Heck, it's probably pretty bad to write two posts in one day, but I read Paulio's blog (I'll post the link at the end) and got all riled up about feminism, so I thought I'd discuss it in relation to a certain piece of literature - The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
For those of you who haven't read this fantastically unnerving dystopian novel (you must!), it deals with a social reform in order to transport society back to traditional values contained in the Bible. The state of Gilead is suffering from a baby shortage due to increasing numbers of abortions and women wanting careers and leaving it too late to have children, in addition to many babies being stillborn or with fatal deformities - not very pretty, I know! To solve the problem, a system is introduced whereby Handmaids are assigned to men to bear them children. It all gets a bit complicated from here...
The Bible states that if a woman cannot bear her husband a child, her husband should lay with his wife's maid with his wife looking on. Now, this may seem a bit creepy - it sure does to me - but one feminist interpretation of this is that this is a man's utopia. A utopia for one person/group of people has become a dystopia for many others. Of course, this is an incredibly sexist viewpoint, and the majority of feminists would halt at the statement that this shows the traditional value that infertility was the fault of women, and go no further. This alone fascinates me! The distinction between feminists always has fascinated me. It's almost like ethnic minority groups fighting against racism, but fighting amongst each other. The common cause unites, but in each other's eyes, somebody is always wrong. WHAT A HUGE CONTRADICTION!!!
The Handmaid's Tale is a particularly riveting text with which to look at this contradiction, due to it's anti-female and pro-biblical practices. In fact, I believe it to be the embodiment of the BNP sometimes in the revert to tradition, which would ultimately put everyone back in their rightful places i.e. women in the kitchen or the bedroom, never venturing outside unless it's to do domestic tasks and you're a lowlife Handmaid or wife of a peasant. Respectable women remain indoors and knit or tend gardens. Marthas are assigned to take care of all housework. Handmaids are assigned for procreation. Men are executed for gender treachery! Doctors for, well, being doctors! Religious groups persecuted!
It really is an amazing read. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!
But the best part about all of these ridiculous religious fundamentalist ideas is that, whist these women are each assigned their duties, the men still have clubs for prostitution. As if they weren't getting enough already! For a feminist, this is the literal definition of patriarchal oppression and subordination. If I ever become a world-renowned feminist, I will use this literary example in all of my works.
It is astonishing how many historical parallels can be drawn from The Handmaid's Tale! Atwood's intelligence and cunning continues...
There are NO practices mentioned in this novel, that didn't happen at one time in history, and some which maybe are even relevant now. Feminists (and I mean all of them, not just the radical ones), would take the liberty to argue that the anti-porn protests and prostitution clubs are relevant, everyday examples of women's degradation. Yet, whereas in this society the majority of women involved in pornographic filming at least, are using their sexuality in a way which they see fit (though I DEFINITELY DO NOT agree with it), the women of Gilead are being forced by patriarchy to commit adultery, and are debased by men. In Gilead, there is not a single woman who would willingly submit to this kind of prostitution.
Just think... though some of us may not agree with the way women treat themselves and flaunt their sexuality now, how much worse would it be, if they had no power? Not even that of their own bodies?
Food for thought!
Thanks for reading - this stuff really lets me get my teeth into it!!! Here's the link to Paulio's own rant about feminist ideology - http://paulio-news.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/can-men-write-and-engage-with-feminism.html
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