our androcentric culture-第6部分

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without　progeny。　　Dependent；　having　to　be　fed　and　cared　for　by　some　man；
the　victors　take　their　pick　perhaps；　but　the　vanquished　take　what　is
left；　and　the　poor　women；　〃marrying　for　a　home；〃　take　anything。　　As　a
consequence　the　inferior　male　is　as　free　to　transmit　his　inferiority　as
the　superior　to　give　better　qualities；　and　does　sobeyond　computation。　
In　modern　days；　women　are　freer；　in　some　countries　freer　than　in　others；
here　in　modern　America　freest　of　all；　and　the　result　is　seen　in　our
improving　standards　of　health　and　beauty。

Still　there　remains　the　field　of　inter…masculine　competition；　does　there
not？　　Do　not　the　males　still　struggle　together？　　Is　not　that　as　of　old；
a　source　of　race　advantage？

To　some　degree　it　is。　　When　life　was　simple　and　our　activities　consisted
mainly　in　fighting　and　hard　work；　the　male　who　could　vanquish　the　others
was　bigger　and　stronger。　　But　inter…masculine　competition　ceases　to　be
of　such　advantage　when　we　enter　the　field　of　social　service。　　What　is
required　in　organized　society　is　the　specialization　of　the　individual；
the　development　of　special　talents；　not　always　of　immediate　benefit　to
the　man　himself；　but　of　ultimate　benefit　to　society。　　The　best　social
servant；　progressive；　meeting　future　needs；　is　almost　always　at　a
disadvantage　besides　the　well…established　lower　types。　　We　need；　for
social　service；　qualities　quite　different　from　the　simple　masculine
characteristicsdesire；　combat；　self…expression。

By　keeping　what　we　call　〃the　outside　world〃　so　wholly　male；　we　keep　up
masculine　standards　at　the　expense　of　human　ones。　　This　may　be　broadly
seen　in　the　slow　and　painful　development　of　industry　and　science　as
compared　to　the　easy　dominance　of　warfare　throughout　all　history　until
our　own　times。

The　effect　of　all　this　ultra　masculine　competition　upon　health　and
beauty　is　but　too　plainly　to　be　seen。　　Among　men　the　male　idea　of　what
is　good　looking　is　accentuated　beyond　reason。　　Read　about　any　〃hero〃　you
please；　or　study　the　products　of　the　illustrator　and　note　the　broad
shoulders；　the　rugged　features；　the　strong；　square；　determined　jaw。　
That　jaw　is　in　evidence　if　everything　else　fails。　　He　may　be　cross…eyed；
wide…eared；　thick…necked；　bandy…leggedwhat　you　please；　but　he　must
have　a　more　or　less　prognathous　jaw。

Meanwhile　any　anthropologist　will　show　you　that　the　line　of　human
development　is　away　from　that　feature　of　the　bulldog　and　the　alligator；
and　toward　the　measured　dignity　of　the　Greek　type。　　The　possessor　of
that　kind　of　jaw　may　enable　male　to　conquer　male；　but　does　not　make　him
of　any　more　service　to　society；　of　any　better　health　or　higher　beauty。

Further；　in　the　external　decoration　of　our　bodies；　what　is　the　influence
here　of　masculine　dominance。

We　have　before　spoken　of　the　peculiar　position　of　our　race　in　that　the
woman　is　the　only　female　creature　who　carries　the　burden　of　sex
ornament。　　This　amazing　reversal　of　the　order　of　nature　results　at　its
mildest　in　a　perversion　of　the　natural　feminine　instincts　of　love　and
service；　and　an　appearance　of　the　masculine　instincts　of　self…expression
and　display。　　Alone　among　all　female　things　do　women　decorate　and　preen
themselves　and　exhibit　their　borrowed　plumage　（literally！）　to　attract
the　favor　of　the　male。　　This　ignominy　is　forced　upon　them　by　their
position　of　economic　dependence；　and　their　general　helplessness。　　As　all
broader　life　is　made　to　depend；　for　them；　on　whom　they　marry；　indeed　as
even　the　necessities　of　life　so　often　depend　on　their　marrying　someone；
they　have　been　driven　into　this　form　of　competition；　so　alien　to　the
true　female　attitude。

The　result　is　enough　to　make　angels　weepand　laugh。　　Perhaps　no　step　in
the　evolution　of　beauty　went　farther　than　our　human　power　of　making　a
continuous　fabric；　soft　and　mobile；　showing　any　color　and　texture
desired。　　The　beauty　of　the　human　body　is　supreme；　and　when　we　add　to　it
the　flow　of　color；　the　ripple　of　fluent　motion；　that　comes　of　a　soft；
light　garment　over　free　limbsit　is　a　new　field　of　loveliness　and
delight。　　Naturally　this　should　have　filled　the　whole　world　with　a　new
pleasure。　　Our　garments；　first　under　right　natural　selection　developing
perfect　use；　under　right　sex　selection　developing　beauty；　and　further；
as　our　human　aesthetic　sense　progresses；　showing　a　noble　symbolism；
would　have　been　an　added　strength　and　glory；　a　ceaseless　joy。

What　is　the　case？

Men；　under　a　too　strictly　inter…masculine　environment；　have　evolved　the
mainly　useful　but　beautiless　costume　common　to…day；　and　women？

Women　wear　beautiful　garments　when　they　happen　to　be　the　fashion；　and
ugly　garments　when　they　are　the　fashion；　and　show　no　signs　of　knowing
the　difference。　　They　show　no　added　pride　in　the　beautiful；　no　hint　of
mortification　in　the　hideous；　and　are　not　even　sensitive　under
criticism；　or　open　to　any　persuasion　or　argument。　　Why　should　they　be？

Their　condition；　physical　and　mental；　is　largely　abnormal；　their　whole
passionate　absorption　in　dress　and　decoration　is　abnormal；　and　they　have
never　looked；　from　a　frankly　human　standpoint；　at　their　position　and　its
peculiarities；　until　the　present　age。

In　the　effect　of　our　wrong　relation　on　the　world's　health；　we　have
spoken　of　the　check　to　vigor　and　growth　due　to　the　housebound　state　of
women　and　their　burdensome　clothes。　　There　follow　other　influences；
similar　in　origin；　even　more　evil　in　result。　　To　roughly　and　briefly
classify　we　may　distinguish　the　diseases　due　to　bad　air；　to　bad　food；
and　that　field　of　cruel　mischief　we　are　only　now　beginning　to
discussthe　diseases　directly　due　to　the　erroneous　relation　between　men
and　women。

We　are　the　only　race　where　the　female　depends　on　the　male　for　a
livelihood。　　We　are　the　only　race　that　practices　prostitution。　　From　the
first　harmless…looking　but　abnormal　general　relation　follows　the　well
recognized　evil　of　the　second；　so　long　called　〃a　social　necessity；〃　and
from　it；　in　deadly　sequence；　comes　the　〃wages　of　sin；〃　death　not　only　of
the　guilty；　but　of　the　innocent。　　It　is　no　light　part　of　our　criticism
of　the　Androcentric　Culture　that　a　society　based　on　masculine　desires
alone；　has　willingly　sacrificed　such　an　army　of　women；　and　has　repaid
the　sacrifice　by　the　heaviest　punishments。

That　the　unfortunate　woman　should　sicken　and　die　was　held　to　be　her　just
punishment；　that　man　too　should　bear　part　penalty　was　found　unavoidable；
though　much　legislation　and　medical　effort　has　been　spent　to　shield　him；
but　to　the　further　consequences　society　is　but　now　waking　up。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


IV。

MEN　AND　ART。


Among　the　many　counts　in　which　women　have　been　proven　inferior　to　men　in
human　development　is　the　oft…heard　charge　that　there　are　no　great　women
artists。　　Where　one　or　two　are　proudly　exhibited　in　evidence；　they　are
either　pooh…poohed　as　not　very　great；　or　held　to　be　the　trifling
exceptions　which　do　but　prove　the　rule。

Defenders　of　women　generally　make　the　mistake　of　over…estimating　their
performances；　instead　of　accepting；　and　explaining；　the　visible　facts。　
What　are　the　facts　as　to　the　relation　of　men　and　women　to　art？　　And
what；　in　especial；　has　been　the　effect　upon　art　of　a　solely　masculine
expression？

When　we　look　for　the　beginnings　of　art；　we　find　ourselves　in　a　period　of
crude　decoration　of　the　person　and　of　personal　belongings。　　Tattooing；
for　instance；　is　an　early　form　of　decorative　art；　still　in　practice
among　certain　classes；　even　in　advanced　people。　　Most　boys；　if　they　are
in　contact　with　this　early　art；　admire　it；　and　wish　to　adorn　themselves
therewith；　some　do　soto　later　mortification。　　Early　personal
decoration　consisted　largely　in　direct　mutilation　of　the　body；　and　the
hanging　upon　it；　or　fastening　to　it；　of　decorative　objects。　　This　we　see
among　savages　still；　in　its　gross　and　primitive　forms　monopolized　by
men；　then　shared　by　women；　and；　in　our　time；　left　almost　wholly　to　them。
　In　personal　decoration　today；　women　are　still　near　the　savage。　　The
〃artists〃　developed　in　this　field　of　art　are　the　tonsorial；　the
sartorial；　and　all　those　specialized　adorners　of　the　body　commonly　known
as　〃beauty　doctors。〃

Here；　as　in　other　cases；　the　greatest　artists　are　men。　　The　greatest
milliners；　the　greatest　dressmakers　and　tailors；　the　greatest
hairdressers；　and　the　masters　and　designers　in　all　our　decorative
toilettes　and　accessories；　are　men。　　Women；　in　this　as　in　so　many　other
lines；　consume　rather　than　produce。　　They　carry　the　major　part　of
personal　decoration　today；　but　the　decorator　is　the　man。　　In　the
decoration　of　objects；　woman；　as　the　originator　of　primitive　industry；
originated　also　the　primitive　arts；　and　in　the　pottery；　basketry；
leatherwork；　needlework；　weaving；　with　all　beadwork；　dyeing　and
embroideries　of　ancient　peoples　we　see　the　work　of　the　woman　decorator。　
Much　of　this　is　strong　and　beautiful；　but　its　time　is　long　past。　　The
art　which　is　part　of　industry；　natural；　simple；　spontaneous；　making
beauty　in　every　object　of　use；　adding　pleasure　to　labor　and　to　life；　is
not　Art　with　a　large　A；　the　Art　which　requires　Artists；　among　whom　are
so　few　women　of　note。

Art　as　a　profession；　and　the　Artist　as　a　professional；　came　later；　and
by　that　time　women　had　left　the　freedom　and　power　of　the　matriarchate
and　become　slaves　in　varying　degree。　　The　women　who　were　idle　pets　in
harems；　or　the　women　who　worked　hard　as　servants；　were　alike　cut　off
from　the　joy　of　making　things。　　Where　constructive　work　remained　to
them；　art　remained；　in　its　early　decorative　form。　　Men；　in　the
proprietary　family；　restricting　the　natural　industry　of　women　to
personal　service；　cut　off　their　art　with　their　industry；　and　by　so　much
impoverished　the　world。

There　is　no　more　conspicuously　pathetic　proof　of　the　aborted　development
of　women　than　this　commonplacetheir　lack　of　a　civilized　art　sense。　
Not　only　in　the　childish　and　savage　display　upon　their　bodies；　but　in
the　pitiful　products　they　hang　upon　the　walls　of　the　home；　is　seen　the
arrest　in　normal　growth。

After　ages　of　culture；　in　which　men　have　developed　Architecture；
Sculpture；　Painting；　Music　and　the　Drama；　we　find　women　in　their
primitive　environment　making　flowers　of　w