sam@phs.UUCP (01/24/84)
By the Goddess, Laura, you really have worked yourself into a froth
over this one. I can understand your reaction to the notion of 'feminized'
literature. I agree that any attempt to expurgate, bowlderize, censor, or
otherwise *permanently* alter any work of art, literature, or music is a
crime akin to child murder. I can't imagine that any (formally or self)
educated person, male or female, would readily give up the privilege of
reading great literature as originally written. From a feminist
perspective, such literature serves as a record of the psychological,
social, and political oppression of women throughout history. (Conspicuous
in its nearly complete absence is the literature of, by and about women,
but that is another topic.)
Given that I agree with your basic premise, that the products of
the creative mind and the determined will should never be *permanently*
changed to suit current mores, allow me to give my reaction to the
'feminization' of written works. When I am feeling worn to a frazzle by my
ongoing struggle to gain the rights, privileges, and opportunities which
should have been mine from the start, I retreat into a meditative fantasy
I found in a book called 'Getting Clear' (I've forgotten the author's
name). I begin by imagining that my boss is a woman, the department chair
is a woman, that most of the profs in the department (with the exception of
a couple of token men) are women. I imagine that the governor, the
President, most of the legislators are women. I imagine that all my life,
the role models and authority figures have been women; even the voice-overs
on T.V. ads were female. The generic pronoun is 'she', and one speaks of
woman and womankind (which, of course, includes men). Ten or 15 minutes of
this and I can return to reality strengthened and refreshed. (PLEASE NOTE
that I'm not suggesting that such a 'mirror image' world would bet any
BETTER overall, just easier for me.) The 'feminized' quotes appearing in
'Ms.' are an extension of my fanatasy. Read them again, imagining that you
are used to hearing that a woman has '... the right to live, to work, to be
herself...', that we should '... let every woman be respected as an
individual and no woman idolized.', that (a real corker, this one)
a'...woman's act of disobedience...is...the beginning of her freedom and
development of reason.' By the Goddess, what might woman accomplish if
they truly believed such sayings were true.
No, I would never condone the re-writing of any work of
literature, no matter how sexist. These works are part of the history of
MANkind's greatest crime, the continuous, systematic oppresssion of one
half of humanity. But I see no harm, and great good, in encouraging the imagination and
vision of the next generation of women.
Sherry Marts