our androcentric culture-第3节

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II。

THE　MAN…MADE　FAMILY。


The　family　is　older　than　humanity；　and　therefore　cannot　be　called　a
human　institution。　　A　post　office；　now；　is　wholly　human；　no　other
creature　has　a　post　office；　but　there　are　families　in　plenty　among　birds
and　beasts；　all　kinds　permanent　and　transient；　monogamous；　polygamous
and　polyandrous。

We　are　now　to　consider　the　growth　of　the　family　in　humanity；　what　is　its
rational　development　in　humanness；　in　mechanical；　mental　and　social
lines；　in　the　extension　of　love　and　service；　and　the　effect　upon　it　of
this　strange　new　arrangementa　masculine　proprietor。

Like　all　natural　institutions　the　family　has　a　purpose；　and　is　to　be
measured　primarily　as　it　serves　that　purpose；　which　is；　the　care　and
nurture　of　the　young。　　To　protect　the　helpless　little　ones；　to　feed　and
shelter　them；　to　ensure　them　the　benefits　of　an　ever　longer　period　of
immaturity；　and　so　to　improve　the　racethis　is　the　original　purpose　of
the　family。

When　a　natural　institution　becomes　human　it　enters　the　plane　of
consciousness。　　We　think　about　it；　and；　in　our　strange　new　power　of
voluntary　action　do　things　to　it。　　We　have　done　strange　things　to　the
family；　or；　more　specifically；　men　have。

Balsac；　at　his　bitterest；　observed；　〃Women's　virtue　is　man's　best
invention。〃　Balsac　was　wrong。　　Virtuethe　unswerving　devotion　to　one
mateis　common　among　birds　and　some　of　the　higher　mammals。　　If　Balsac
meant　celibacy　when　he　said　virtue；　why　that　is　one　of　man's
inventionsthough　hardly　his　best。

What　man　has　done　to　the　family；　speaking　broadly；　is　to　change　it　from
an　institution　for　the　best　service　of　the　child　to　one　modified　to　his
own　service；　the　vehicle　of　his　comfort；　power　and　pride。

Among　the　heavy　millions　of　the　stirred　East；　a　childnecessarily　a
male　childis　desired　for　the　credit　and　glory　of　the　father；　and　his
fathers；　in　place　of　seeing　that　all　a　parent　is　for　is　the　best　service
of　the　child。　　Ancestor　worship；　that　gross　reversal　of　all　natural　law；
is　of　wholly　androcentric　origin。　　It　is　strongest　among　old　patriarchal
races；　lingers　on　in　feudal　Europe；　is　to　be　traced　even　in　America
today　in　a　few　sporadic　efforts　to　magnify　the　deeds　of　our　ancestors。

The　best　thing　any　of　us　can　do　for　our　ancestors　is　to　be　better　than
they　were；　and　we　ought　to　give　our　minds　to　it。　　When　we　use　our　past
merely　as　a　guide…book；　and　concentrate　our　noble　emotions　on　the
present　and　future；　we　shall　improve　more　rapidly。

The　peculiar　changes　brought　about　in　family　life　by　the　predominance　of
the　male　are　easily　traced。　　In　these　studies　we　must　keep　clearly　in
mind　the　basic　masculine　characteristics：　desire；　combat；
self…expressionall　legitimate　and　right　in　proper　use；　only
mischievous　when　excessive　or　out　of　place。　　Through　them　the　male　is
led　to　strenuous　competition　for　the　favor　of　the　female；　in　the
overflowing　ardours　of　song；　as　in　nightingale　and　tomcat；　in　wasteful
splendor　of　personal　decoration；　from　the　pheasant's　breast　to　an
embroidered　waistcoat；　and　in　direct　struggle　for　the　prize；　from　the
stag's　locked　horns　to　the　clashing　spears　of　the　tournament。

It　is　earnestly　hoped　that　no　reader　will　take　offence　at　the
necessarily　frequent；　reference　to　these　essential　features　of　maleness。
　In　the　many　books　about　women　it　is；　naturally；　their　femaleness　that
has　been　studied　and　enlarged　upon。　　And　though　women；　after　thousands
of　years　of　such　discussion；　have　become　a　little　restive　under　the
constant　use　of　the　word　female：　men；　as　rational　beings；　should　not
object　to　an　analogous　studyat　least　not　for　some　timea　few
centuries　or　so。

How；　then；　do　we　find　these　masculine　tendencies；　desire；　combat　and
self…expression；　affect　the　home　and　family　when　given　too　much　power？

First　comes　the　effect　in　the　preliminary　work　of　selection。　　One　of　the
most　uplifting　forces　of　nature　is　that　of　sex　selection。　　The　males；
numerous；　varied；　pouring　a　flood　of　energy　into　wide　modifications；
compete　for　the　female；　and　she　selects　the　victor；　this　securing　to　the
race　the　new　improvements。

In　forming　the　proprietary　family　there　is　no　such　competition；　no　such
selection。　　The　man；　by　violence　or　by　purchase；　does　the　choosinghe
selects　the　kind　of　woman　that　pleases　him。　　Nature　did　not　intend　him
to　select；　he　is　not　good　at　it。　　Neither　was　the　female　intended　to
competeshe　is　not　good　at　it。

If　there　is　a　race　between　males　for　a　matethe　swiftest　gets　her
first；　but　if　one　male　is　chasing　a　number　of　females　he　gets　the
slowest　first。　　The　one　method　improves　our　speed：　the　other　does　not。　
If　males　struggle　and　fight　with　one　another　for　a　mate；　the　strongest
secures　her；　if　the　male　struggles　and　fights　with　the　female（a
peculiar　and　unnatural　horror；　known　only　among　human　beings）　he　most
readily　secures　the　weakest。　　The　one　method　improves　our　strengththe
other　does　not。

When　women　became　the　property　of　men；　sold　and　bartered；　〃given　away〃
by　their　paternal　owner　to　their　marital　owner；　they　lost　this
prerogative　of　the　female；　this　primal　duty　of　selection。　　The　males
were　no　longer　improved　by　their　natural　competition　for　the　female；　and
the　females　were　not　improved；　because　the　male　did　not　select　for
points　of　racial　superiority；　but　for　such　qualities　as　pleased　him。

There　is　a　locality　in　northern　Africa；　where　young　girls　are
deliberately　fed　with　a　certain　oily　seed；　to　make　them　fat；that　they
may　be　the　more　readily　married；as　the　men　like　fat　wives。　　Among
certain　more　savage　African　tribes　the　chief's　wives　are　prepared　for
him　by　being　kept　in　small　dark　huts　and　fed　on　〃mealies'　and　molasses；
precisely　as　a　Strasbourg　goose　is　fattened　for　the　gourmand。　　Now
fatness　is　not　a　desirable　race　characteristic；　it　does　not　add　to　the
woman's　happiness　or　efficiency；　or　to　the　child's；　it　is　merely　an
accessory　pleasant　to　the　master；　his　attitude　being　much　as　the　amorous
monad　ecstatically　puts　it；　in　Sill's　quaint　poem；　〃Five　Lives；〃


〃O　the　little　female　monad's　lips！
O　the　little　female　monad's　eyes！
O　the　little；　little；　female；　female　monad！〃


This　ultra　littleness　and　ultra　femaleness　has　been　demanded　and
produced　by　our　Androcentric　Culture。

Following　this；　and　part　of　it；　comes　the　effect　on　motherhood。　　This
function　was　the　original　and　legitimate　base　of　family　life；　and　its
ample　sustaining　power　throughout　the　long　early　period　of　〃the
mother…right；〃　or　as　we　call　it；　the　matriarchate；　the　father　being　her
assistant　in　the　great　work。　　The　patriarchate；　with　its　proprietary
family；　changed　this　altogether；　the　woman；　as　the　property　of　the　man
was　considered　first　and　foremost　as　a　means　of　pleasure　to　him；　and
while　she　was　still　valued　as　a　mother；　it　was　in　a　tributary　capacity。　
Her　children　were　now　his；　his　property；　as　she　was；　the　whole　enginery
of　the　family　was　turned　from　its　true　use　to　this　new　one；　hitherto
unknown；　the　service　of　the　adult　male。

To　this　day　we　are　living　under　the　influence　of　the　proprietary　family。
　The　duty　of　the　wife　is　held　to　involve　man…service　as　well　as
child…service；　and　indeed　far　more；　as　the　duty　of　the　wife　to　the
husband　quite　transcends　the　duty　of　the　mother　to　the　child。

See　for　instance　the　English　wife　staying　with　her　husband　in　India　and
sending　the　children　home　to　be　brought　up；　because　India　is　bad　for
children。　　See　our　common　law　that　the　man　decides　the　place　of
residence；　if　the　wife　refuses　to　go　with　him　to　howsoever　unfit　a　place
for　her　and　for　the　little　ones；　such　refusal　on　her　part　constitutes
〃desertion〃　and　is　ground　for　divorce。

See　again　the　idea　that　the　wife　must　remain　with　the　husband　though　a
drunkard；　or　diseased；　regardless　of　the　sin　against　the　child　involved
in　such　a　relation。　　Public　feeling　on　these　matters　is　indeed　changing；
but　as　a　whole　the　ideals　of　the　man…made　family　still　obtain。

The　effect　of　this　on　the　woman　has　been　inevitably　to　weaken　and
overshadow　her　sense　of　the　real　purpose　of　the　family；　of　the
relentless　responsibilities　of　her　duty　as　a　mother。　　She　is　first
taught　duty　to　her　parents；　with　heavy　religious　sanction；　and　then　duty
to　her　husband；　similarly　buttressed；　but　her　duty　to　her　children　has
been　left　to　instinct。　　She　is　not　taught　in　girlhood　as　to　her
preeminent　power　and　duty　as　a　mother；　her　young　ideals　are　all　of
devotion　to　the　lover　and　husband：　with　only　the　vaguest　sense　of
results。

The　young　girl　is　reared　in　what　we　call　〃innocence；〃　poetically
described　as　〃bloom；〃　and　this　condition　is　held　one　of　her　chief
〃charms。〃　　The　requisite　is　wholly　androcentric。　　This　〃innocence〃　does
not　enable　her　to　choose　a　husband　wisely；　she　does　not　even　know　the
dangers　that　possibly　confront　her。　　We　vaguely　imagine　that　her　father
or　brother；　who　do　know；　will　protect　her。　　Unfortunately　the　father　and
brother；　under　our　current　〃double　standard〃　of　morality　do　not　judge
the　applicants　as　she　would　if　she　knew　the　nature　of　their　offenses。

Furthermore；　if　her　heart　is　set　on　one　of　them；　no　amount　of　general
advice　and　opposition　serves　to　prevent　her　marrying　him。　　〃I　love　him！〃
she　says；　sublimely。　　〃I　do　no