... and most other early 20th century authors. They write such amazingly compelling literature that I can't help but want to scream at their treatment of women. I mean really? Saying that you can't wait to guide your new bride through your carefully selected library of appropriate books just seems ridiculous to me.
However, it's this anger that fuels the world to change, and really how much can we say it's changed in modern culture. Especially at BYU. I don't know many times I've heard (from both guys and girls) that they wish girls wouldn't apply to certain programs that are rather competitive here at BYU just because "they're just going to get married and stay at home with kids." Or how many times have we had Sunday School/Relief Society lessons on how girls need to dress more conservatively and watch how they behave around men because they could inadvertantly be "walking pornography." Basically, how many times do we as women hear in our day-to-day lives something that is really quite sexist?
2 comments:
I wanted to thank you for your comment on my blog--it made my day! I'm so glad you wrote it.
And btw, I can't stand Edith Wharton! I always get so depressed halfway through her books. I much prefer Henry James if I'm going to read about "young woman who is repressed and crushed by life" kind of things. And have you read Middlemarch? I thought of Dr. Casaubon and Dorothea when you mentioned guiding the bride through the library (except he didn't really welcome the fact that she had an intellect anyway...just sort of as a scribe/intellectual laborer).
oops. Causobon. now I feel silly.
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