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Cor
a K
apla
n
Sea,
Cha
nges
E
ssay
s on
Cul
ture
and
Fem
inis
m
VERS
O Th
e imp
rint o
f New
Left B
ooks
30
wri
tten
by m
en a
nd w
omen
, an
d m
ust
atte
mpt
to
theo
rize
imag
inat
ive
wri
ting
fl.S
som
ethi
ng m
ore
spec
ific,
st
rang
e an
d fr
agm
ente
d th
an a
're
flect
ion'
of
eith
er p
atria
rcha
l id
eolo
gy o
r re
al s
ocia
l rel
atio
ns. A
soc
ialis
t cul
tura
l crit
icis
m m
ay w
ish
to c
ut
loos
e, f
inal
ly,
from
fem
inis
m's
over
emph
asis
in
the
last
dec
ade
on h
igh
cultu
re a
s a
lead
ing
influ
ence
, be
nign
or
vici
ous,
on
wom
en's
subo
rdin
atio
n or
stru
ggle
. M
illet
t's r
adic
al f
emin
ism
is
quite
cle
ar a
bout
cul
ture
's ce
ntra
l pla
ce in
the
sex
ual r
evol
utio
n.
Giv
en t
he e
rror
s in
her
def
initi
on o
f pa
triar
chy
and
the
func
tion
of p
atria
rcha
l ide
olog
y w
e sh
ould
, as
Mar
xist
s an
d fe
min
ists
, be
w
ary
of p
laci
ng a
ll of
our
hop
es a
nd f
ears
on
the
revi
sion
of
cultu
re. I
n he
r pos
tscr
ipt,
Mill
ett c
oncl
udes
:
The
enor
mou
s so
cial
cha
nge
invo
lved
in a
sex
ual r
evol
utio
n is
basi
c-al
ly a
mat
ter
of a
ltere
d co
nsci
ousn
ess,
the
exp
osur
e an
d el
imin
atio
n of
soc
ial a
nd p
sych
olog
ical
rea
litie
s un
derl
inin
g po
litic
al a
nd c
ultu
ral
stru
ctur
es.
We
are
spea
king
the
n, o
f a
cultu
ral
revo
lutio
n, w
hich
, w
hile
it m
ust n
eces
saril
y in
volv
e th
e po
litic
al a
nd e
cono
mic
reor
gani
z-at
ion
tradi
tiona
lly i
mpl
ied
by
the
term
rev
olut
ion,
m
ust
go f
ar
beyo
nd th
is a
s w
ell.
And
her
e it
wou
ld s
eem
that
the
mos
t pro
foun
d ch
ange
s im
plie
d ar
e on
es a
ccom
plis
hed
by h
uman
gro
wth
and
tru
e re
-edu
catio
n, r
athe
r th
an t
hose
arr
iv~d
at
thro
ugh
the
thea
trics
of
arm
ed s
trugg
le -
even
sho
uld
the
latte
r be
com
e in
evita
ble.
23
Muc
h of
thi
s st
atem
ent i
s po
litic
ally
impe
ccab
le, b
ut it
s em
pha-
sis,
wri
tten
as it
was
in t
he m
idst
of
the
Vie
tnam
war
, is
a lit
tle
wor
ryin
g. T
he re
aliti
es o
f arm
ed s
trugg
le a
re m
ade
to s
eem
mor
e di
stan
t an
d fic
tiona
l th
an t
hose
of
alte
red
cons
ciou
snes
s an
d hu
man
gro
wth
.
23. M
illet
t, pp
. 362
-3.
2.-W
ild N
ight
s: Pl
easu
re/S
exua
lity/
Fem
inism
...
till
wom
en a
re J
ed t
o ex
erci
se t
heir
und
erst
andi
rgs,
the
y sh
ould
not
be
satir
ized
for
the
ir at
tach
men
t to
rak
es;
or e
ven
for
bein
g ra
kes
at h
eart,
whe
n it
.app
ears
to b
e th
e in
evita
ble
cons
eque
nce
of t
heir
edu
catio
n. T
hey
who
liv
e to
ple
ase
-m
ust f
ind
thei
r enj
oym
ents
, the
ir ha
ppin
ess
in p
leas
ure!
Wild
Nig
hts
-W
ild N
ight
s!
Wer
e I w
ith th
ee
Wild
Nig
hts
shou
ld b
e O
ur lu
xury
!
Mar
y W
olls
tone
craf
t, 17
92
Emily
.Dic
kins
on 1
861
I had
bee
n a '
hope
ful r
adic
al.
Now
I a
m n
ot.
Porn
ogra
phy
has
infe
cted
me.
Onc
e I
was
a c
hild
and
I d
ream
ed o
f fr
eedo
m.
Now
I a
m a
n ad
ult
and
I se
e w
hat
my
drea
ms
have
com
e to
:
31
I I ,,
32
porn
ogra
phy.
So,
whi
le I
cann
ot h
elp
my
slee
ping
nig
htm
ares
, I h
ave
give
n up
man
y w
akin
g dr
eam
s.
And
rea
Dw
orki
n 19
811
How
diff
icul
t it i
s to
unc
oupl
e th
e te
rms
plea
sure
and
sex
ualit
y.
How
muc
h m
ore
diffi
cult,
onc
e un
coup
led,
to r
e-im
agin
e w
oman
as
the
sub
ject
, pl
easu
re a
s he
r ob
ject
, if
that
obj
ect i
s no
t sex
ual.
Alm
ost
two
cent
urie
s of
fem
inis
t ac
tivity
an
d de
bate
ha
ve
pass
ed,
two
hund
red
year
s in
whi
ch w
omen
's un
ders
tand
ings
ha
ve b
een
wid
ely
exer
cise
d, y
et m
ost
of M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
m
odes
t pro
posa
ls fo
r fe
mal
e em
anci
patio
n ar
e sti
ll de
man
ds o
n a
fem
inis
t pla
tform
. Mos
t dis
tant
, mos
t uto
pian
see
ms
her h
esita
nt
\\-
plea
tha
t th
e so
cial
bas
is f
or w
oman
's s
exua
l ple
asur
e be
'dig
ni-
d""
fied'
af
ter
'som
e fu
ture
re
volu
tion
in
time'.
2 J:9--0
near
, to
o .
',t7c-;f
'~ fa
~her
.._t~
!!l_
E2!
3-W
_.~e
c:!_
!~~E
.~-E
:j~~
E ~
's
\)~;
). ')_
Rk
asu..
r.~.E
J,_j~
i:l~a
bJy..
.1:_?
J!.1-
9 to
h~_
e_p~
9!:E
1! a
n~
1:_
nt~
{1
v \L
,r
~-!fi
l~s.
Rev
olut
ions
hav
e co
me
and
gone
, an
d se
xual
ity _i
s on
ce
1.,.f
a~S '
-' ·'(
·:J ,
m
ore
at t
he h
ead
of f
e~in
ist
agen
d~s
in th
~ w
e~t,
the
wild
car
d r~ \
_ .,,c
J ef
:c<: w
hose
sui
t and
val
ue s
hifts
pr~
voc_
ative
_ly w
ith_ h
isto
ry. A
s dr
eai:n
.
'W v
,ti
or n
ight
mar
e, o
r bot
h at
onc
e, 1
t rei
gns
m o
ur li
ves
as a
n an
arch
ic
~:~_,·l
~'t;:/1
for
ce, r
efus
ing
to b
e ch
aste
ned
and
tam
ed b
y se
nse
or c
onsc
ienc
e "
':> ·
to a
sen
tenc
e in
a r
evol
utio
nary
man
ifest
o:
In th
e 'ri
ght t
o ch
oose
' the
wom
en's
mov
emen
t has
reas
sert
ed
the
tene
ts o
f lib
eral
hum
anis
m,
layi
ng c
laim
to
its p
rom
ise
of
indi
vidu
al c
ivil
righ
ts f
or w
omen
, an
d ac
know
ledg
ing
the
diffi
-cu
lty o
f pr
escr
iptio
n in
the
are
a of
sex
ual
polit
ics.
Xfl
_~
)e
\-c_
1 d"
.
"th"
\ \. ·
._, ~E
~2tua
~!Y-!
~!:!!
~in.§.
__ ?1
:f ..... .Q
f__~~
~-J.:g
u tra
___ c
.Q~s
.l~?.?
EJ-:--'
.YL __ ;.n
. ~t
-r-v"
', l_
\ .(Jr
~C?
_!lte.
Q:E~
E~.LY
_J:~l.
Ws..§
~_cau
s!ng
as m
uch
an~i
ety
to fe
_m_1
msts
and
1 1
, , c e
'~'~
,,.F
tfiei
r sy
mpa
this
ers
~s to
thei
r ~pp
onen
ts. W
1t~m
fe~
m~s
t deb
ate,
'r:
"" x·
. ra
dica
l an
d re
volu
tiona
ry f
emm
1sts
argu
e w
ith t
heir
liber
al a
nd
I ~"'
'' '
f 1·
. 11
: (?~
: c1
soci
alis
t si
ster
s ar
ound
def
initi
ons
o a
corr
ect
or p
o 1t
ica y
'{
'yr
acce
ptab
le s
exua
l pr
actic
e. T
he p
ossi
ble
posi
tions
on
this
trou
b~
ling
issu
e th
at c
an b
e id
entif
ied
as f
emin
is_t_
rang
Lfro
m...
.a..p
ro-
Mar
y W
olls
tone
craf
t, A
Vind
icatio
n of
/hi
Rig/
ifs o
f Wom
an,
New
Yor
k 19
75, p
. 11
9. E
mily
Dic
kins
on,
The
Com
plete
Poe
ms o
f Em
ily D
ickin
son,
Th,
omas
H. J
ohn-
son
ed.,
Lond
on 1
977,
p. 1
14. A
ndre
a D
wor
kin,
Por
nogr
apl1y
: Men
Pos
sess1
11g
Wom
en,
Lond
on, 1
981,
p. 3
04.
2. W
olls
tone
craf
t, p.
"119
.
Wild
Nig
hts
33
plea
sure
; po
lym
orph
ousl
y pe
rver
se ~
~1:!~
L..@
gicali
R_m
L..th
1:g,!,!
gh
calif
iuus
p~rm
is-s-
ivei
'\e'ss
,':J~:
::-an
f[j:.)
p;m
__ acf
odsm
.~a_
Qg ___
,LRQ
litj~
al 1e
s6ia
nism
Thi
;( de
-emp~
,~~:3.
.~-~-
-,g~g
iJ.~L
-2~~
!:!~F
ty. '
!'~_1
;J-Y
~L
·--cO
'nfl
1cnr
trrh
e~Q
L"1e
~m-j
!~~!
t_sJ
-1gg
~.§!
.§., ..
,fl.Q
l_2~g
~-~th
er fh
Trtg
s;-~~
9~11
~].Y
,._W
,QP.
:1~!
f§~-
-suk
t~_<
;!i,v
ity)~
.. -~21
1_stE1
;1_<:,t
~? fn
!Q![g
n§.e_
i@J:c
at~g
gri~
s. -
The
nega
tive
mea
ning
s hi
stor
ical
ly a
ssoc
iate
d w
ith t
heir
sex-
ualit
y ha
ve b
een
a m
ajor
impe
dim
ent i
n w
omen
's fig
ht fo
r lib
era-
tion.
His
tori
ans
sugg
est
that
the
'ide
olog
ical
div
isio
n of
wom
en
into
tw
o cl
asse
s, t
he v
irtu
ous
and
the
falle
n, w
as a
lread
y w
ell
deve
lope
d' b
y th
e m
id-e
ight
eent
h ce
ntur
y. C
erta
inly
~t r
~cei
v~d
one
of i
ts m
aj,or
mod
ern
artic
ulat
ions
at
abou
t th
is t
ime
m
Rous
seau
'.s E
mile
(176
2).
In E
mile
the
poss
ibili
ty o
f wom
en's
civi
l, ec
onom
ic a
nd p
sych
olog
ical
ind
epen
denc
e is
reje
cted
bec
ause
it
2cw
wou
ld a
lso
enab
le th
e in
depe
nden
t and
Jice
ntio
u?_e
xerc
ise o
f her
~{,-<
::...,..?
"'v
supp
osed
ly in
satia
ble
sexu
al a
ppet
ite. W
oman
's de
sire
i~Y
r/e_
r,"'
~~J,
.,, 'r
Rou
ssea
u as
bot
h re
gres
sive
_!~5
.1-~
~~m
pnve
~f
the
new
hb~
_i;_gl
.J ...
_"" .s
so
oal o
rcle
rne
PfQp
Qseq
;..JY,
QIDg
n:s ... e
man
cipa.t
JQJL
W.O
JJ.hl .
. IB~D
_fl.
..,, r
·:A~=
%-~
·;;~~
;;i~f
~c\~
~~;~
;~jJ
~~~;
~P.!
~~~1
1iic
~II~
~~f;i:~J
and
inde
pend
ent i
s fa
tally
Jin
ked
to th
e un
rest
ram
ed a
nd v
1c1o
us
exer
cise
of
her
sexu
ality
, no
t jus
t in
the
prop
agan
da o
f th
e ne
w
right
, but
in a
cen
tral a
nd in
fluen
tial w
?rk
o~ th
e ve
ry o
ld_l
eft.
le.ti
.;-
Wh_
en f
emin
is~s
soug
~~~e
pr<?
PJIB
.te l
iber
al h
umam
sm f
or
rz., 1_ 3_
""'
thei
r ow
nsex
tfiey
n'aa
to c
onte
nd w
ith t
he d
oubl
e st~
~ 1-<
>~
. pm
mrr
rertt
lyin
-sc:
rioea
wifn
in ra
c!_:
canr
aciil
ion,
w
ell _
as wi
th_ it
s_ Je
v':v,_
J .
2.,u
ffoca
tmg
and
dete
rmin
ing_
pres
en5~
...].
om,!
!lpn
t_J~
g~~s
. D
-<~
11 t...
Fe
mal
e se
xual
ity is
stil
l th
e su
ppre
ssed
!ex
t of
thos
e hb
e~al
and
"'cr
;~·J..::
' le
ft pr
ogra
mm
es t
hat
are
sile
nt o
n th
e is
sues
of
wom
en s
s~b
-lv<
'.c. 'L
-.'
,.
ordi
natio
n. T
his
sile
nce
has
had
its n
egat
ive
effe
ct u
pon
fem
m-
.::f,vz
.;,-;.,,,
.. " ( ,
is
m
itsel
f, w
hich
m
ust
alw
ays
spea
k in
to
othe
r po
litic
al
disc
ours
e~he
re b
oth
righ
t and
_left
sex
ual i
deo
log
ie~
~~
e,
asso
ciat
ing
wom
en's
desi
re
with
w
eakn
ess,
un
reas
on
a_!ld
m
aten
ahsm
, it
has
been
no
ticeab
ly~
_p
.Q.s
itiy
e
s~al
afia
poli
fica
rine
a.!1
J.ng
s fo
r -fe
mal
e se
xual
ityPO
nly
its
supp
osed
ais
rupt
ive
forc
e ca
n be
har
ness
ed t
o re
vo~u
tion~
ry
poss
ibili
ty, a
nd th
en, p
erha
ps, o
nly
for
th~
mom
ent o
f d1s
rupt
~on
itsel
f. W
hile
mos
t fem
inis
ms
have
rec
ogm
zed
that
the
regu
latio
n of
fem
ale
sexu
ality
and
the
ideo
logi
cal
mob
iliza
tion
of it
s th
reat
to
ord
er a
re p
art
of w
omen
's su
bord
inat
ion,
it i
s no
t su
rpris
ing
that
they
hav
e to
o of
ten
acce
pted
the
par
adig
m t
hat i
nsis
ts t
hat
c'l.!N,
s kc
.. v"-
0
-----·
r> t U
_(:'
k_ c
) 0
,c.u
,,.,..
..,_...._
,J\'
Ue.~1
.v"\..-
C
e-
{C."
:)V\
..;r,
' vt.
.,
¼VU.
.. I':
_ \/
~'t
--Q
.v-.
'>
\.,J...,
S
34
d~si
re is
a r
egry
&si
ve f
orce
in
wom
en's
live
s, a
nd h
ave
calle
d fQ
.L a
subl
imat
ion
of w
omen
's s
exua
l pl
easu
re t
o m
eet
a p,
assi
onle
ss
and_
rat
iona
l id
eal.
Rou
ssea
u's
· for
mul
atio
n ha
s ca
st
a lo
ng
~had
ow t
hat
ca~
t be
dis
pers
ed b
y si
mpl
e in
vers
ions
of
his
l argu
men
t~A
s lo
ng a
s th
e id
ea s
urvi
ves
that
a r
efor
med
libi
dina
l e(
onom
y fo
r w
omen
is t
he-P
-rec
ondi
tion
for
a su
cces
sful
fem
inis
t RO
litic
s, w
omen
can
alw
ays
be s
een
as u
nrea
dy_ f
or e
man
cipy
itiol
)ll
This
vie
w,
expl
icitl
y ex
pres
sed
in M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
A V
indi
-ca
tion
of t
/Je R
ig/it
s of
Wom
an e
mer
ges
in a
di
ffer
ent
form
in
Adr
ienn
e R
ich'
s ra
dica
l fe
min
ist
pole
mic
, 'C
ompu
lsor
y H
eter
o-__ s
exua
lity
and
Lesb
ian
Exi
sten
ce'
(198
0).
Thi
s ar
ticle
exp
lore
s A
Vind
icatio
n at
som
e le
ngth
, an
d 'C
ompu
lsor
y H
eter
osex
uali
ty'
very
bri
efly
, as
par
t of
a l
onge
r pr
ojec
t to
und
erst
and
how
the
se
xual
pol
itics
of f
emin
ism
has
bee
n sh
aped
.
The
Rig
hts
of W
oman
and
Fem
inin
e Se
xual
ity: M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
The
rep
utat
ion
of M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
A
Vind
icatio
n of
t/Je
-...
Rig/
its o
f W
oman
(17
92),
the
fo_u
ndin
g te
xt_o
f A
JJ~
f~
m,
gene
rally
pre
cede
s an
d in
par
t co
nstr
ucts
our
rea
ding
of
it.
We
are
likel
y to
loo
k fo
r, an
d pr
ivile
ge,
its d
eman
ds f
or
educ
atio
nal,
lega
l an
d po
litic
al e
qual
ity;
thes
e ar
e, a
fter
all,
the
de
man
ds t
hat
link
Wol
lsto
neca
ft's
fem
inis
m t
o ou
r ow
n. I
f w
e gi
ve o
urse
lves
up
to
A Vi
ndic
atio
n's
eloq
uent
but
som
ewha
t ra
mbl
ing
pros
e, w
e w
ill a
lso
disc
over
pas
sim a
n un
forg
etta
ble
earl
y ac
coun
t of
the
mak
ing
of a
lad
y,_~
acu~
,_de
_tai
led
anal
y:si
s o
V:h
e-s~
~~
~-~
--o
Ue.
min
i.n
ity
_,_
whi
ch a
ppro
pria
tes
the
deve
lopm
enta
l ps
ycho
logy
of
en
ligh
tenm
ent
and
rom
anti
c th
ough
t. I_!_
is c
erta
~_~
ossi
ble
_to __ e
ng_c
1g~_
with
_A_V
inqi
f;qjjQ
1.1s
o _
. far
and
no
fart
her,
to
let l
l}Q
SLoJ
.Hs . .
trou
blin
g.hi
s.to
rkal
JUea
ning
s .,
),)
--~nd
_c()n
.t_r.c
3:9-_i
Eti..9
E,~ .. d
r2Ei
\.~<l
Y,--
so .. t
hatw
.e .. m
ay.J
ake.
awa:
y_fr
om it
y}
'. u··
· /
an u
npro
blem
atic
fem
inis
t in
heri
tanc
e. H
ow m
uch
use
can
we
").,
'..(1i'
,~.._ ·
mak
e of
lhis
.leg
iicf
w·i
thoi
iFis
ense
·of t
he h
isto
ry t
hat
prod
uced
.:-
,;,('
,('
it? R
ead
A Vi
ndica
tion
for
its h
isto
rica
l mea
ning
s an
d an
othe
r te
xt
'·~: Ji
' --
--·----
----------
--···--..,
. ______ -··
_,
3. Je
ffrey
Wee
ks,
Sex,
Polit
ics a
nd S
ociet
y, Lo
ndon
198
1, p
. 30.
4. A
drie
nne
Rich
, 'C
ompu
lsor
y H
eter
osex
ualit
y an
d Le
sbia
n Ex
iste
nce',
in
Si
gns;
Jour
nal o
f Wom
en in
Cul
ture
and
Soc
iety,
vol.
5, no
. 4, 1
980,
pp.
631
-60.
'\,
l,J :
:i: W
ild N
ight
s 35
o~
ha_
! is
~g!:
t<!!?.
ly_a_
§j!1_
~~E~
§.t~9
-_il)_
µe_v
,~JQp
i_1:1,
g.~--~
~~s-
s~~,
!V2!
2..!a
dgjL
_r~!
.?f.!
1}.e
,~_!
?_9_
y1g~
9J.si
e_~~
.Ju .. 0
:.Qd!
!cin
g_an
an
al y_
~~-g
!_~.2
.I!l.f
il(~-
~~-~
,Qx.d
jna._t
jgE). p
.nd
? .. p
lani
fes to
_ of h
~r._
rJgh t
s. ---
------
this
part
of
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
pro
ject
des
erve
s ou
r at
tent
ion
too,
fo
r on
ly
by u
nder
stan
ding
w
hy
Wo __ g
~~
.cra
~J.
llcl,
, w
omen
to
beco
me j
ull
1Ild
e2!!
nden
t _m
ympe
r~ o
f • th
e-m
i§<l
li:~
c, k 1
"'-
. cla
ss,_
~~
.fil
<~
}),2
.g_p
Ltb
~ .. .n
~gi:J
._tjxg
_"an
c:Lgi;
{:!.~q
-i p.ti
ve.a
ssau
ltpn.
c. v
t; 1-, ,A
-
on fe
mal
e se
xual
ity th
at is
the
leitm
otif
of A
'\Zi
ndicq
Jion
whe
.reJU
s...:.
c, ua
\;· ; J
.
not
the
over
t sub
ject
of
the
text
. It
is u
sual
to
see
ffie
Fren
clrR
evol
utio
n as
the
inte
llect
ual a
nd
polit
ical
bac
kdro
p-ito
A V
indi
catio
n; i
t wou
ld b
e m
ore
usef
ul to
see
it
as th
e m
ost i
mpo
rtan
t con
ditio
n of
its
prod
ucti
on.
As
Mar
gare
t W
alte
rs h
as p
oint
ed o
ut,
A Vi
ndica
tion
sum
s up
and
rea
rtic
ulat
es
a ce
ntur
y of
fem
inis
t id
eas,
5 bu
t its
im
me.
di.a
te s
take
was
in
the
f'v EO
litic
al a
dvan
ce o
f a
revo
lutio
n,ac
y-Y
ill}g
uard
.:::::
..!.ll
iLlk
l..dl
e.=.d
ass
re) ~r-a
! J !!~
lf,...il
.§ W
~IT
E-.
f!..~
_n_g
oth
er..:
' im
agin
e~jt
Eve
r)'. 0
12in
ion
in I
..,.e_
, ·./··1~
l., th
e te
~ __ i
s _w
ritte
n _i
JJ._
j:he.
...gl
are-
of-th
is .. J
lOlit
kally
_,,c
_har
ged-
-aRd
\
0 co
nvul
sive
mom
ent,
an~ _
_J9g
__ar
ea o
f W
olls
tone
craf
t's_t
hpug
ht
mos
l alt
ered
.and
illu
min
ated
-by-
that
--gl
are-
is-s
exu 9
lity;. I
n he
r tw
o at
tem
pts
at f
ictio
n, M
ary,
a Fi
ction
and
Mar
ia o
r T/
Je W
rong
s_ o
f W
oman
, on
e pr
oduc
ed a
few
yea
rs b
efor
e A
Vind
icatio
n an
d th
e ot
her
inco
mpl
ete
at h
er d
eath
in
1797
, w
omen
's f
eelin
gs a
nd
desi
res,
as
w
ell
as
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f ex
pres
sing
the
m,
are
/,J
_ 1 va
lori
zed:
PBut
in
A Vi
ndica
tion_
_ W
ollst
one.
c:r!'
lt! ____
t~E_
ne~-
-~ga
inst
"--q
"'-~,
-,.,
1 1
f~g
,_ w
hi_c
h. iL
.S~~
~---<
!.5--~
~iJio
nary
and
_reg
l:'.~s
-~-~:'
.:.'_ ..
3-~?
~_t
u~~-
....i -
c-;,
-~!-
rE:~
o.lu
_!:l_
oE~~
y__,
!P~~
~l~t
y an
d p
lea~
-""~
~-~
-tJc
:J
indu
cem
ent~
.~aJ
jf,~
,:.~2
f=lu
qr8_
1:~~
fsl[
y.g~
~§®
:·)~:
:.t~-
~;:o
~ly.
\ ,lt P
P2~~
-_<! ttr
-ip.~~
~i.!P.
R.£.9.
E.1:i.a
Je:;:to
!fl.Y
-r.ey_
o.!11
Ji_on
ary .. c
:h<!lg
c;,.t§
[ 1~p
d 7
J :w
om._e
n. c1
x~ir:
!}J2!
:.de .. d
b}:_
Jheir
_e_a
,fly_
and
__ cor
rupt
.jniti
at-i
onjn
_tb~
J ~~
r1su
aL,fr
..Qrr1
.JJsm
g th
eirs
,-~
· ~h
.y-is.
..A-:-
1lind
i~tJlj
Q!!_
_~~?
--~1:
1!f~
ed _
-~i-~
-~ .. :
~~-
sex1:1
~~--
a_~d
so
seve
re a
bout
1t?
This
1s
the
ques
l:Ion
tha
t I
will
exp
lore
at
snm
e l~
oelo
w:
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
fem
inis
m a
nd h
er p
osit
ions
on
sexu
ality
wer
e, a
,t th
is p
oint
in
her
life,
dir
ectly
bou
nd u
p w
ith I
her
radi
cal p
oliti
cs -
they
can
onl
y be
und
erst
ood
thro
ugh
each
/ ot
her.
In
unta
ngli
ng t
he k
nott
ed m
eani
ngs
of t
he s
exua
l in
our
ow
n hi
stor
y, o
ur o
wn
polit
ics,
it
is u
sefu
l to
und
erst
and
the
5. M
arga
ret
Wal
ters
, 'T
he R
ight
s an
d W
rong
s of
Wom
en:
Mar
y W
olls
tone
craf
t, H
arrie
t M
artin
eau,
Sim
one
de B
eauv
oir',
in
Julie
t M
itche
ll an
d A
nn O
akle
y ed
s., T
he R
ight
s an
d W
rong
s of
Wom
en,
Har
mon
dsw
orth
, 197
9, p
p. 3
04-3
78.
36
diff
eren
t bu
t re
curr
ing
anxi
etie
s it
has
stir
red
for
othe
r fe
min
-i_s
ms, o
ther
tim
es.
A Vi
ndica
tion
of th
e Ri
ghts
of W
oman
off
ers
the
read
er a
pur
itan
sexu
al e
thic
with
suc
h pa
ssio
nate
con
vict
ion
that
sel
f-de
nial
se
ems
a lib
idin
zed
activ
ity.
And
so
it w
as,
in t
he s
ense
tha
t a
refo
rm o
f sex
ual b
eha~
..!!?
.!.S
!.!1
.$£~
!:!.
P.!:
,C~n
diti
,9.!
_1_~
rn
dica
l. <j
}ang
~ in
__ j!1
e _ c
o~
~m
en
; ~
perm
ittin
g ~
e
dey_
elop
men
LoLt
lieir
reASO
n Th
e de
moc
ratic
im
pera
tives
-eq
ualit
y an
d lib
erty
for
all
clas
ses
of p
erso
ns -
have
bee
n, f
or s
o lo
ng n
ow,
the
wel
l wor
n st
aple
s of
libe
ral a
nd
left
rhet
oric
tha
t it
is ha
rd t
o re
mem
ber
that
the
y w
ere
bein
g in
voke
d in
new
way
s an
d w
ith u
npre
cede
nted
exu
bera
nce
in th
e 17
_90s·
; Whe
n w
e tr
y to
puz
zle
out t
he m
eani
ngs
of A
Vin
dica
tion
it'is
the
nega
tive
cons
truct
ion
of th
e se
xual
in th
e m
idst
of a
pos
i-tiv
e an
d pr
ogre
ssiv
e co
nstru
ctio
n of
the
soc
ial
and
polit
ical
we
mt,J:
st qu
estio
n. I
n th
at c
ontra
dict
ion
-if
inde
ed it
is a
con
tradi
c-tio
n -
our
pres
ent
conf
lict
over
sex
ual
polit
ics
is st
ill p
artly
em
bedd
ed.
Wri
tten·
in s
ix w
eeks
at
the
heig
ht o
f B
ritis
h le
ft op
timis
m
abou
t eve
nts
in F
ranc
e, A
Vin
dica
tion
cam
e ou
t ear
ly in
179
2, t
he
sam
e ye
ar a
s th
e se
cond
par
t of T
om P
aine
's Ri
ghts
of M
an, a
yea
r be
fore
Will
iam
God
win
's Po
litica
l Ju
stice
. Ea
ch w
as,
equa
lly,
a re
spon
se t
o th
e po
litic
al m
omen
t. A
ll th
ree
wer
e cr
ucia
l st
ate-
men
ts a
bout
the
soci
al a
nd p
oliti
cal p
ossi
bilit
ies
of a
tran
sfor
med
Br
itain
. A
n al
mos
t m
illen
aria
l fe
rvou
r m
oved
Brit
ish
radi
cals
in
thes
e ye
ars.
The
ir po
litic
al a
nd p
hilo
soph
ical
ide
as w
ere
bein
g pu
t in
to p
ract
ice
only
a f
ew h
undr
ed m
iles
away
; th
ere
wer
e si
gns
of
reas
oned
an
d pu
rpos
eful
un
rest
at
ho
me
amon
g or
dina
ry w
orki
ng p
eopl
e. T
he e
nd o
f ar
isto
crat
ic p
rivile
ge a
nd
auto
crat
ic r
ule
in F
ranc
e w
as t
o be
tak
en a
s a
sign
of
univ
ersa
l ch
ange
. Th
e do
wnf
all
of t
he B
astil
le,
Thom
as P
aine
exu
lted,
in
clud
ed th
e id
ea o
f the
dow
nfal
l of d
espo
tism
. A
Vind
icatio
n en
gage
s w
ith r
adic
al r
oman
tic
polit
ics
at a
m
omen
t whe
n th
e pr
actic
al r
ealiz
atio
n of
suc
h a
polit
ics
seem
ed
as n
ear
as F
ranc
e its
elf.
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
had
alre
ady
wri
tten
one
shor
t pa
mph
let,
A Vi
ndica
tion
of t
ile R
ig/it
s of
Men
(1
790)
, in
su
ppor
t of
the
revo
lutio
n, a
nd w
as s
till
to w
rite
a lo
ng p
iece
on
its b
ehal
f.6 I
n A
Vind
icatio
n of
the
Rig
hts
of W
oman
, he
r m
ost
6. M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft,
Histo
rical
and
Mor
al V
iew o
f /lie
Orig
in a
nd P
rogr
ess
of th
e Fr
ench
Rev
olut
ion,
179
4.
1/
Wild
Nig
hts
37
impo
rtan
t w
ork,
she
too
k ad
vant
age
of a
n op
en m
omen
t of
po
litic
al d
ebat
e to
int
erve
ne o
n be
half
of w
omen
from
ins
ide
the
Briti
sh le
ft in
telli
gent
sia.
· Its
mes
sage
is u
rgen
t pre
cise
ly b
ecau
se
soci
al a
nd p
oliti
cal
refo
r,m s
eem
ed n
ot j
ust
poss
ible
, bu
t in
evit-
able
. Th
e st
atus
of
wom
en a
s m
oral
and
pol
itica
l be
ings
had
be
com
e on
e fa
irly
mut
ed i
nsta
nce
of t
he u
nres
olve
d co
ntra
dic-
tions
with
in t
he r
epub
lican
and
dem
ocra
tic t
ende
ncie
s of
the
tim
e. T
he o
verl
appi
ng te
nden
cies
of e
nlig
hten
men
t and
rom
antic
th
ough
t em
phas
ized
th
e na
tura
l vi
rtue
rath
er
than
in
nate
de
prav
ity o
f hu
man
bei
ngs,
the
ir e
qual
ity b
efor
e G
od,
and
the
evils
bro
ught
abo
ut b
y un
equa
l la
ws
and
here
dita
ry p
rivile
ge.
Arg
umen
ts in
itial
ly d
irect
ed a
t a c
orru
pt ru
ling
clas
s on
beh
alf o
f a
virt
uous
bou
rgeo
isie
ine
vita
bly
open
ed u
p qu
estio
ns o
f in
tra-
clas
s po
wer
re
latio
ns.
With
A
· Vin
dica
tion
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
chal
leng
ed h
er o
wn
polit
ical
cam
p, in
sist
ing
that
wom
en's
right
s be
put
high
eron
the
radi
cal
agen
da._~
cl.~~
.l:.~
~~9.j
;_qJ
.q_llg
yra'n
d, ta
king
issu
e w
ith R
ouss
eau,
s_p
eaki
ng t
he p
oliti
cal
jarg
on o
f he
r 'E
nglis
hron
tem
pora
ries
, ..d_
Vind
icatio
n in
Yi.
l~ en
light
enm
ent -
heiif
age,
"'tne
-dea
cl a
ria th
e liv
ing,
to
exte
nd t
he n
ewhu
mar
usm
to
cthe
oth
er h
-alfo
flfie
-rac
·e:-W
-ithc
r-th
rivirr
g-re
volu
tiurr
-i:m
der
way
, th
epol
itica
l ana
ihre
l1ec
fual
cre
dit o
f rep
ublic
an s
ympa
this
-er
s w
as a
s hi
gh a
s th
eir m
oral
e. I
t see
med
like
the
rig
ht m
omen
t to
ask
them
to p
ay th
eir d
ebt t
o w
omen
. Th
e op
enin
g pa
ges
of A
Vin
dica
tion
shar
e th
e ag
gres
sive
, co
nfid
ent
moo
d an
d to
ne t
hat
had
deve
lope
d un
der
the
thre
at
and
prom
ise
of t
he r
evol
utio
nary
mom
ent.
Rid
icul
ing
the
'turg
id
bom
bast
' an
d 'fl
ower
y di
ctio
n'
of
aris
tocr
atic
di
scou
rse,
W
olls
tone
craf
t of
fers
the
rea
der
inst
ead,
'si
ncer
ity'
and
'un-
affe
cted
' pro
s~,
the
styl
e an
d st
~nda
rds
of t
he c
l~ss
of
men
~nd
:~·d
\ !-w
omen
t~ w
hom
~he
was
spe
akm
g -
'I.p~y
_-~r
h~_l!
-~~-
~!!~
DJlQ
~_ r
' l-s
s
~se m
_,th
e m
1ddl
e_cl
ass,
~aus
e th
ey a
ppea
r to
be
m t
he
~1
mos
t ~[
L~,
_kas
Lc.
or:r
.1,1
.P,~
~l~~
e.'. f!
~.C
~~
~~
-~\
o-._)
-hias
:Jy_a
s .~
haxe
d .w
ith-h
er. .. r
adic
aLco
.ntg
mfto
~ 9de
s-=.
jUs.
-har
_dly
su
r_pr
is_ing
_ _th
at .. i
deal
ized
hum
anity
jw_ i
~ §l
ppya
r~ i
n hg
r_Je
).(U
s.a
iaf~~
,-P-1
!..in
_~p~
_aki
ng,_J
:?.Q1
:!Eg_
e,~is
-~.:
..J2
enyi
n~_i
nni;
lte
"~qy
_g_li
_ty: __
betw
een
Jhg~
__ §ex
es __
m,g
12Lv
J:n:§
is:A
J_§t
r.eng
.th,_
she
-pr
omis
es .. t
o.!.f
ir.st
-con
side
r.,w
omer
i_tn
_th~
_grn
nd.li
ghLo
Lhum
au
C!:§
!t1Jre
s,.:w
.ho ,jJ
\_CQ,
ffiffi
..Q!l .
.With
.men
, .. are
~pJa
ced.
on~t
his .
ear.t
h,to
, "u
nfol
d th
eir
facu
lties
', an
d_ .. !:!
.,c;l._c
l._r,ess
es .. h
eLSi
ster
s .. _h
o)dl
y .. AS
~
;[~i~ak
:~:-~~~
~,~i-f~
~~;~:~
~~!~t:~
f;~~=g:
:f!~~~~
)
38
the
dist
i~~.
Qf_
_sg2
<.~-
· . '7
"·
How
to
atta
in t
his
char
acte
r? I
n Pa
ine'
s Ri
ghts
of M
an t
he
read
er w
as t
old
that
ine
qual
ity a
nd o
ppre
ssio
n w
ere
the
effe
·cts
of c
ultu
re r
athe
r th
an n
atur
e. T
he t
ext
itsel
f is
a po
litic
izin
g ev
ent,
first
con
stru
ctin
g an
d th
en w
orki
ng o
n an
unc
orru
pted
ra
tiona
l sub
ject
. Pai
ne h
oped
, and
his
ene
mie
s fe
ared
, th
at s
ome
sort
of
dire
ct p
oliti
cal
actio
n to
uns
eat
desp
otic
pow
er w
ould
fo
llow
fro
m a
sym
path
etic
rea
ding
of h
is p
amph
let.
The
mes
sage
an
d in
tent
ion
of A
Vin
dica
tion
are
very
diff
eren
t. N
owhe
re d
oes
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
pose
wom
en,
in t
heir
pre
sent
'de
grad
ed' c
ondi
-tio
n, a
s ei
ther
van
guar
d or
rev
olut
iona
ry m
ass.
Lik
e th
e co
rrup
t ar
isto
crac
y, t
o w
hom
the
y ar
e fr
eque
ntly
com
pare
d, !
~~Y,
_9.~
, ir
n,t~
G_
lum
pen
grou
p wh
o_ m
ust
unde
rgo
stre
nuou
s re
-edu
ca_-
. tio
n in
ord
erth
at th
ey_m
ighL
r.eno
.unc
e....t
b~_s
_ens
.yg1
,-.ri£
L!he
_!!}
-se
lveL
o..L
sdLp
hrns
es,
susr
eptib
ili1y
of h
~i~
~Y
.2!
S!;~
~:
men
t, an
d re
fine
men
t of
tas
t~--
,-.-,.
~lib
er.ti
ne...
nolJ
ons_
oLbe
aut¥
an
d th
e si
nglg
-min
decl
~des
ire o
f es
tabl
ishin
g_tb
ems_
elv.
.e.s.
~tb_
e on
ly w
ayyo
men
can
_risg
in
the
wor
ld -
. by
mar
riag
~A
~e
the
mid.d
l.e.= .
.d<1s
s w
oman
can
join
the
Il!.id
dle-
clas
s m
an in
ady_
Q_-
Cfl._
ting_
and
adva
nci1!
g_I:1
_~1:1
:an _
_ero
gres
s,_sh
e m
ust b
~-pg
!:§_t1
aq~<
1Jo
beco
me
'mor
e m
ascu
line
and
resp
ecta
ble'
, by
givi
ng u
p he
~/91
.~
66th
. as··; in
s"f gn
ifica
nf"o
oj ec
ts··o
f·des
ire~ :
in<l
-as·d
esi_
rinK
subj
ecfS
Ev
en i
n its
ow
ri-da
y·;c
r Vi
n'i:T
icatio
n m
ust
have
bee
n a
shor
t, sh
arp
shoc
k fo
r w
omen
rea
ders
. M
en m
ight
be
able
to
mob
ilize
re
ason
and
pas
sion
, in
the
m e
quita
bly
com
bine
d, t
o ch
ange
the
w
orld
im
med
iate
ly;
wom
en,
crip
pled
and
stu
nted
by
an e
duca
-tio
n fo
r de
pend
ence
, m
ust
liber
ate
them
selv
es f
rom
a s
lavi
sh
addi
ctio
n to
th
e se
nsua
l be
fore
the
ir
'und
erst
andi
ngs'
cou
ld
liber
ate
anyo
ne e
lse.
At l
ater
mom
ents
of p
oliti
cal c
risis
fem
inis
ts
coul
d, a
nd w
ould
, po
rtra
y w
omen
as
vang
uard
fig
ures
, su
b-or
dina
ted
mem
bers
of t
he p
rope
rtie
d cl
ass
who
und
erst
ood
mor
e ab
out
oppr
essi
on,
as
a re
sult,
th
an
thei
r bo
urge
ois
mal
e co
mra
des.
Not
her
e. R
ead
inte
rtext
ually
, he
ard
agai
nst
the
poly
-ph
onic
lyr
icis
m o
f Pa
ine,
· God
win
and
the
doz
ens
of e
phem
eral
pa
mph
lete
ers
who
wer
e ce
lebr
atin
g th
e fa
ct a
nd p
rosp
ect o
f th
e re
volu
tion,
A V
indi
catio
n w
as a
sob
erin
g re
ad. W
olls
tqne
craf
t set
s .o
ut o
n __ an
.her
oicm
j_ss
ion
to r
escu
e w
omen
from
a_ fa
te w
orse
tita
n._
7. W
olls
tone
craf
t, A
Vind
icatio
n, p
p. 9
-10.
8.
Ib
id.,
p. 1
0.
9. Ib
id.,
p. 1
1.
., I ,. .I· ., I I·
Wild
Nig
hts
39
deat
h, w
hich
was
, as
she_
saw
it, t
he m
alis
:!Q!J
S.i!n
dsim
t1lta
neou
s_
iJJs.c
ri pJi
~ . .!?.
L!t~~i.~
. _§_~
Xt1q_l
i_ty __ a
:r1_g
_jnf
edor
i ty.
as . ...i
11IJ.a
t~ ,, J.
}p t_l
JI.ill.
diffe
renc
e.. I
.hi_[
.J:YJ
;!S._h
o.w._h
gr_p
_olit
ical..m
ento
cand
.gend
er...a
dY..e
.r.-
~~~e~
~_e;f.
s:;1ef }
~~:~
~~~~
:~~a
;:~~
ffJe
~~~~
::0g
;::~
hn~~
le
ast
on W
olls
tone
crat
t he
rsel
f. Sh
e ac
cept
s R
ouss
eau'
s as
crip
-. p
tio
n of
fem
ale
infe
riorit
y an
d lo
cate
s it
even
mor
e fir
mly
tha
n he
-~
/
does
in
an e
xces
s of
sen
sibi
lity.
Sin
ce J
ust
and
narc
issi
sm w
ere
~
evil
they
mus
t be
long
to
soci
al r
elat
ions
rat
her
than
hum
an
natu
re;
this
was
Rou
ssea
u's
own
posi
tion
in r
elat
ion
to m
en.
Acc
ordi
ngly
, fe
mal
e se
xual
ity in
sofa
r as
it i
s vi
ciou
s is
insc
ribed
_
? in
A V
indi
catio
n as
the
eff
ect
of c
ultu
re o
n an
ess
entia
lly u
n-,.)-
'> =
gend
ered
nat
ure.
By
tam
peri
ng w
ith th
e si
te o
f deg
radi
ng s
exua
l-v--1
> .)<
!ty
with
out
chal
leng
ing
the
mor
alis
ing
des~
riptio
n o~
~ex
ualit
y 1<(
,v-t,,·,;
)_' ·it
self,
~o~
lston
~cra
fL.se
.ts-;-
-l!J2
._bg
<1.r.
t.b:e
.;iku
:1g_
c,o.n
d1ti~
n~-fo
r x:i
~ 1'-"
_ ,.,.i.~
:2 w
omfil
.S.J1
J2er
ation
--=--a
...l1.
ttle._
g_ea
tb,._
t.h_e
__ dea
th ... 0
Ldes
1re,
~tbe
" e;,-.
/ Jr.
Y yd"
de
ath
of fe
mal
e pl
easu
re.
--··--
·----·
------
-__
__
__
__
__
Vo.
{ 0vl"
' /E
ven
ifA
Viir
dica
tioni
s·pre
occu
pied
with
the
sexu
al a
s th
e si
te
\ an
d ,so
urce
of
wom
en's
opp
ress
ion,
why
is
wom
an's
lov
e of
.
leas
~re
so d
ee _
lµtig
maJ
lz_e
..d_r
uhe
si~
!_~
er d
egra
dati~
}lln
--·
refu
smg
to i
nter
pret
wom
en's
unb
ound
ed a
esir
e as
a n
atur
al
mar
k of
sex
ual d
iffer
ence
or t
he a
ppro
pria
te p
reoc
cupa
tion
of h
er
med
iate
d pl
ace
in t
he s
ocia
l, W
olls
tone
craf
t is
resi
stin
g a
who
le
rang
e of
bou
rgeo
is p
ositi
ons
arou
nd g
ende
r se
xual
ity,
posi
tions
ra
pidl
y ha
rden
ing
into
the
for
ms
of b
ourg
eois
mor
ality
tha
t w
ould
dom
inat
e ni
nete
enth
cen
tury
rulin
g cl
ass
gend
er re
latio
ns.
Her
deb
ate
with
Rou
ssea
u is
cent
ral,
beca
use,
like
her
, Rou
ssea
u w
ishe
d to
har
ness
his
gen
der
ideo
logi
es t
o ra
dica
l so
cial
and
po
litic
al t
heor
ies.
Rou
ssea
u's
Emile
is
the
plac
e w
here
he
spel
ls
out t
he th
eore
tical
and
soc
ially
exp
edie
nt p
rem
ises
that
exc
lude
d ·
wom
en f
rom
equ
al p
artic
ipat
ion
in t
he e
nlig
hten
men
t pr
ojec
ts
for
hum
an l
iber
atio
n an
d in
divi
dual
tra
nsce
nden
ce.
Arg
uing
for
the
sexu
al a
ssym
etry
of
natu
ral
endo
wm
ent,
Rou
ssea
u in
sist
ed
that
wom
en's
'fi
rst
prop
ensi
ties'·
rev
eale
d an
exc
ess
of s
ensi
-bi
lity,
eas
ily 'c
orru
pted
or
perv
erte
d by
too
muc
h in
dulg
ence
.' In
ci
vil
soci
ety
wom
en's
am
oral
wea
knes
s m
ust
not
be g
iven
its
na
tura
l sco
pe J
est i
t lea
d, a
s it
inev
itabl
y m
ust,
to a
dulte
ry a
nd it
s cr
imin
al
cons
eque
nce,
th
e fo
istin
g of
ill
egiti
mat
e he
irs
on
bour
geoi
s hu
sban
ds.
The
rem
edy
is bo
rrow
ed b
ack
from
the
te
chni
ques
of
aris
tocr
atic
des
potis
m,
else
whe
re i
n R
ouss
eau
so
viol
ently
con
dem
ned:
wom
en ' .
.. m
ust b
e su
bjec
t all
thei
r liv
es,
40
to t
he m
ost
cons
tant
and
sev
ere
rest
rain
t, w
hich
is
that
of
deco
rum
; it
is th
eref
ore,
nec
essa
ry t
o ac
cust
om t
hem
ear
ly t
o su
ch c
onfi
nem
ent
that
it
may
not
aft
erw
ards
cos
t th
em t
oo
dear
....
We
shou
ld t
each
the
m a
bove
all
thin
gs t
o la
y a
due
rest
rain
t on
them
selv
es.n
u A
ckno
wle
dgin
g, w
ith c
roco
dile
tea
rs,
the
artif
icia
lity
of· t
he
soci
al, w
hile
ins
istin
g on
its
nece
ssity
, Rou
ssea
u in
voke
s a
tradi
-tio
nally
unr
egen
erat
e Ev
e pa
rtne
red
to a
n A
dam
who
has
bee
n gi
ven
back
his
pre
-lap
sari
an s
tatu
s. 'T
he li
fe o
f a m
odes
t wom
an
is re
duce
d, b
y ou
r ab
surd
ins
titut
ions
, to
a p
erpe
tual
con
flict
w
ith h
erse
lf: b
ut i
t is
just
tha
t th
is s
ex s
houl
d pa
rtak
e of
the
su
ffer
ings
whi
ch a
rise
from
tho
se e
vils
it h
ath
caus
ed u
s.'11
Em
ile
lays
out
, in
fas
cina
ting
deta
il, t
he r
adic
al p
roje
ct f
or t
he e
duca
-tio
n an
d ad
ult
gend
er r
elat
ions
of
an e
nlig
hten
ed b
ourg
eois
ie,
a pr
ojec
t tha
t de
pend
ed fo
r its
suc
cess
on
the
loca
tion
of a
ffec
tion
and
sexu
ality
in
the
fam
ily,
as w
ell
as t
he c
onst
ruct
ion
of t
he
bour
geoi
s in
divi
dual
as
the
agen
t of
fre
e w
ill.
The
stn 1
ggle
be
twee
n re
ason
and
pas
sion
has
an
inte
rnal
and
ext
erna
l exp
res-
sion
in
Rou
ssea
u, a
nd t
he t
rium
ph o
f re
ason
is
ensu
red
by t
he
soci
al n
atur
e of
pas
sion
. Si
nce
mal
e de
sire
nee
ds a
n ob
ject
, an
d w
omen
are
tha
t in
finite
ly p
rovo
cativ
e ob
ject
, th
e so
cial
sub
-or
dina
tion
of w
omen
to t
he w
ill o
f m
en e
nsur
es th
e co
ntai
nmen
t of
pas
sion
. In
this
way
Rou
ssea
u lin
ks th
e po
tent
ial a
nd fr
eedo
m
of t
he n
ew m
iddl
e cl
ass
to t
he s
imul
tane
ous
supp
ress
ion
and
expl
oita
tion
of w
omen
's n
atur
e.
, R
ouss
eau
play
s on
the
alr
eady
con
stru
cted
sex
ual
cate
gori
za-
tion
of w
omen
into
two
grou
ps -
the
virt
uous
and
dep
rave
d. B
y in
sist
ing
that
the
se d
ivis
ions
ar
e so
cial
·ra
ther
th
an
natu
ral
cons
truc
ts -
wom
en a
re n
ot d
epra
ved
by n
atur
e -
Rou
ssea
u ca
n ar
gue
for
soci
al a
nd c
ivil
rest
rain
ts
on w
omen
. M
iche
l Fo
ucau
lt po
ints
out
tha
t th
e pr
oces
s of
con
stru
ctin
g w
omen
firs
t· an
d fo
rem
ost
as a
sex
ual
subj
ect
was
in
itsel
f a
clas
s bo
und
proj
ect:
~ .
it w
as i
n th
e "b
ourg
eois
" or
aris
tocr
atic
fam
ily t
hat
the_
_s_g
_xua
lity
of
child
ren
ana-
-m1o
lesc
ents
---w
as-f
irst
-pro
b-le
mat
ized
....
the
firs
t fig
ure
to b
e -in
v§te
clkt
h·e-
depl
oym
enro
f se
xual
ity,
one
of t
he f
irst
to b
e "s
ex
uali
ze~
the-u
idle
" ---.:_
.
---·
-··'
----
----
----
---
10.
Jean
-Jac
ques
Rou
ssea
u,
Emile
, B
arba
ra F
oxle
y,
tr.,
Lond
on,
1974
, p.
332
. Pa
ssag
es f
rom
Emi
le ca
n al
l be
fou
nd i
n Bo
ok V
of
this
edi
tion.
How
ever
I
have
cite
d R
ouss
eau
as q
uote
d by
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
who
com
men
ts o
n la
rge
chun
ks o
f Bo
ok V
in A
Vin
dica
tion.
11
. Ib
id.,
pp. 3
32-3
.
Wild
Nig
hts
41
wom
an.
She
inha
bit~
the_
oute
.u:d
g.e.
_oLt
he-.'
.~.w
.orld
", i
n w
hich
s'
neal
way
snad
to ap
pear
as
valu
e, a
nd o
f th
e fa
mily
, w
here
she
w
as a
ssig
ned
a ne
w id
entit
y ch
arge
d w
ith c
onju
gal
and
pare
ntal
ob
ligat
ion.
'12
Mar
y W
olls
tone
craf
t sto
od w
aist
-dee
p in
the
se a
lrea
dy e
stab
-lis
hed
and
emer
gent
sex
ual
ideo
logi
es.
At
the
time
she
was
w
ritin
g A
Vind
icat
ion
she
was
nei
ther
will
ing
nor
able
to m
ount
a
who
lesa
le c
ritiq
ue e
ither
of
bour
geoi
s se
xual
mor
es o
r th
e w
ider
ar
eas
of g
ende
r re
latio
ns.
H~_
li.fu
_was
....sh
o_1:
tl_y_
to_g
Q..J
hmug
h ii-
Qffi
~_e..
r_J..
..rap
id_c
hang
es,_w
._oich
.. w..o
.uld,_
ironi
call;
y:, __
mfil
kJ1e
.r as
' on
e of
the
'de
grad
ed'
wom
en_s
o__r
eroo
rsel
e.ss
ly._
pillo
ried.
-in..h
er
text
. A
yea
r an
d a
half
aft
er h
er e
ssay
was
pub
lishe
d sh
e w
as
-rr.v
fog -
wit
h a
youn
g A
mer
ican
, G
ilber
t Im
lay,
in
Fran
ce;
two
year
s la
ter
she
was
an
unm
arri
ed m
othe
r. A
Vind
icat
ion
is a
wat
ersh
ed i
p he
r lif
e an
d th
ough
t, bu
t th
is c
risis
is m
arke
d in
a
curi
ousl
y w
ilful
way
. Ibe
_t~L
e.x~
~-~.
?_yj
_g~n
t.?2:
tag9
1Ji~
rn.J
o th
e se
xual
; it
exjig
8era
~s t
he _i
~.Q
Jtan
ce __ .Q
f_ t_
~~-~
~~su
al_i
n th
e ev
~iyJ
j~il\
'.Erfi
eh,_
}!!lf
L!>~
.~X
~Y-.$
._!~
_~m
RetP
-ro0.
1:!!!
fl--~
:95'.
!Y
aoou
!._!~
e_ru
p~~~
E]g-
rorc
e of
~em
ale_
sexu
ality
._B
ot~
Emile
and
A
Vind
icat
ion
shar
e a
deep
am
biva
lenc
e ab
out
sexu
ality
. Im
ages
of
----
--.-
---···-
-----:
:c,:--
·'"""-·
--.. ,..
,-d
)iCnl
seas
e.,_
deca
y an
d an
arr.~
_pcw
ei'I_
im a
s_a_
sym
oolic
µnde
r-te
xt i
n bo
th w
orks
, to
o f~
eque
1!tly
loc
at~d
_jp_
wom
en)~
,sex
ual
bein
g ra
th~r
.Jban
.Jn._
c;g1y
,Jief
eici~
!';~u
akpr
nc:;t
ic:;e.
~ Th
is d
ista
ste
is , ~
asiv
ely
art
icul
ated
in A
Vin
dica
tion,
adu
mbr
ated
on
the
first
pa
ge w
ith a
n ar
rest
ing
desc
ript
ion
of F
renc
h ge
nder
rel
atio
ns a
s 'th
e ve
ry e
ssen
ce o
f se
nsua
lity'
dom
inat
ed b
y 'a
kin
d of
sen
ti-m
enta
l lu
st'
whi
ch i
s se
t ag
ains
t th
e id
eal
of '
pers
onal
res
erve
, an
d s~
_c;.r
.e.d
.-res
pecL
foL.
dean
lines
s ... a
nd.
delic
acy-
_in _
_ QQ!
!l_~s
tic
life .
. ?.-1
:1 -The
imag
es o
f se
xual
ity th
roug
hout
are
so
grip
ping
and
-----.
, c6
mpu
lsiv
e th
at it
is h
ard
to t
ear
ones
elf
away
to
the
less
viv
id
"\
/ an
alys
is t
hat
insi
sts,
with
com
men
dabl
e vi
gour
, th
at th
ese
filth
y )
'·-.h
abits
are
a s
ocia
l co
nstr
uctio
n, f
oist
ed o
n ea
ch g
ener
atio
n of
/,
/ w
o~l3
ymal
e-cl
omir
rate
d-an
d-m
ale=
orie
ntat
ed-s
ocie
.ty. ...
----
----
--·
The
plac
e of
fe
mal
e se
xual
ity
in
A Vi
ndic
atio
n is
ov
er-
dete
rmin
ed b
y po
litic
al a
s w
ell a
s so
cial
his
tory
. Lik
e m
any
of th
e pr
ogre
ssiv
e vo
ices
of
the
late
eig
htee
nth
cent
ury,
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
had
built
her
dre
ams
of a
new
soc
iety
on
the
foun
datio
n of
12.
Mic
hel
Fouc
ault,
Tl1e
Hist
ory
of S
exua
lity:
Vol
ume
1: An
/11tr
oduc
tio11
, Lo
ndon
, 19
79, p
. 121
. 13
. W
olls
tone
craf
t, A
Vind
icatio
n, p
p. 3
-4.
42
Rou
ssea
u's
Socia
l Co
ntra
ct an
d Es
say
on I
nequ
ality
. R
ouss
eau'
s w
ritin
gs,
inso
far
as t
hey
spok
e ab
out
hum
an b
eing
s ra
ther
tha
n m
en,
offe
red
cold
rea
son
war
med
with
fee
ling
in a
mix
ture
tha
t w
as v
ery
attra
ctiv
e to
th
e ex
cita
ble
radi
cal
tem
pera
men
ts o
f W
oll~
tone
craf
t's
gene
ratio
n.
Rou
ssea
u,
Pain
e w
rote
in
17
91,
expr
esse
d 'a
lov
elin
ess
of s
entim
ent
in f
avor
of
liber
ty,
that
ex
cite
s re
spec
t and
ele
vate
s th
e hu
man
facu
lties
' -a
judg
emen
t w
idel
y sh
ared
. H
ow
unlo
vely
th
en,
for
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
to
cons
ider
th
at i
n Em
ile
Rou
ssea
u de
liber
c_!te
ly
with
olds
fro
m
wom
en b
ecau
se o
f th
e 'd
iffer
ence
of
sex'
all
that
is p
rom
ised
to
men
. R
ouss
eau'
s ge
nera
l pr
ejud
ices
and
rec
omm
enda
tions
for
w
omen
-fu
nctio
nal,
dom
estic
edu
catio
n, n
un-l
ike
soci
aliz
atio
n,
rest
rict
ed
activ
ity
and
virt
ual
inca
rcer
atio
n in
th
e ho
me
-co
llude
d w
ith t
he g
ende
r bi
as a
nd a
dvic
e of
mor
e re
actio
nary
bo
urge
ois
auth
o~s,
as w
ell a
s so
ciet
y at
larg
e. T
he s
ense
in w
hich
R
ouss
eau'
s pr
escr
iptio
ns w
ere
)Jec
omin
g th
e do
min
ant v
iew
can
be
hea
rd i
n th
e di
ffer
ent
imag
inar
y re
ader
s ad
dres
sed
by t
he
text
s. In
the
sec
tion
on w
omen
Em
ile s
lips
in a
nd o
ut o
f a
de-
fens
ive
post
ure,
arg
uing
, if
only
tac
tical
ly,
with
an
anon
ymou
s fe
min
ist
oppo
nent
for
the
im
posi
tion
of a
str
icte
r re
gim
e on
w
omen
. Wol
lsto
necr
aft t
oo is
on
the
defe
nsiv
e bu
t her
com
posi
te
read
er-a
ntag
onis
t w
as ·a
soc
iety
tha
t be
lieve
d in
and
fol
low
ed
Rou
ssea
u's
nove
l adv
ice
to t
he le
tter.
Emile
off
ered
its
idea
s as
a
refo
rm o
f an
d re
actio
n to
lib
eral
ide
as o
n fe
mal
e ed
ucat
ion
and
beha
viou
r. Th
irty
yea
rs o
n, A
Vin
dica
tion
sugg
este
d th
at f
emal
e se
xual
mor
ality
had
bec
ome
laxe
r, op
erat
ing
unde
r ju
st s
uch
a re
gim
e of
rest
rain
t and
coe
rcio
n as
Rou
ssea
u ha
d la
id o
ut.
The
proj
ect
of E
mile
was
to
outli
ne t
he s
ocia
l an
d se
xual
re
latio
ns o
f an
ide
aliz
ed b
ourg
eois
soc
iety
by
givi
ng a
n ac
coun
t of
the
educ
atio
n an
d co
urts
hip
of it
s yo
uth.
A V
indi
catio
n ap
pro-
pria
tes
part
of
this
pro
ject
, th
e el
abor
ate
set
of d
istin
ctio
ns
betw
een
the
man
ners
and
mor
als
of th
e ar
isto
crac
y an
d th
ose
of
the
new
m
iddl
e cl
ass.
The
anti-
aris
tocr
atic
crit
ique
is
fore
-gr
ound
ed a
nd s
et i
n fo
cus
by t
he F
renc
h R
evol
utio
n: i
ts e
arly
pr
ogre
ss e
xpos
ed t
he c
orru
ptio
n of
the
rul
ing
clas
ses
to a
ver
y w
ide
and
rece
ptiv
e au
dien
ce. W
hen
Wol
lsto
necr
aft s
ugge
sts
that
va
in,
idle
and
sen
suou
s m
iddl
e-cl
ass
wom
en a
re to
be
com
pare
d w
ith t
he w
hole
of
the
here
dita
ry a
risto
crac
y w
ho l
ive
only
for
pl
easu
re s
he s
trik
es a
t tw
o po
pula
r ta
rget
s. W
hen
she
iden
tifie
s th
e ae
sthe
ticiz
ed a
nd a
rtific
ial
lang
uage
of
the
rulin
g cl
ass
-'a
de
luge
of f
alse
sen
timen
ts a
nd o
vers
tret
ched
feel
ings
', 'd
ropp
ing
Wild
Nig
hts
43
glib
ly fr
om t
he to
ngue
' as
the
lang
uage
of n
ovel
s an
d le
tters
, _sh
e im
plie
s th
at it
is
also
the
lan
guag
e of
wom
en,
or o
f th
e so
CJety
ad
ultr
ess.
At
one
leve
l sh
e is
sim
ply
prod
ucin
g a
gend
ered
and
er
otic
ized
ver
sion
of P
aine
's fa
mou
s at
tack
on
Bur
ke's
pros
e st
yle
and
sent
imen
ts, i
n Ri
ghts
of M
an,
part
1. A
t ano
ther
, the
mas
sing
of
the
se m
etap
hors
of
deba
sed
and
disg
ustin
g fe
m~l
e se
xual
i'.y,
ev
en w
hen
they
are
ost
ensi
bly
dire
cted
at t
he b
ehav
iour
of a
dis
-cr
edite
d cl
ass
has
the
effe
ct o
f do
ublin
g th
e se
xual
ref
eren
ce.
Pain
e's
com
men
t -'H
e pi
ties
the
plum
age
and
forg
ets
the
dyin
g'
bird
' -al
read
y ca
rrie
s se
xual
and
_g~_
!}_d
_ere
d-m
eani
ng~B
ecau
se a
---...
,.,
natu
rally
w
horis
~_!'l
.nd-
-dis
rupt
ing
fem
ale
sexu
ality
w
as
so
', pr
ofou
gdly
---a
·par
t of
tra
ditio
nal
sym
bol
and
refe
renc
e, u
sed
to
/ ta
rnis
h w
hate
ver
obje
ct i
t w
as a
pplie
d to
, it
beca
me
extre
mel
y_.,.
.. / /c
liffic
ult f
or ,W
olls
tone
craf
t to
keep
her
use
of
such
imag
es t
igdt
6 /
a so
cial
and
env
iron
men
tal
anal
ysis
. Sh
e he
r~~l
f_js.
aff
ecte
d by
\..
..__t
-he.
..tra
ditio
naLa
ssoG
iatio
n:---
·--·--
-----
1
In A
Vin
dica
tion
wom
en's
exc
essi
ve i
nter
est i
n th
emse
lves
as
obje
cts
and
subj
ects
of
desi
re i
s th
eori
zed
as a
n ef
fect
-of
the
ideo
logi
cal
insc
ript
ion
of m
ale
desi
re o
n fe
mal
e su
bjec
ts w
ho,
as
a re
sult,
bea
r a d
oubl
ed li
bidi
nal b
urde
n. B
ut th
eJan
guag
e of
that
·
sobe
r: an
alys
is is
mor
e in
nova
tory
, les
s se
cure
, an
d le
ss c
onno
ta-
tive
than
the
met
apho
rica
l m
atrix
use
d to
poi
nt a
nd il
lust
rate
it.
As
a co
nseq
uenc
e, th
~~-.!
E..? .
.. 9:JP
S@DL
~JiR
P-2g
e .. b.a
c;;k.i
.UiQ
__ ~--~
ore
natu
l~ ~n
drea
ctio
nary
_vie
w __ o
f wom
en, a
nd.a_
col
laps
eoft
he
two
part
s of
the
met
ap~o
r~ in
_~o--
~~~-~
-.<?.!
h~::..
.!~:1~
: .. y\'.<
?}1§
!9.p.
ecraf
t tri
es to
arg
ue a
gain
st r~
5.~ra!
.n.! .
'.1_1:,
~-~!:E
en1!:!f
!_C_~
_lJy _
c.~!11
.:Pa!1
.~R-th
e si
tuat
ion-
of"w
cim
eri'f
o sl
aves
and
Jae
-dog
s .. -:
-.' ..
. fC
Jr. se
rvitu
de
nofon
iy~aei
iises
the in
divi
dual
, bu t
its
~ffe
cts
~e~m
. t()_
be t
rans
-m
ittec
i"to
pos
teri
ty.
Con
side
ring
the
len
gth
of ti
1ne
th.at
wom
en 1
11,,w
, ~,. 1
_
nave
··hee
n .. d
epen
dent
, is
. it
surp
dsir1
g: t]
:laf s
ome
,,of. t
hem
hug
th
eir
chai
ns; ·
and·
faw
n lik
e th~
_.5.pc
1.11ie
l. n.
· -~
C1
Cis
.. the
.. iri
efi:i
riym
fr as
soci
atio
n of
'sl
':".~
~--:~
om~n
,' ~1
2am
el'_
that
t_e
_11_
cls,_J
o.Jmg
er, r
atlie
r:. tl
ian:
·rne:
~int
ende
d m
eta-
phQ1:_
i_c:_d
_i.5.tc1
._n~e,
th~_
}_i~~
n_~5
.s_c1
ng. __ 1
1J}J
j}.en
ess !
Jetw
een
them
. Th
e sa
me
effe
ct o
ccur
s w
hen
Wol
lsto
necr
aft b
orro
ws
a ch
unk
of c
onte
mpo
rary
radi
cal a
naly
sis
of t
he m
ob to
sup
port
her
pos
i-.
tion
that
wom
en n
eed
the
sam
e fr
eedo
m a
nd li
bera
l edu
catio
n as
m
en.
In e
nlig
hten
men
t th
eory
a l
ibid
inal
eco
nom
y is
bro
ught
to
bear
on
subo
rdin
ated
gro
ups:
mas
s so
cial
vio
lenc
e is
see
n as
the
14.
Ibid
., p.
£2.
. 44 dire
ct r
esul
t of
sev
ere
repr
essi
on,
whi
ch d
oes
not
allo
w f
or t
he
deve
lopm
ent
of
self
-con
trol
or
self
gove
rnan
ce.
The
mob
's m
otiv
e m
ay b
e a
quas
i-ra
tiona
l ve
ngea
nce
agai
nst
oppr
esso
rs,
but t
he tr
igge
r of
tha
t vio
lenc
e is
the
unco
ntro
lled
and
irrat
iona
l ef
fect
of
sudd
en d
e-re
pres
sion
. Se
xual
sym
bolis
m i
s al
read
y pr
efig
ured
in th
is a
naly
sis,
so
that
whe
n W
olls
tone
craf
t dra
ws
on
it as
a m
etap
hor
for
wom
en's
unc
ontr
olle
d se
xual
beh
avio
ur s
he
rein
forc
es t
he i
dent
ifica
tion
of l
oose
wom
en a
nd m
ob v
iole
nce.
'T
he b
ent b
ow r
ecoi
ls w
ith v
iole
nce,
whe
n th
e ha
nd is
sud
denl
y re
laxe
d _th
at fo
rcib
ly h
eld
it' ....
:... th
e se
xual
met
apho
r qer
e, a
s el
se-
whe
re, 1
s to
p-he
avy,
tum
blin
g, o
ut o
f con
trol,
like
the
imag
inar
y fo
rce
of fe
mal
e se
xual
ity it
self.
Her
e, a
nd a
t man
y ot
her p
oint
s in
th
e t~
xt, A
Vin
dica
tion
enha
nces
rath
er th
an re
duce
s th
e po
wer
of
fema_
le se
x~al
ity,
cons
truc
ting
it, u
nint
entio
nally
, as
an
intim
ate,
, ,a
nd 1
mm
ed1a
te t
hrea
t to
soc
ial
stab
ility
, ne
arer
tha
n th
e al
read
y u~
com
fort
ably
nea
r Pa
risi
an m
ob.
It i
s no
won
der
that
man
y nm
etee
nth-
cent
ury
fem
inis
ts,
for
who
m th
e m
ob a
nd th
e Fr
ench
R
evol
utio
n w
ere
still
pote
nt s
ymbo
ls o
f dis
orde
r, fo
und
the
book
, fo
r al
l its
ov~
rt se
xual
pur
itani
sm, d
istu
rbin
g an
d da
nger
ous.
.
The
~lur
rmg
of s
exua
l and
pol
itica
l met
apho
r so
that
sex
ualit
y 1s
effe
ctiv
ely
smea
red
all o
ver
the
soci
al r
elat
ions
und
er d
iscu
ss-
ion
. e_n
:ipha
sises
W
olls
tone
craf
t's
delib
erat
e pr
ivile
ging
of
s:n
s~°!J
1hty
and
plea
sure
as
the
ideo
logi
cal w
eapo
ns o
f pat
riarc
hy.
P1ck
mg
up o
n th
e ne
gativ
e vi
bes
abou
t fem
ale
sexu
ality
in E
mile,
sh
e be
ats
Rou
ssea
u w
ith h
is o
wn
stic
k (a
s it
seem
s) b
y m
akin
g th
e se
nsua
l bo
th v
iler
and
mor
e pe
rvas
ive
in w
omen
's li
ves
as a
re
sult
of h
i~.E
~!!~
s..~
b)' __
of~.Q
!:.1.C
.E!ti@
__ put
.. int
o.-p
rc1c
l'ice
.Wol
l __
®D
ecra
ft-t
oo w
1she
_s
bour
geoi
_~m
en
to
bg_.
filQ
J!~t
an
~·
resp
ecta
ble,
hon
est w
ives
and
goo
d m
othe
rs t
houg
h sh
e w
.ishe
s ~
toJ:i
e o
tfier
tfiiJ
:!gs~
~~ .. "
Y-e
lJ...
Yei
=-or
rly-b
r1m
agm
;ngt
~-al
l, or
alm
osC
aJJ;
-cfip
p1ed
and
tw
iste
d in
to s
exua
l m
onst
ers
by
soci
ety
as it
is c
an s
he h
ope
to p
ersu
ade
her r
eade
rs to
aba
ndon
a
gend
er sp
ecifi
c an
d de
form
ing
educ
atio
n fo
r fem
inin
ity.
· Y
et th
e m
ost i
ncis
ive
and
inno
vativ
e el
emen
ts o
f A V
indi
catio
n ~r
e d~
eply
bou
nd in
to it
s an
alys
is o
f th
e co
nstr
uctio
n of
gen
der
m c
hild
hood
. The
boo
k gi
ves
us a
com
plex
and
det
aile
d ac
coun
t of
the
so_
cial
an~
psyc
hic
proc
esse
s by
whi
ch· g
ende
r id
eolo
gies
be
com
e m
tern
ahze
d ad
ult
subj
ectiv
ity.
This
acc
ount
is
spre
ad
acro
ss t
he t
wo-
hund
red-
odd
page
s of
the
boo
k an
d is
extra
-or
dina
ry b
oth
as o
bser
vatio
n an
d as
the
ory.
Her
e is
the
child
-ho
od o
f litt
le g
irls
brou
ght u
p, a
la R
ouss
eau,
to
be w
omen
only
_:
I
\ ,I ' '
Wild
Nig
hts
45
'Eve
ry t
hing
the
y se
e or
hea
r se
rves
to
fix i
mpr
essi
0ns,
cal
l fo
rth
emot
ions
, an
d as
soci
ate
idea
s, th
at g
ive
a se
xual
cha
ract
er t
o th
e ~i
nd.
Fals
e no
tions
of_
beau
ty a
nd d
elic
acy
stop
the
gro
wth
of
thei
r hm
bs ~
nd p
rodu
ce
s~ck
ly s
oren
ess,
rat
her
than
del
icac
y of
org
ans
.. ·. T
~1s
crue
l as
~ocia
tl_on
of
idea
s, w
hich
eve
ry t
hing
con
spire
s to
tw
ist
mto
a!l
thei
r h_
ab1ts
of
thin
king
, or
, to
spe
ak w
ith m
ore
prec
i-si
on, o
f fee
lmg,
rec
eive
s ne
w fo
rce
whe
n th
ey b
egin
to a
ct a
littl
e fo
r th
emse
lves
; fo
r th
ey t
hen
perc
eive
tha
t it
is on
ly t
hrou
gh t
heir
addr
ess
to e
xcite
em
otio
ns in
men
tha
t ple
asur
e an
d po
wer
are
to b
e ob
tain
ed. 11
;
It is
exa
gger
_ate
d; it
is e
ven
fant
asy
up to
a p
oint
. Yet
rea
ding
this
pa
ssag
e, I
was
bot
h sh
aken
by
its e
loqu
ence
and
pri
cked
by
its
accu
racy
. O
nly
an u
nusu
al 'n
ativ
e vi
gour
' of
min
d ca
n ov
ertu
rn s
uch
a vi
ciou
s so
cial
con
stru
ctio
n, f
or:
'So
duct
ile is
the
und
erst
andi
ng,
and
y~t.
so s
t~bb
orn,
tha
t th
e as
soci
atio
ns w
hich
_de
pend
on
adve
ntiti
ous
. Circ
umsta
nce_
s, du
ring
the
per
iod
that
the
bod
y ta
kes
to
arr'.
ve
at m
atur
ity,
can
seld
om b
e di
sent
angl
ed b
y re
~son
. O
ne_1
de~
calls
up
anot
her,
its o
ld a
ssoc
iate
, an
d m
emor
y fa
ithfu
l to
f1r
st 1m
pres
s1on
~ ..
. re
trace
s th
em w
ith m
echa
nica
l ex
actn
ess.
' 16
Her
e, i
n pa
rt,
is th
e ro
man
tic t
heor
y of
the
unc
onsc
ious
, its
op
erat
ions
lai
d ba
re t
o dr
aw a
par
ticul
arly
ble
ak c
oncl
usio
n ab
out t
he fa
te o
f' w
omen
. '
The
nee~
to e
xagg
erat
e th
e ef
fect
s of
a g
ende
r bi
ased
rea
ring
an
d ed
ucat
ion
!ed
,Wol
lsto
necr
aft
to o
vere
mph
asiz
e th
e im
port
-an
c: ~
f se
xual
ity 1
1: w
omen
's l
ives
~ A
Vind
icat
ion
is h
ardl
y a
real
istic
_ re
cons
truc
tion·
o~ t
he d
ay t
o da
y ac
tiviti
es · a
nd p
re-
occu
patio
ns
of
bour
gem
s w
omen
, th
e au
thor
he
rsel
f no
t ex
cept
ed. R
athe
r it
is an
abs
trac
t for
mul
atio
n of
the
sort
of s
ocia
l an
d ps
ychi
c te
nden
cies
that
a o
ne-s
ided
reac
tiona
ry s
ocia
lizat
ion
coul
d pr
oduc
e. I
t is
unfo
rtun
ate
t ol
lsto
necr
aft
chos
e to
1
fight
Rou
sse~
~~
_bip
_-~
~~
~..
.!!1
~~
Jing
_hiu
~gm
Qf_
a ~
-!~
.::~
.J~
.!ID
IJ.!
!2_
l~Y
~_fa
cL@
!her
.-tha
n_i,c
;l.~_
olog
i\:al
fic
tion._
Wom
an s
rea
son
may
Ee
the
psyc
hic
hero
ine
of A
Vin
di-
catw
n'. b
ut it
s go
thic
vill
ain,
a p
olym
orph
ous
perv
erse
sex
ualit
y,
cree
pmg
out o
f eve
ry p
arag
raph
and
wor
min
g its
way
into
eve
ry
15.
Ibid
., p.
117
. 16
. Ib
id.,
p. 1
16.
I
46
war
m c
orne
r of
the
text
, se
ems
in t
he e
nd to
win
out
. It
is ag
ain
too
easy
to f
orge
t tha
t thi
s su
ffus
ing
desi
re is
a p
erm
anen
t mal
e co
nspi
racy
to
keep
wom
en p
antin
g an
d de
pend
ent
as w
ell
as
hous
e-bo
und
and
preg
nant
. W
hat t
he a
rgum
ent m
oves
tow
ards
, ' b
ut n
eveJ
qujt
earr
ives
at,
is th
e co
nclu
sion
th
aU
t~
~
that
mus
t b~
s_o_
nJ:m
lled __
and_
con±
ained
_iLW
,Qffi
E;L\
_a,r.
e.Jo ..
btdr
ee
and
ratio
nal.
Tbis
con
clus
ion
ca._
~ot
be r
each
ed b
ecau
se a
n id
ealiz
ed b
our~
~rna
le..i
s._~
~tan
aara
-low
ards
w fo
ch-w
omen
, :
:,9re
_gro
.ping
t.. __ as
w~_
~_th
~....
!:~~~
!l. .. !
~efm
Tof
nhei
rkne
es:-
Mal
e .
desi
re _m
ay b
e"de
stni
ctiv
e. to
wom
en~~
l5ur
irre
mai
ns-a
-yym
·~t-
-~if
ive ~
_!.
.~_
lliy
. A
wid
er e
duca
tion
an~
_era
s-bl
untin
g or
ays
mto
the
pub
lic w
orld
of
wor
k an
d po
litic
s ke
eps
the
ratio
nal
in c
ontro
l of
the
sen
sual
in
men
, an
d is
the
reco
m-
-.A
men
ded
rem
edy
for
wom
en t
oo. y
Vol
lston
ecra
f_t __
thou
ght
gend
er
~~-j
"\.d
iff:
:.~~~
~ial
ly c
onst
ruct
ed _1:
iii_t -~
h_ef
ou1:
d _pr
acfic
a~1~
-fi~t
hing
-..
,'e' lfo
-bl<
e m
soc
ially
con
stru
cted
fem
m1m
ty.J,
mth
-.rna
scul
m1t
y..1
.t.F-
f!S
y...., ¥4
;" ~i
te·a
~nc:
·:,~
~s:c
ulim
(:::
:_~o
~~~-
-a::,
._f~
-~~§
.JqI!K
il_~-
!~ey
'
· "'
ctcm
'fn:u
nt a
ria k
ill.
reC
llie
re c
oula
l5e
noth
mg
good
abo
ut
fem
m1z
eci"
men
~sin
ce··f
f1ea
efin
ition
s of
the
fem
inin
eava
ilabl
e in
----------
--··
· --·
········
·······a
···.---
·-··· 1
A
Vind
icatio
n ar
e sh
ot tf
iroug
fi w
1ili
aenu
mam
zmg
an
1mm
ora
'sen
sual
icy.
It's
not
sur
pnsm
g "t
hat
wom
en··t
ogef
fier
-g1
r1s m
·o
oara
mg
scho
ols
and
wom
en in
the
hom
e -
can
only
get
up
to
unsa
vory
pe
rson
al f
amili
ariti
es,
'nas
ty,
or
imm
odes
t ha
bits
' Th
is d
escr
iptio
n ba
cks
up a
n ar
gum
ent,
poss
ibly
for
cefu
l in
its
ow
n tim
e, f
or m
ixed
edu
catio
n an
d a
free
r as
soci
atio
n of
adu
lt m
en a
nd w
omen
; it r
ound
s of
f the
den
igra
tion
of w
omen
's w
orld
in
A V
i ndic
ati0.1
1:._ ·
----
--...
. ____ .
., • ......
..__ __
__ .--
----
--·--
---·-
-~ ....
,,---'
-·--'i
~icc
illy,
it
is"-th
e re
volu
tiona
ry m
omen
t, w
ith i
ts e
upho
ric
faith
in t
otal
soc
ial t
rans
form
atio
n th
at p
erm
its W
olls
tone
craf
t to
oblit
erat
e w
omen
and
fem
inin
ity
in
thei
r un
refo
rmed
st
ate.
A
lthou
gh
A Vi
ndica
tion
outli
nes
a lib
eral
an
d un
segr
egat
ed
· pro
gram
me
for
fem
ale
educ
atio
n an
d a
wid
er s
cope
for
wom
en's
ne
wly
dev
elop
ed r
easo
n in
the
pub
lic a
nd p
riva
te w
orld
, it.h
as
\if~\~ \
;l no
thin
co
mpl
i~nt
ary_
!<?Y
~Y..E
fJ.Q
Ut
W,Q
!!!.~~
-a§ __ t
~«:y
__~r
~,_I
!i~ir_
. .. \JV
""{\ 0
~':
ov
er e
at~
__ s_g
nsib
ility
is-
neve
r .. se
en.a
s .. p.
oten
tiaJJ
y_cr
.~_y
ve._
~e
"/ 0;;,r
-.F · _s
an.se
e ... l:1
Q.w.
J.he-.
mor
n!. a
n.al y
sis_
and.
fb~ __
.S.Q9
~.L..9.
.eli.<:X
}£!!.Q
.!l.!:~.
A \0 't.f
D'{
)'.'.i.n
fi.!_
catio
_l:!..
C.m
!!iJ2
~app
rop..
!~!.~
d.fo.r
..i1_~
Q!~.
CO
!].~
~~iv
e so
~"}
c.-\
th~
~h
-~
~}
. adv
o~a t
e. a~
~~::.
:_.~
f_ :::
<:.:~_
ise f
or -~
6men
' s ad
oles
cent
bod
ies
and
mm
ds,
buL-
&'o
uld
conf
inet
nem
-to-
· a
de·;
;~1~
~m
esfi
~sp
here
··as
wi.
ves ~
an,Cm
ot~7s"
~-·-":·
-·-,"-,.
,---1--
----rh
e no
vels
·of-
Jane
-·)\u
ste:
n, W
olls
tone
craf
t's c
onte
mpo
rary
,
Wild
Nig
hts
47
C
are
the
mos
t ob
viou
s im
med
iate
exa
mpl
e of
a
cons
erva
tive
\ re
cupe
ratio
n of
Wol
lsto
necr
aft.
North
ange
r Ab
bey
para
phra
ses
Wol
lsto
necr
aft o
n th
e da
nger
s to
the
you
ng fe
mal
e re
ader
of
the
goth
ic a
nd s
entim
enta
l no
vel,
and
Man
sfiel
d Pa
rk r
eads
in m
any,
pl
aces
like
a f
ictio
nal
rew
.o rk
ing
of A
Vin
dica
tion.
Pos
sibl
y in
flu8
gn
ce,
part
ly m
ere
conv
erge
nce,
the
voi
ces
of t
he t
wo
wom
en
who
se p
oliti
cs w
ere
deep
ly o
ppos
ed, e
cho
each
oth
er. I
t is
Wol
l-st
onec
raft
who
wri
tes
that
'whi
le w
omen
live
, as
it w
ere
by th
eir
pers
onal
cha
rms,
how
can
we
expe
ct t
hem
to
disc
harg
e th
ose
enno
blin
g du
ties
whi
ch e
qual
ly re
quire
exe
rtion
and
sel
f-de
nial
', bu
t it m
ight
as
easi
ly b
e A
uste
n on
Mar
y C
raw
ford
. In
the
sam
e se
nten
ce,
and
in
muc
h th
e sa
me
term
s,
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
deno
unce
s he
redi
tary
aris
tocr
acy.
The
app
ropr
iatio
n of
muc
h of
W
olls
tone
craf
t's
writ
ing
for
cons
erva
tive
soci
al
and
polit
ical
id
eolo
gies
wen
t un
ackn
owle
dged
bec
ause
of
her
outc
ast
soci
al
stat
us a
er
~yo
lutio
nary
-sym
path
ies,
_. ___
______
_ _
ever
the]
ess,
m
id-c
entu
ry
wom
en
wri
ters
·an
:a··1
emin
isJ:s,
/(
o~ki
ng fo
r w
ays
to le
gitim
ize
thei
r fem
inis
m a
nd th
eir
sexu
ality
;\ · '
as w
ell
as t
heir
des
ire t
o w
rite
them
bot
h ou
t to
geth
er,
fo_l
}..!).
d)
(-~_
mall
com
f~-:
-,:L
Vin
dica
tion,
.. whe
re--
the-
:0r:a
tive-
-and
·the-
affe
c-~
:rve
-sel
f ar
e sp
ht u
p an
d se
para
ted.
In
fictw
n an
d po
etry
, th
at
disc
ursi
ve s
pace
ope
n to
wom
en b
ut s
helte
red
from
the
har
shes
t ju
dgem
ents
of
Vic
toria
n m
oral
ity,
late
rom
antic
wom
en w
riter
s,
as s
ick
of W
olls
tone
craf
t's r
egim
e, i
f th
ey k
new
it,
as s
he h
ad
been
sic
k of
Rou
ssea
u's,
ten
tativ
ely
bega
n to
con
stru
ct t
he i
dea
of a
lib
idin
ized
fem
ale
imag
inat
ion
and,
thr
ough
it,
wom
en's
ri
ght t
o re
ason
and
des
ire. A
utho
rity
for
such
an
unm
edia
ted
a~d
erot
iciz
ed r
elat
ion
to a
rt a
nd li
fe h
ad to
be
soug
ht in
and
sto
len
from
mal
e ro
man
tic m
anife
stos
. Not
hing
sug
gest
s mor
e un
equi
v-·
ocal
ly h
ow d
eep
the
effe
cts
of s
epar
ate
gend
er s
exua
litie
s w
ent,
than
a q
uick
look
at t
he 1
802
intr
oduc
tion
to L
yrica
l Bal
lads
aft
er a
lo
ng lo
ok a
t A
Vind
icatio
n. T
he b
ourg
eois
poe
t was
the
rom
antic
ra
dica
l inc
arna
ted.
Her
e is
Wor
dsw
orth
, lik
e M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
a su
ppor
ter
of t
he r
evol
utio
n, t
ellin
g th
e re
ader
, as
she
nev
er
coul
d, t
hat
the
poet
is
a m
an '
endu
ed w
ith m
ore
livel
y se
nsi-
bilit
y, m
ore
enth
usia
sm a
nd te
nder
ness
' tha
n ot
her
men
, 'a
man
pl
ease
d w
ith h
is o
wn
pass
ions
and
vol
ition
s, a
nd w
ho r
ejoi
ces
mor
e th
an o
ther
men
in
the
spiri
t of
life
tha
t is
in h
im. m
Th
e
17.
Will
iam
Wor
dsw
orth
and
Sam
uel
Tayl
or C
oler
idge
, Ly
rical
Bal
lads
, Lo
ndon
, 19
76, p
p. 2
55-5
6.
48
appr
opri
ate,
dem
ocra
tic s
ubje
cts
for
his
art
wer
e 'm
oral
sen
ti-m
ents
and
-a_n
imaI
-sen
sal.f
oRs'.
.. asJ
h~y
exis
te<;
l_in
_eve
ryda
y-lif
~ /W
e m
ust
rem
embe
r to
rea
d A
Vind
icat
ion
as i
ts a
utho
r h
as)
(i
nstr
ucte
d us
, as
a d
iscou
rse_;
:i.dd
ress
edrp
_c1j
i:i!Y
. Jq_
\:"or
pen_
gLth
e,
'.!Pi
ddle
i:;:J
ass:·
M6s
F'de
eply
cla
ss-b
ound
is it
s em
phas
is o
n se
xual
-ity
fn--
its i
deol
ogic
al e
xpre
ssio
n, a
s a
men
tal
form
atio
n, a
s th
e so
urce
of w
oman
's o
ppre
ssio
n. T
he e
nchi
ldin
g of
wom
en -
thei
r re
lega
tion
to t
he h
ome,
to
dom
estic
tas
ks a
nd c
once
rns,
whi
le
men
's
prod
uctiv
e la
bour
w
as
loca
ted
else
whe
re
-w
as
a de
velo
ping
phe
nom
enon
of
mid
dle-
clas
s lif
e in
the
eig
htee
nth
cent
ury.
The
sep
arat
ion
of h
ome
and
wor
k in
an
indu
stri
al
cultu
re a
ffec
ted
the
wor
king
cla
ss t
oo,
but
it w
as n
ot t
he m
en
only
who
wor
ked
outs
ide
the
hom
e: n
or w
as th
e se
xual
div
isio
n of
labo
ur a
long
thes
e lin
es a
wor
king
-cla
ss id
eal
until
wel
l on
in
the
nine
teen
th c
entu
ry.
The
rom
antic
con
cept
ion
of c
hild
hood
, al
read
y na
tura
lized
in
A Vi
ndic
atio
n, h
ad n
o pl
ace
in w
orki
ng-
clas
s lif
e. N
or d
id f
emal
e na
rcis
sism
and
a p
assi
on f
or c
loth
es
have
the
sam
e m
eani
ngs
for,
or a
bout
, w
orki
ng-c
lass
wom
en,
who
, as
Wol
lsto
necr
aft o
bser
ves
in M
aria
, w
ere
wor
ked
too
hard
at
'sev
ere
man
ual l
abou
r' to
hav
e m
uch
time
or th
ough
t for
suc
h th
ings
. Th
e id
eal
of e
duca
tion,
ope
ning
up
wid
er f
ield
s fo
r th
e ex
erci
se o
f th
e m
ind,
was
par
t of
a b
ourg
eois
age
nda
for
soci
al
impr
ovem
ent
that
wou
ld '
lift'
the
poor
as
wel
l as
wom
en.
Sequ
entia
l pr
egna
ncie
s, e
xhau
stin
g ch
ild c
are
in t
he g
rim
mes
t co
nditi
ons,
th
e do
uble
yok
e of
wag
ed a
nd u
npai
d do
mes
tic
labo
ur,
none
of
thes
e ar
e ci
ted
in A
Vin
dica
tion
as t
he c
ause
of
wom
en's
deg
rada
tion.
Mar
ia i
nclu
des
an h
onor
able
if
gent
eel
atte
mpt
to d
escr
ibe
the
real
ities
of l
ife f
or w
orki
ng c
lass
wom
en.
A Vi
ndic
atio
n is
mor
e cl
ass
boun
d an
d m
ore
obse
ssiv
e; a
brie
f, th
ough
not
uns
ympa
thet
ic p
assa
ge o
n th
e ho
rror
s of
pro
stitu
-tio
n, a
nd a
few
ref
eren
ces
to t
he d
irty
back
stai
rs h
abits
tha
t fe
mal
e se
rvan
ts p
ass
on to
lad
ies
is th
e se
lect
ive
and
sexu
aliz
ed
atte
ntio
n th
at w
orki
ng c
lass
wom
en g
et in
A' V
indi
catio
n.
Mos
t of
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
diff
icul
ties
are
with
the
obv
ious
ly
bind
ing
pow
er o
f th
e bi
nary
cat
egor
ies
of c
lass
sex
ualit
y. R
athe
r th
an c
halle
nge
them
, sh
e sh
ifts
her
abst
ract
wom
en a
roun
d in
side
them
or
tries
to r
ever
se th
eir
sym
bolis
m. :r:~
~
adu
ltr~
§.§
.i§
.m. 4
gica
)Jy t
rans
for~
d bL
liber
ty~~
nd-e
duca
"""
18.
Ibid
., p.
261
.
\
Wild
Nig
hts
J 49
tion
into
the
mod
est
ratio
nal
wife
. If
wom
en i
n pu
blic
and
in
prom
iscu
ous
gath
erin
gs,
whe
ther
·-sc
hool
room
or
w
orkp
lace
, w
ere
cons
ider
ed
sexu
ally
en
dang
ered
, W
olls
tone
craf
t w
ould
er
otic
ize
the
safe
hom
e an
d th
e al
l-girl
s es
tabl
ishm
ent,
so t
hat
thes
e ha
rem
s an
d no
t th
e ou
tsid
e w
orld
are
the
pla
ces
whe
re
mod
esty
is a
t risk
. It
does
n't w
ork,
but
it's
a go
od tr
y. I
t doe
sn't
wor
k be
caus
e W
olls
tone
craf
t he
rsel
f w
ishe
s to
con
stru
ct c
lass
di
ffer
entia
tion
thro
ugh
exis
ting
sexu
al c
ateg
orie
s. T
he n
egat
ive
effe
cts
of t
he t
ext
fell
on t
he m
iddl
e-cl
ass
wom
en w
hich
it is
so
eage
r to
con
stru
ct a
nd in
stru
ct.
In S
ex,
Polit
ics a
nd S
ociet
y, Th
e re
gula
tion
of se
xual
ity s
ince
180
0,
?fl."""7
Je
ffre
y W
eeks
, su
mm
ariz
ing
and
exte
ndin
g Fo
ucau
lt, r
emin
ds u
s i.M
,,t,.;
-,
that
: ' ..
. th
e se
xual
app
arat
us a
nd t
he n
ucle
ar f
amily
wer
e pr
oduc
ed b
y th
e bo
urge
oisi
e as
an
aspe
ct o
f its
ow
n se
lf-af
firm
a-tio
n, n
ot a
s a
mea
ns o
f co
ntro
lling
the
wor
king
cla
ss:
...
ther
e ar
e cl
ass
sexu
aliti
es (a
nd d
iffer
ent g
ende
r sex
ualit
ies)
not
a s
ingl
e un
iform
se
xual
ity.
Sexu
ality
_j§,_
1,19.!
.~a
gjve
n.,_
thaL
has
. to,
be
cont
rolle
d. I
t is
an fii
sfciiT
ca1
cons
truc
t th
at h
as _
hist
oric
aLco
ndi-
tioiis
'Ofe
xisle
nce:
·;r<J
..
--..
·u
..
..
0 .
• ••••
-1hv
e'ap
"plf
th"e
se co
mm
ents
, we c
an se
e tha
t the
neg
ativ
e gen
der
sexu
ality
Wol
lsto
necr
aft c
onst
ruct
s w
as o
ne o
f sev
eral
com
petin
g ge
nder
sex
ualit
ies
of t
he l
ate
eigh
teen
th c
entu
ry.
Ase
MaE
&~r
et W
alte
rs i
ndic
ates
, co
ntem
pora
ry f
emin
inity
gri
rs W
olls
tone
craf
t
:~~~!ft
-tii{~gfa
ti~~1 t~:~
~:::i~~t
t~Jti~;!
1!;it;;fu
;~~
intra
:cl_
i:\Q
_~en
der
rgJa
tions
, Q
!:_f_
emale
,.asp
iratio
n. B
ut W
alte
rs is
w
rong
in
seei
ng t
his
stru
ggle
as
one
betw
een
fem
inis
m a
nd
fem
inin
ity.
Ther
e is
no f
emin
ism
tha
t ca
n st
and
who
lly o
utsi
de
fem
inin
ity a
s it
is po
sed
in a
giv
en h
isto
rical
mom
ent.
All
fem
inis
ms
give
som
e id
eolo
gica
l ho
stag
e to
fem
inin
ities
and
are
co
nstr
ucte
d th
roug
h th
e ge
nder
sex
ualit
y of
thei
r da
y as
wel
l as
stan
ding
in
oppo
sitio
n to
the
m.
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
saw
her
mid
dle
clas
s, fo
r a fe
w y
ears
at l
east
, as
a po
tent
ially
revo
lutio
nary
forc
e.
The
men
and
wom
en i
n it
wou
ld e
xerc
ise
thei
r un
ders
tand
ings
on
beh
alf
of a
ll m
anki
nd. I
t w
as im
port
ant t
o he
r th
at th
e w
hole
of
thi
s cl
ass
had
acce
ss t
o re
ason
, an
d th
at w
omen
's l
iber
atio
n w
as p
osed
with
in a
fra
mew
ork
that
was
min
imal
ly a
ccep
tabl
e to
po
pula
r pr
ejud
ices
. Th
at i
s w
hy,
perh
aps,
she
fin
ds h
erse
lf
19.
Wee
ks, p
. 10.
.,.
50
,- prom
isin
g th
e re
ader
tha
t th
e fr
eedo
m o
f w
omen
was
the
key
to
, the
ir c
hast
ity.
With
in t
he e
nlig
hten
men
t and
rom
antic
pro
blem
-at
ics,
reas
on w
as a
lway
s th
e re
spon
sibl
e el
dest
son
and
sen
si-
bilit
y -
emot
ion,
im
agin
atio
n, s
ensu
ality
-th
e ir
resp
onsi
ble
rake
, ca
taly
st
of
chan
ge.
Cla
ss
diff
eren
tiatio
n th
roug
h th
e re
defi
nitio
n of
sex
ual m
ores
was
a p
roce
ss s
o de
eply
ent
renc
hed,
in
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
tim
e, t
hat
the
mor
al p
ositi
ons
arou
nd s
exua
l be
havi
our
seem
ed a
lmos
t unt
ouch
able
. Fe
min
ists
of
her
gene
ra-
tion
did
not
dare
to
chal
leng
e th
em h
ead
on,
alth
ough
Wol
l-st
onec
raft
was
beg
inni
ng to
wor
k ov
er th
is d
ange
rous
terr
ain,
in
her
life
and
in h
er fi
ctio
n at
the
time
of h
er d
eath
,..gh
e...co
..mbi
na-
tion
of e
qual
ti_g
_hts
and
_sel
kabn
egat
ing_
sexu
alit~
in A
Vin
dic;
atio
n ha
snac
rspe
cial
attr
actio
ns f
or f
emin
ists
who
led
ver
y pu
blic
liv
es,a
.na-
foun
a-ifT
errif
ying
·-and
-·tas
ticfil
!Tdi
ffi.Q
JlC
fo.::
:clia
lleng
e to
o m
any
prej
uciic
es_a
t onc
e. A
s a
livea
ble
form
ula
for
inde
pend
-en
t fem
ales
uoje
ctiv
ity th
ough
, it n
ever
had
muc
h go
ing
for
it -
not
beca
use
an
imm
anen
t an
d ir
repr
essi
ble
sexu
ality
br
oke
thro
ugh
leve
ls o
f fe
mal
e se
lf-de
nial
, but
rat
her
beca
use
the
anti-
erot
ic e
thic
its
elf
fore
grou
nded
and
con
stru
cted
a s
exua
lized
su
bjec
t. A_
s lo
ng a
s th
e do
uble
sta
ndar
d su
rviv
es g
ende
r se
xual
ities
w
ill b
e to
rn b
y th
ese
cont
radi
ctio
ns. W
hen
Wol
lsto
necr
aft's
idea
s fo
r m
ixed
edu
catio
n an
d w
ider
pub
lic p
artic
ipat
ion
for
wom
en
bega
n to
be
put i
nto
prac
tice,
wom
en s
tart
ed to
que
ry a
nd r
esis
t th
e ge
nder
ideo
logi
es in
whi
ch t
hey
had
been
rai
sed.
With
som
e he
lp f
rom
a p
opul
ariz
ed p
sych
oana
lytic
the
ory,
ple
asur
e an
d se
xual
ity w
ere
wri
tten
into
a r
ewor
ked
vers
ion
of fe
mal
e ro
man
-tic
in
divi
dual
ism
. B
oth
indi
vidu
alis
m a
nd t
hese
new
gen
der
sexu
aliti
es a
re,
quite
pro
perl
y, h
eavi
ly c
onte
sted
are
as w
ithin
fe
min
ism
. W
olls
tone
craf
t's p
roje
ct,
with
its
con
trad
icto
ry i
mpl
i-ca
tions
, su
gges
ts s
ome
of th
e pr
oble
ms
invo
lved
in th
e m
oral
iza-
tion
of s
exua
lity
on b
ehal
f of
any
pol
itica
l pr
ogra
mm
e, e
ven
a fe
min
ist o
ne.
Fem
inis
m a
nd C
ompu
lsor
y H
eter
osex
ualit
y: A
drie
nne
Ric
h
Bet
wee
n th
e tw
o te
xts
I ha
ve c
hose
n to
dis
cuss
lie
nea
rly
two
cent
urie
s in
whi
ch s
ucce
ssiv
e fe
min
ism
s ha
ve e
ngag
ed w
ith
reca
lcitr
ant
issu
es o
f w
omen
's s
exua
lity.
Yet
whi
le t
he s
peci
fic
issu
es h
ave
chan
ged,
man
y of
the
ter
ms
in w
hich
the
y ar
e
Wild
Nig
hts
51
deba
ted
wou
ld b
e fa
mili
ar t
o M
ary
Wol
lsto
necr
aft.
In t
he 1
980s
th
e in
depe
nden
t se
xual
ity t
hat
seem
s m
ost
thre
aten
ing
to t
he
dom
inan
t cu
lture
as
fact
and
sym
bol
of w
omen
's e
scap
e fr
om
patr
iarc
hal
cont
rol
is le
sbia
nism
. Le
sbia
n fe
min
ists
, in
th
e 1
vari
ous
polit
ical
ten
denc
ies
in t
he w
omen
's m
ovem
ent
have
for
m
any
year
s no
w b
een
insi
stin
g th
at t
he c
ultu
ral
cons
trai
nts
on
thei
r sex
ual e
xpre
ssio
n ar
e ce
ntra
l to
wom
en's
sub
ordi
natio
n as
a
<fY' J
who
les}
~..
_b
,a~
~:'
~~
~~
!2..
,~ .• }J
..9.~,:.
12 ...
~,J
tl ~
) e
;) \i,? ¥'
f5'.ml
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.,.but_
. i_ts_
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~!i.?
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.,~--.
prod
1:\~
:~-~
~ny
pai~_
f_ul
1£ r)
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nece
ssar
y di
sagr
eem
ent~
! _n
one
mote·
-~·ifu
_ .!
~an
.-f.~
t:_pl
~~::·
of·-
\<-
les&
icin
is~:~
a-s
:t:.:f
om~~
:C}!
~[~g
:::·~
_illi
i~_:
Jffil
J~-~
!.~~R
J~ct
ice:
f~,
·Kai
ienn
e R
icn,
the
Am
eric
an p
oet
and
fem
inis
t tfi
eoris
t ha
s de
velo
ped
a ra
nge
of a
rgum
ents
abo
ut t
he m
eani
ng o
f fe
mal
e se
xual
ity i
n ou
r cu
lture
. H
er p
ositi
on o
n th
e se
xual
pol
itics
of
fem
inis
m is
pow
erfu
lly s
tate
d in
an
artic
le f
irst
publ
ishe
d in
the
fe
min
ist
jour
nal
Sign
s in
the
sum
mer
of
19180
, an
d w
idel
y av
ail-
h. J.
<1-'_..,
-ab
le s
oon
afte
rwar
ds i
n pa
mph
let
form
. C
ompu
lsor
y H
etero
-14-
' <,-""
'",-
. C
•·\
• se
xual
ity a
n~!.@
....E
xist
ence
.'....
chal
leng
es_t
he.n
orm
ativ
.e.--
hete
r.o-
"..J
_ a
ndJe
pres
siy_
e.Ji
bera
l to
lera
n_se
_of.
9-J
arge
_sec
tion
"'12U
he_~
~gm~
nLs,,J
11_.o
y_e.m
ent,,~
<!-rg
11iD
.g,_J
b.c.1,
i~~:~u
~s..~
.Pl3-!
lC.~-
-~~-
-~he
vJ
rtuJU
'Y1<
1. .. !:=
e.ntrJ
;11i
ty"o
L.hi
storic
al".an
d.,co
nte:r
npq_
nnyJ
,12_t
i:r.~
--of
~
i2-n
,.~~l?
}=!Il
gn~"
e_)s,
. tbr_
. R~~
~)il!
t f 9L
}l. J~
ll)jl)
i~L
PR!i t
is_s.
Like
~~
'" ,hl
->
Wol
lsto
necr
aft,
if a
trifle
mor
e te
ntat
ivel
y, R
ich
also
pos
es a
IA
.
· ref
orm
ed l
ibid
in~
ec~
y __ fo
r, ~~
<?-I
P~_.
2-~t
ec.o
:ngi
_t~f
or
\,<-1 ~
~
t~h
..~
aff
g_
p_
oL
~.~
~en
. It
!s t
he c
omm
~n e
ler_n
ent i
n (L
t b
~
thei
r th
inki
ng a
bout
wom
ens
sexu
ality
tha
t I
wJS
h bn
efly
to
w0 \/
kY
exam
ine
in t
his
last
sec
tion.
.
· r:::.
Th
e fo
regr
ound
ing
of s
exua
lity
as th
e so
urce
of w
omen
's s
ub-
ordi
natio
n is
the
ele
men
t th
at m
ost
obvi
ousl
y lin
ks W
olls
tone
-cr
aft's
ana
lysi
s w
ith r
adic
al a
nd r
evol
utio
nary
fem
inis
m i
n th
e di
stin
ct b
ut l
inke
d te
nden
cies
tha
t ha
ve d
evel
oped
in
Brit
ain,
f J\
c..JI
Fran
ce a
nd th
e_ l!
nite
d St
ates
ove
r th
e las
~ fo
u~t~
en y
ears~
. Th~
se.
Cf ~\
-)'\""
stra
nds
in f
emm
1sm
hav
e ta
ken
the
le_ad
m_p
J1yi
legm
g...s
exua
hty
rt>1
as t
he c
entr
al fa
ct a
nd u
nive
rsal
sym
bol 2
£~.9.
.!!l,g
D..'..
ILQp
px.es
sion.
Rad
icar
fem
inTs
m--
naso
tiilf
"its
-fl=
i'eor
y-an
d rh
etor
ic a
roun
d th
e id
eolo
gica
l an
d ac
tual
vio
lenc
e do
ne t
o w
omen
's b
odie
s, w
hile
lib
eral
and
soc
ialis
t fe
min
ism
has
bee
n ra
ther
ner
vous
of
the
sexu
al,
wor
king
ins
tead
to
defi
ne t
he s
peci
fic f
orm
s ta
ken
by
wom
en's
sub
ordi
natio
n in
dif
fere
nt c
lass
, cu
ltura
l an
d ra
cial
gr
oups
, at d
iscr
ete
hist
oric
al m
omen
'ts. T
hese
pro
ject
s an
d st
rate
-gi
es f
requ
ently
ove
rlap,
but
it i
s ro
ughl
y fa
ir to
s~y
tha
t ra
dica
l
52
;·-fe
min
ism
em
phas
ises
the
ide
ntity
of
gend
er o
ppre
ssio
n ac
ross
·.,
}:lis
tory
and
cul
ture
. Rev
olut
iona
ry fe
min
ism
pus
hes
this
ana
lysi
s fa
rthe
r, po
sing
a m
onol
ithic
pat
riar
chal
tyr
anny
, w
ith s
exua
lity
· ,,
. as
its w
eapo
rfo
Bot
h te
nden
cies
hav
e lo
cate
d th
e l:!
1ive
rsal
tru
th\
~~\,\
['/)
of g
ende
r op
pres
sion
in a
sad
istic
aoo
.-ins
afia
61em
ale
sexu
ality
, I
\\\\ ~\.rtv
J "~5
_!11
s..:
~E.~
~~::
:l·:
~-~u
~~~~
~!1<
lpu~
sn:-
·A:i
1y_@
eas~
t 1'
,/\
:,J'-\
0 ~~
~~!:_
!ow~~
.:-~. w
no·t::J
sfJ>~
:!,~-~-
~&f~r
,~s}~'
.1.~~~
~!.~.:
~;!-':1
:e I
>:'
vJ-1
nece
ssan
ly·ta
mte
a;·'a
t·tne
ext
rem
e en
d of
fnr
s po
s1tio
n, w
omen
! ~~
y-i '>
~('
) _'
Y~~
~e1.
!.'~a
~s.2
ns~_
d~!~
fi:5
.~l!
a.~9
f~to
~~-:
::::~
1~~r
f~~!
.\_a
· '{I
\ /o
~{i1 •
fasc
ist
at
he~r
t~ W
hile
W
olls
tone
cr·a
ft ac
know
ledg
ed
that
a
(r)Y
~ de
prav
ed-s
exua
l"'Jj
leas
ure
for
both
men
and
WO
men
was
the
ef
fect
of
uneq
ual
pow
er r
elat
ions
bet
wee
n th
em,
radi
cal
fem
in-
ism
und
erlin
es t
he u
nple
asur
e of
the
se r
elat
ions
for
wom
en.
Whe
re w
omen
hav
e no
cho
ice
over
the
aim
and
obj
ect
of, t
heir
se
xual
ity,
hete
rose
xual
ity,
in t
he w
ords
of
Adr
ienn
e Ri
ch,
is
'com
puls
ory'
-an
ins
titut
ion
mor
e co
mpr
ehen
sive
and
sin
iste
r th
ar t
he d
iffe
rent
rel
atio
ns a
nd p
ract
ices
it
cons
truc
ts.
Wor
se,
com
puls
ory
hete
rose
xual
ity i
s pa
rt o
f a
chai
n of
gen
der
-sp
ecifi
c to
rtur
es,
both
m
edic
al
and
conj
ugal
: hy
ster
ecto
my,
cl
itero
dect
omy,
bat
teri
ng,
rape
and
impr
ison
men
t are
all
elab
or-
atio
ns o
f th
e sa
dist
ic
act
of p
enet
ratio
n its
elf,
pene
trat
ion
the
soci
ally
val
oriz
ed s
ymbo
l of
vio
lenc
e ag
ains
t w
omen
. M
en u
se
thes
e to
rmen
ts to
sho
re u
p th
eir o
wn
subj
ectiv
ity. T
heir
ple
asur
e in
the
m i
s a
conf
irm
atio
n of
mal
e po
wer
. Po
rnog
raph
y, i
n th
is
anal
ysis
, is
em
blem
atic
of
all
mal
e se
xual
ity,
the
viol
ent f
anta
sy
behi
nd th
e te
nder
est a
ct o
f int
erco
urse
. Ri
ch d
efin
es h
eter
osex
ualit
y as
an
inst
itutio
n 'fo
rcib
ly a
nd
subl
imin
ally
im
pose
d on
wom
en'
who
hav
e 'e
very
whe
re .
..
resi
sted
it.'
Alth
ough
she
adm
its th
at th
ere
are
'qua
litat
ive
diff
er-
ence
s of
exp
erie
nce'
with
in h
eter
osex
ualit
y, t
hese
dif
fere
nces
ca
nnot
alte
r th
e co
rrup
t na
ture
of
the
inst
itutio
n, s
ince
a g
ood
part
ner
is ra
ther
like
a g
ood
mas
ter
in s
lave
ry,
a m
atte
r of
luc
k no
t ch
oice
. W
hile
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
belie
ved,
cy
nica
lly,
that
all
wom
en t
ook
plea
sure
in
thei
r sl
aver
y,
Ric
h ba
cks
off
from
ad
mitt
ing
that
co
erci
on,
how
ever
su
blim
inal
, ca
n pr
oduc
e pl
easu
re.
Bin
ary
cate
gorie
s,
hist
oric
ally
di
ffer
entia
ted,
ar
e op
erat
ing
here
. Ba
d w
omen
in
1792
exp
erie
nced
bad
ple
asur
e;
good
wom
en i
n 19
80 e
xper
ienc
e no
ple
asur
e. I
n bo
th c
ases
the
3f
_fec
t is
puni
tive.
(
Ric
h's
abst
ract
wom
en -
they
are
no
near
er to
rea
l, hi
stor
ical
\
wom
en t
han
the
incr
edib
ly l
asci
viou
s la
dies
of
A Vi
ndic
atio
n -
'-~
/'
._)
Wild
Nig
hts.
53
are
neith
er m
asoc
hist
s no
r ny
mph
oman
iacs
, th
ey a
re s
impl
y_
wom
en w
hose
nat
ural
sex
ualit
y ha
s be
en a
rtific
ially
div
erte
d,\
from
the
ir r
eal
obje
ct,
othe
r w
omen
. W
omen
's l
ong
.str
uggl
e )
agai
nst h
eter
osex
ualit
y to
ok, a
ccor
ding
to R
ich,
.a w
ide
vari
ety
of
form
s al
ong
wha
t sh
e ca
lls t
he 'l
esbi
an c
ontin
uum
', as
dis
tinc
t_
from
'les
bian
exi
sten
ce' -
the
natu
ral
sexu
ality
of
wom
en.
Rich
ha
s sh
ifte
d th
e te
rms
in t
he n
atur
e/cu
lture
deb
ate
with
out r
eally
al
teri
ng t
he p
arad
igm
of
wom
en's
sex
ualit
y. I
n he
r sc
enar
io ·1
_ fe
mal
e he
tero
sexu
ality
is s
ocia
lly c
onst
ruct
ed a
nd f
emal
e ho
mo-
\ ,·("
\ 7
sexu
alit~
is
natu
ra~.
A1
in. W
olls
tone
craf
t, w
hat
is b
ad g
oes .
..QP
,,i,,.,
lcifl-
-"\ t..
.?
the
outs
ide,
wha
t m
b..er.
es 1
s ne
utra
l or
goo
d. I
n R
ich'
s fo
rmul
a,
<>-(.
-1t-
---w
omen
's lib
idin
al d
rive
is
mad
e ce
ntra
l, tr
ansh
isto
rica
l an
d G
' im
man
ent w
here
dom
inan
t sex
ual i
deol
ogy
had
cons
truc
ted
it as
ac
c1ae
ntal
an
d/o!
__P.
atl19
lQgi
_cal.
Po
Titic
al le
sbia
nism
be
com
es
-mor
e-t1
fana
-·st
rate
gic
posi
tion-
-for
fem
inis
m,
it is
a r
etur
n to
na
ture
. In
this
new
inte
rpre
tatio
n of
sex
ualit
y a
fairl
y cr
ude
libid
-in
al e
cono
my
is as
sert
ed:
Wom
an id
entif
icat
ion
is a
sour
ce o
f ene
rgy,
a p
oten
tial s
prin
ghea
d of
fe
mal
e po
wer
, vio
lent
ly c
urta
iled
and
was
ted
unde
r th
e in
stitu
tion
of
hete
rose
xual
ity.
The
deni
al o
f re
ality
an
d vi
sibi
lity
to
wom
en's
pa
ssio
n fo
r w
omen
, wom
en's
cho
ice
of w
omen
as
allie
s, lif
e co
mpa
n-io
ns,
and
com
mun
ity;
the
forc
ing
of s
uch
rela
tions
hips
int
o di
s-si
mul
atio
n, t
heir
dis
inte
grat
ion
unde
r in
tens
e pr
essu
re,
have
mea
nt
an i
ncal
cula
ble
loss
to
the
pow
er o
f al
l w
omen
to
chan
ge t
lze s
ocia
l re
latio
ns o
f tlze
sex
es,
to l
iber
ate
ours
elve
s an
d ea
ch o
ther
. Th
e lie
of
com
puls
ory
fem
ale
hete
rose
xual
ity t
oday
aff
licts
not
jus
t fe
min
ist
scho
lars
hip,
but
eve
ry p
rofe
ssio
n, e
very
refe
renc
e w
ork,
eve
ry c
urric
-ul
um,
ever
y or
gani
zing
atte
mpt
, ev
ery
rela
tions
hip
or c
onve
rsat
ion
over
whi
ch i
t ho
vers
. It
crea
tes,
spe
cific
ally
, a
prof
ound
fal
sene
ss,
hypo
cris
y an
d hy
ster
ia in
the
het
eros
exua
l dia
logu
e, f
or e
very
het
er-
osex
ual
rela
tions
hip
is liv
ed i
n th
e qu
easy
str
obel
ight
of
that
lie
. H
owev
er w
e ch
oos.e
to id
entif
y ou
rsel
ves,
how
ever
we
find
our
selv
es
labe
lled,
it f
licke
rs a
cros
s an
d di
stor
ts o
ur li
ves.
20
The
satu
ratin
g po
wer
of
this
soc
ially
enf
orce
d -
as o
ppos
ed t
o na
tura
lly li
ved
-se
xual
ity r
epre
sses
, in
Ric
h's
view
, aI
I cr
eativ
e · e
xpre
ssio
n an
d al
l ra
dica
l an
d re
volu
tiona
ry p
roce
ss.
It is
eer
ily ''\
lik
e W
olls
tone
craf
t's t
otal
izin
g vi
ew o
f se
xual
ity.
Bot
h Ri
ch a
nd
i W
ol
tone
craf
t be
lieve
tha
t he
tero
exu
ality
as
it is
andn
asbe
en
20.
Rich
, p. 6
57.
54
~~
lll@
j_s_
a~g
icaL
clif
ilo
rtio
0-.
ol_
fue_
po
s~~
~~
of
fem
al~J
Jali
cy~A
t one
leve
l A V
indi
catio
n is
high
ly p
resc
ript
ive:
it
asks
wom
en, a
t the
ver
y le
ast,
to r
esis
t the
app
eal o
f a p
leas
ure
that
will
put
the
m ~
t th
e se
xual
and
em
otio
nal
mer
cy o
f m
en.
Wol
lsto
necr
aft
stop
ped
shor
t of
de
fini
ng a
n in
nate
for
m o
f fe
mal
e se
xual
ity -
she
unde
rsto
od a
fter
her
enco
unte
r w
ith
Emile
th
at
argu
ing
diff
eren
ce
from
na
ture
w
as
ultim
atel
y re
actio
nary
. Ri
ch,
on t
he o
ther
han
d, h
as n
o qu
alm
s ab
out
cons
truc
ting
fem
ale
·sexu
ality
as
natu
rally
diff
eren
t. Sh
e us
es h
er
anal
ysis
, in
the
pas
sage
cite
d ab
ove,
to
inte
rpre
t con
flict
s w
ithin
fe
min
ism
tod
ay.
Thg
resg
ltjs
th
at.
_t_
hese
__
_c~
es,
on
who
se w
orki
ng t
hr~
h~
min
isll.l
,~
e
cc5
Ilap
secf
mto
f~~
~~
g_
n_
q[:
tg:~
~~
~~
§1
.§-:
:~al
-if
yota
T/w
oine
n. A
ny f
ailu
re
of e
nerg
y or
str
ateg
y ca
n ·b
e re
ciuc
ecrt
oThe
-fnr
stra
tion
and
anxi
ety
asso
ciat
ed w
ith a
den
ied
or f
eare
d se
xual
ity.
Diff
icul
ties
betw
een
wom
en a
re n
o_ l
onge
r ab
out
age,
cla
ss,
race
or
cultu
re.
All
the
legi
timat
e pr
oble
ms
· inh
eren
t to
an e
mer
gent
pol
itics
are
whi
ttled
dow
n to
a r
epre
ssed
bu
t su
prac
ultu
ral
sexu
ality
. In
Co
mpu
lsory
Het
eros
exua
lity
the
· sol
utio
n fo
r a
bette
r po
litic
s is
cont
aine
d in
the
app
eal f
rom
bad
cu
lture
bac
k to
goo
d na
ture
. Th
e th
eme
of
Ric
h's
revi
sion
of
fe
mal
e se
xual
ity
is th
e po
ssib
le c
onst
ruct
ion
of a
spe
cific
ally
fem
inist
hum
anis
m.
Ben
ign
' nat
ure
is fe
mal
e -
affe
ctio
nate
and
sen
sual
as
wel
l as
cre
ativ
e,
revo
lutio
nary
an
d tr
ansc
ende
nt.
In
its
polit
ical
in
flect
ion
it l-o
ppos
es a
n in
nate
ly v
icio
us m
ale
natu
re w
hose
asc
ende
ncy
has
. pr
oduc
ed t
he b
ad d
ream
of
phal
locr
atic
cul
ture
. A
ccor
ding
to
Ric
h, '
...
hete
rose
xual
ity a
s an
ins
titut
ion
has
been
org
aniz
ed
and
mai
ntai
ned
thro
ugh
the
fein
ale
wag
e sc
ale,
the
enf
orce
men
t of
mid
dle-
clas
s w
omen
's l
eisu
re,
the
glam
oriz
atio
n of
so-
calle
d se
xual
libe
ratio
n, t
he w
ithho
ldin
g of
edu
catio
n fr
om w
omen
, th
e im
age
of "
high
art
", an
d po
pula
r cul
ture
, the
mys
tific
atio
n of
the
"per
sona
l" s
pher
e an
d m
uch
else
.'21 T
hese
rat
her h
eter
ogen
eous
, cl
ass-
spec
ific
and
eth
noce
ntri
c de
vice
s su
ppor
t he
tero
sexu
ality
ra
ther
tha
n ca
pita
lism
or
patr
iarc
hal
rela
tions
. Ta
ke a
way
the
se
and
othe
r cu
ltura
l su
ppor
ts a
nd h
eter
osex
ualit
y w
ould
pre
-su
mab
ly w
ither
aw
ay. D
estr
oy h
eter
osex
ist c
ultu
re a
t any
his
tor-
ical
mom
ent
and
lesb
ian/
fem
inis
m w
ould
em
erge
tri
umph
ant
21.
Rich
, p. 6
59.
Wild
Nig
hts
55
from
_ i~s
. ~i?h
es.
Rich
'.s s
im~l
e be
lief i
n th
e al
l-em
b~ac
ing
polit
ical
po
ss1~
1htJe
s of
les
bian
exi
sten
ce,
her
reje
ctio
n of
the
pol
itica
l ·
mte
gnty
of
hete
rose
xual
fem
inis
m c
onst
itute
s a
deni
al b
oth
of
the
spe~
ifici
ty a
nd_
v~rie
ty o
f fe
mal
e se
xual
ity a
nd t
he s
peci
ficity
: ·
and
vari
ety
of fe
min
ism
. ·
The
iden
tific
atio
n of
the
sou
rces
of
soci
al g
ood
or e
vil
in t
he
s_ex
u~I
driv
e of
eith
er s
ex,
or in
any
soc
ially
spe
cific
sex
ual p
rac-
. hc
e 1~
a ':
'ay
of f
orec
l?si
ng o
ur s
till_
im~e
rfec
t un
?ers
tand
ing
of.
· .,;_
">
,Y..'~'~
th
e h1
sto~1
es o
f_ se
xual
ity.
The
mor
ah,i:
atJo
n of
des
n:e.
..th
aJ~
-Y-"-
· ·<.
>•y?'\
.f'--
ably
!~
~w
:' fr
om s
uch
an a
naly
sis
coll~
des ~
tho
se d
o~
t •.
,,ru-"t
c'.l~,::,•·
-P
~hc
es f
fiat
cons
truc
t hu
man
sex
uail1
ty t
firo
ugnc
aceg
orie
s of
.
tli •
.
-~~~
-~~a
ce ~
1:,~
gena
::~.~
~<:!_
~-~~
-ci!Y
J~e
an
_§
__
!_tB
_~
ty
, )
~u
cte
a 5
y aT
emm
1st r
evol
utio
n w
ill b
e a
new
soc
ial r
elat
ion
Nvv
\
with--,newcct~""j'"--
' -=
-----
---.--
_..._
_-:--
..----
-----...
. I
\ \[
>.(
) .,·
~
?-ct
rcr1
0n
s. a
na·c
ons..
tr.ai
nts. T
~-~
--
;-_,~:
,
· n~
Q.lJ.
.~--s
~X;::
!?ht
y., __ J
.1.2.~ ..
. co
nst
r~_
jbJ.
Q);
!gh
.Jh
e-~
e of
_Qi~
e.0c>
', _,v
-~ J
~-a~
~or
fen.:
~::...
.~s __
a tr
a~~~
~!:1
-~en
t~.!1
-ta~
l_.b
ourg
eois
,5
d·
md1y
1_c!_
g~_~
.:>-1P
,. Jt.
pose
s-a'
=suo
)ect
-wno
-=--
can-
·sfa
nd-o
utsi
oeth
e'
;_ c;.
. '-\ \
1:,
-~.Q
ci<:
L-.E
erha
ps,c
m1S
itler
ingi
tspo
litic
araf
ftic
u1H
esin
fhe'
past
·. Y '.
'-0 (.. .t
' -f
~.
. h
Id
\ '
.\\'(
X. , e
mm
ism
s o
u re
sist
app
ropr
iatin
g su
ch a
sub
ject
, or
at
leq-st
u
s,ov
'"'
r.~
f~ h
ang
our
hope
s fo
r se
xual
ple
asur
e ro
und
its n
eck
./
~--.
---------
The
wal
l~ a
nd d
oors
of
the
wom
en's
toi
lets
crt
~n
iver
sity
of
Suss
ex ~
ibra
ry w
ere,
and
~re
, co
vere
d w
ith w
omen
's w
ritin
g.
From
thi
s lo
wes
t se
at o
f hi
gh l
earn
ing
a po
lylo
gic
test
amen
t to
w
omen
's e
ntry
into
dis
cour
se c
an b
e re
ad in
the
rou
nd.
Ther
e is
in
evita
bly,
a e
upho
ric
tem
ptat
ion
to r
ead
too
muc
h ou
t of
the
s~
expr
essi
ve i
nscr
iptio
ns.
For
if yo
ung
wom
en c
an s
hit
and
wri
te,
not
for
so1!
1e p
atria
r~ha
l _pe
dant
,, bu
~ fo
r ea
ch o
ther
's e
yes
only
, w
hat
vest
iges
of
Vic
tona
n <;
:ons
tram
ts re
mai
n? I
t is
true,
of
co
ur~e
, t~
at t
he v
ast
maj
ority
of
cont
ribu
tors
to
this
par
ticul
ar
pubh
c/pn
vate
deb
ate
are
youn
g, w
hite
and
mid
dle-
clas
s, b
ut n
ot
all w
omen
's J
oos
so d
ecor
ated
are
qui
te s
o cl
ass
and
race
bou
nd.
In t
he s
mal
lest
roo
ms
of t
his
acad
emy
polit
ics
and
inte
llect
ual
. m~t
ters
are
inf
orm
ally
deb
ated
, bu
t se
x_ a
s th
e pr
efer
red
topi
c w
ms
hand
s do
wn.
·· ·
'H
ow d
o I
get
~n o
rgas
m?'
pro
mpt
ed a
boo
th-f
ull
of r
eplie
s an
d co
mm
~nta
ry _
m th
e ea
rly
mid
-sev
entie
s, s
how
ing
off
the
rang
e an
d m
genw
ty o
f w
omen
's s
exua
l pr
actic
es a
nd t
heor
ies.
A
dvic
e in
clud
ed d
etai
led
inst
ruct
ions
to
be r
elay
ed t
o a
mal
e pa
rtne
r ,as
wel
l as
the
suc
cinc
t, la
coni
c re
com
men
datio
n to
'Tr
y W
omen
. Th
ere
was
an
addr
ess
for
supp
liers
of
vibr
ator
s an
d an
\'--
·
56
illus
tratio
n, d
efin
itely
not
ero
tic,
to h
elp
one.
find
the
elus
ive
clito
ris.
In t
he w
ide
varie
ty o
f re
spon
ses
one
was
not
icea
bly
abse
nt
-no
co
ntri
buto
r co
ntes
ted
the
impo
rtan
ce
of
the
ques
tion.
No
one
quer
ied
the
cent
ralit
y of
org
asm
for
wom
en's
se
xual
pra
ctic
e or
the
im
port
ance
of
sexu
al p
leas
ure
itsel
f. N
o an
achr
onis
tic
blue
stoc
king
su
gges
ted
that
iri
telle
ctua
l an
d se
nsua
l pu
rsui
ts w
ere
inco
mpa
tible
. N
o de
vout
Chr
istia
n w
as
mov
ed to
tell
her s
iste
rs to
wai
t unt
il m
arria
ge. O
nly
now
, fro
m a
di
ffer
ent
time
and
plac
e in
the
fem
inis
t de
bate
ove
r se
xual
ity
does
th
at
appa
rent
ly
unan
imou
s ag
reem
ent
amon
g yo
ung
educ
ated
wom
en th
at s
exua
l ple
asur
e, h
owev
er a
chie
ved,
was
an
unpr
oble
mat
ic d
esire
see
m c
urio
us.
Abo
ut th
e m
eans
of
arriv
ing
at p
leas
ure
ther
e w
as p
lent
y of
dis
agre
emen
t; if
a~th
ing
that
cu
bicl
e w
as a
tel
ling
rem
inde
r th
at th
ere
has
neve
r be
en a
sin
gle
-fem
iniri
itfan
'dtna
rwith
in-t~
_11_
1i_~
is~·~
s_ex
u,c1
lity-
a:nd
-~h~
~ec1
n:i.n
g ~o
fple
asur
e··h
a-ve
·mos
ffre
quen
tly b
een
the
site
of
ange
r, -~
~~tra
-··d
ictio
h an
ucon
Tus1
on,
too __
9!te
h _ ill
~min
atiif
Kcl
ass,
cttl
tgrn
Land
ni.-
c:·1iff
d1v1
sion-
behv
e·en
-·wom
en.
Now
, w
hen
fem
ale
sexu
ality
is
indi
sptif
ably
-cen
tre-s
tage
in f
emin
ist
deba
tes
~utp
l~~?
-~!-~
J? .. ~
?,<? • ..
· ra
rely
it~
SuQ
ject_
imd
eros
ram
pant
is m
ore
likel
y to
con
jure
up
a ·
sfiu
ffm
ovie
than
mul
tiple
org
asm
, tha
t loo
wal
l rem
ains
with
me
as a
n im
port
ant
even
t in
the
his
tory
of
fem
inis
m,
a m
omen
t w
hose
app
eara
nce
and
sign
ifica
nce
we
mus
t wor
k to
und
erst
and.
3.
The
Fem
inis
t Pol
itics
of
Lite
rary
The
ory
Abo
ut t
en y
ears
ago
, du
ring
the
hig
h po
int
of f
emin
ist
activ
ism
in
Brit
ain
you
coul
d fin
d a
new
-min
ted
piec
e of
fol
k w
isdo
m
insc
ribe
d on
the
wal
ls o
f w
omen
's J
oos
thro
ugho
ut t
he c
ount
ry,
and
quot
ed e
ndle
ssly
in
the
liter
atur
e of
the
mov
emen
t: 'A
W
oman
With
out
a M
an i
s Li
ke a
Fis
h W
ithou
t a
Bicy
cle.
' As
a de
fian
t slo
gan
of in
depe
nden
ce a
nd a
uton
omy
it ha
s al
way
s irr
i-ta
ted
me,
not
onl
y fo
r its
'sep
arat
ist'
impl
icat
ions
or
its d
istu
rb-
ing,
Dal
i-es
que
juxt
apos
ition
of
selv
es a
nd th
ings
but
also
for
its
com
plac
ent
esse
ntia
lism
and
the
fal
se
(in-)
cong
ruiti
es o
f its
m
etap
hor.
Wom
en a
ren'
t lik
e fis
h,
supp
lied
with
a
natu
ral
elem
ent a
nd e
quip
ped
for
easy
pas
sage
thr
ough
it.
The
'revo
lu-
tiona
ry'
choi
ce f
or t
hem
will
nev
er b
e fo
r a
stre
amlin
ed n
ew
iden
tity
in h
arm
ony
with
an
envi
ronm
ent
in w
hich
rus
t-pr
one,
m
ale-
desi
gned
tr
ansp
ort
tech
nolo
gy
is re
dund
ant.
At
man
y po
ints
in t
he I
nstit
ute
of C
onte
mpo
rary
Art
s w
eeke
nd 'C
ross
ing
the
Cha
nnel
'1 w
rite
rs a
nd c
ritic
s pr
oudl
y m
aint
aine
d th
e us
eles
s-ne
ss o
f 'th
eory
' fo
r th
eir
prac
tices
, an
.d
as
seve
ral
of t
hem
di
savo
wed
bot
h th
e pr
esen
t an
d hi
stor
ical
con
nect
ion
betw
een
liter
atur
e an
d po
litic
s I f
ound
my
leas
t fav
orite
fem
inis
t epi
gram
sw
imm
ing
into
vie
w s
uita
bly
reva
mpe
d fo
r th
e oc
casi
on -
' A c
ritic
with
out
a th
eory
of
repr
esen
tatio
n is
like
...
a w
rite
r w
ithou
t a p
oliti
cs is
like
...
. ' Th
e ae
sthe
tic,
as e
ither
art
pra
ctic
e or
as
com
men
tary
was
1.
A w
eeke
nd c
onfe
renc
e in
Dec
embe
r 198
4 in
whi
ch F
renc
h an
d En
glish
writ
ers
and
criti
cs c
onsi
dere
d th
e us
es o
f crit
ical
theo
ry.
57