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sarahreadsaverylot 's review for:
The Female Eunuch
by Germaine Greer
This was a hugely challenging, provoking and problematic read.
Rarely do I pick up a book so prepared to embrace a philosophy, yet I found myself continually pulling back--I actually succumbed to the urge to scribble notes in the margins, many of which expressed doubt, concern and rejection.
I think this is largely due to the fact that it is dated. It represents a key position (roughly between Simone de Beauvoir and Naomi Wolf) in the development of feminist theory but it seems--to me--that it is in no way the definitive statement that it (at times) claims to be.
Perhaps Greer says it best in her introduction, pointing out that, "this book represents only another contribution to a continuing dialogue between the wondering woman and the world." As dialogue, it is indeed a priceless contribution, and one filled with frankness, energy, and sass that is to be admired.
Nevertheless, looking back from the writings of the Third Wave, it is all too easy to identify undercurrents of homophobia, racism, sex-negativity, hetero-normative claims and unacknowledged class privilege. ("The Female Eunuch does not deal with poor women--for when I wrote it I did not know them--but with the women of the rich world, whose oppression is seen by poor women as freedom," is aptly pointed out in the introduction to this newer edition, but she could also include women of colour, transgendered people and sex workers in those who are excluded from her arguments.)
Another problematic area is the author/reader relationship, which is at times tinged with a sinister condescension that borders on disgust. Claims that women should not be expected to argue using male logic and scholarship because they are not educated to use those tools are counterbalanced by shockingly underhanded academic tricks, particularly in the fields of relying on pseudo-science and pop-psychology and of quoting out of context. In her own defense, she says, "of course I am taking advantage of the masters of psychology, bending and selecting their words like this...we cannot allow them to define what must be or change would be impossible." Allowing this, she still refuses to credit the majority of her perceived audience with the ability to understand her rhetoric. Furthermore, she goes on to criticize another female writer saying that, "she is so patently arguing from her convictions to her evidence, none of which has any source that she quotes, that the most sympathetic reader is alienated, unless, presumably, he has no way of knowing better." Hmmm.
Condescension, arrogance, and blatant privileged white-hetero blindness aside, I will still give this work three stars. Dialogue is ongoing, fluid and necessary to achieving the aims that are indeed brought to light with candor and flare. I say, read it, but don't accept it without a fight--something that Ms Greer would no doubt approve.
Rarely do I pick up a book so prepared to embrace a philosophy, yet I found myself continually pulling back--I actually succumbed to the urge to scribble notes in the margins, many of which expressed doubt, concern and rejection.
I think this is largely due to the fact that it is dated. It represents a key position (roughly between Simone de Beauvoir and Naomi Wolf) in the development of feminist theory but it seems--to me--that it is in no way the definitive statement that it (at times) claims to be.
Perhaps Greer says it best in her introduction, pointing out that, "this book represents only another contribution to a continuing dialogue between the wondering woman and the world." As dialogue, it is indeed a priceless contribution, and one filled with frankness, energy, and sass that is to be admired.
Nevertheless, looking back from the writings of the Third Wave, it is all too easy to identify undercurrents of homophobia, racism, sex-negativity, hetero-normative claims and unacknowledged class privilege. ("The Female Eunuch does not deal with poor women--for when I wrote it I did not know them--but with the women of the rich world, whose oppression is seen by poor women as freedom," is aptly pointed out in the introduction to this newer edition, but she could also include women of colour, transgendered people and sex workers in those who are excluded from her arguments.)
Another problematic area is the author/reader relationship, which is at times tinged with a sinister condescension that borders on disgust. Claims that women should not be expected to argue using male logic and scholarship because they are not educated to use those tools are counterbalanced by shockingly underhanded academic tricks, particularly in the fields of relying on pseudo-science and pop-psychology and of quoting out of context. In her own defense, she says, "of course I am taking advantage of the masters of psychology, bending and selecting their words like this...we cannot allow them to define what must be or change would be impossible." Allowing this, she still refuses to credit the majority of her perceived audience with the ability to understand her rhetoric. Furthermore, she goes on to criticize another female writer saying that, "she is so patently arguing from her convictions to her evidence, none of which has any source that she quotes, that the most sympathetic reader is alienated, unless, presumably, he has no way of knowing better." Hmmm.
Condescension, arrogance, and blatant privileged white-hetero blindness aside, I will still give this work three stars. Dialogue is ongoing, fluid and necessary to achieving the aims that are indeed brought to light with candor and flare. I say, read it, but don't accept it without a fight--something that Ms Greer would no doubt approve.