　of　Kings！　Lord　of　Lords！　（etc。　etc。）；　〃