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masculinity is not so much in choice of subject as in method and spirit。
The artist sees beauty of form and color where the ordinary observer
does not； and paints the old and ugly with as much enthusiasm as the
young and beautifulsometimes。 If there is in some an over…emphasis of
feminine attractions it is counterbalanced in others by a far broader
line of work。
But the main evils of a too masculine art lie in the emphasis laid on
self…expression。 The artist； passionately conscious of how he feels；
strives to make other people aware of these sensations。 This is now so
generally accepted by critics； so seriously advanced by painters； that
what is called 〃the art world〃 accepts it as established。
If a man paints the sea； it is not to make you see and feel as a sight
of that same ocean would； but to make you see and feel how he；
personally； was affected by it； a matter surely of the narrowest
importance。 The ultra…masculine artist； extremely sensitive；
necessarily； and full of the natural urge to expression of the sex； uses
the medium of art as ingenuously as the partridge…cock uses his wings in
drumming on the log； or the bull moose stamps and bellows； not narrowly
as a mate call； but as a form of expression of his personal sensations。
The higher the artist the more human he is； the broader his vision； the
more he sees for humanity； and expresses for humanity； and the less
personal； the less ultra…masculine； is his expression。
OUR ANDROCENTRIC CULTURE； or； THE MAN…MADE WORLD
V。
MASCULINE LITERATURE。
When we are offered a 〃woman's〃 paper； page； or column； we find it
filled with matter supposed to appeal to women as a sex or class； the
writer mainly dwelling upon the Kaiser's four K'sKuchen； Kinder；
Kirche； Kleider。 They iterate and reiterate endlessly the discussion of
cookery； old and new； of the care of children； of the overwhelming
subject of clothing； and of moral instruction。 All this is recognized
as 〃feminine〃 literature； and it must have some appeal else the women
would not read it。 What parallel have we in 〃masculine〃 literature？
〃None！〃 is the proud reply。 〃Men are people！ Women； being 'the sex；'
have their limited feminine interests； their feminine point of view；
which must be provided for。 Men； however； are not restrictedto them
belongs the world's literature！〃
Yes； it has belonged to themever since there was any。 They have
written it and they have read it。 It is only lately that women；
generally speaking； have been taught to read； still more lately that
they have been allowed to write。 It is but a little while since Harriet
Martineau concealed her writing beneath her sewing when visitors came
inwriting was 〃masculine〃sewing 〃feminine。〃
We have not； it Is true； confined men to a narrowly construed 〃masculine
sphere；〃 and composed a special literature suited to it。 Their effect
on literature has been far wider than that； monopolizing this form of
art with special favor。 It was suited above all others to the dominant
impulse of self…expression； and being； as we have seen essentially and
continually 〃the sex；〃 they have impressed that sex upon this art
overwhelmingly； they have given the world a masculized literature。
It is hard for us to realize this。 We can readily see； that if women
had always written the books； no men either writing or reading them；
that would have surely 〃feminized〃 our literature； but we have not in
our minds the concept； much less the word； for an overmasculized
influence。
Men having been accepted as humanity； women but a side…issue； （most
literally if we accept the Hebrew legend！）； whatever men did or said was
humanand not to be criticized。 In no department of life is it easier
to contravert this old belief； to show how the male sex as such differs
from the human type； and how this maleness has monopolized and
disfigured a great social function。
Human life is a very large affair； and literature is its chief art。 We
live； humanly； only through our power of communication。 Speech gives us
this power laterally； as it were； in immediate personal contact。 For
permanent use speech becomes oral traditiona poor dependence。
Literature gives not only an infinite multiplication to the lateral
spread of communion but adds the vertical reach。 Through it we know the
past； govern the present； and influence the future。 In its servicable
common forms it is the indispensable daily servant of our lives； in its
nobler flights as a great art no means of human inter…change goes so
far。
In these brief limits we can touch but lightly on some phases of so
great a subject； and will rest the case mainly on the effect of an
exclusively masculine handling of the two fields of history and fiction。
In poetry and the drama the same influence is easily traced； but in the
first two it is so baldly prominent as to defy objection。
History is； or should be； the story of our racial life。 What have men
made it？ The story of warfare and conquest。 Begin at the very
beginning with the carven stones of Egypt； the clay records of Chaldea；
what do we find of history？
〃I Pharaoh； King of Kings！ Lord of Lords！ （etc。 etc。）； 〃went down into
the miserable land of Kush； and slew of the inhabitants thereof an
hundred and forty and two thousands！〃 That； or something like it； is
the kind of record early history gives us。
The story of Conquering Kings； who and how many they killed and
enslaved； the grovelling adulation of the abased； the unlimited
jubilation of the victor； from the primitive state of most ancient
kings； and the Roman triumphs where queens walked in chains； down to our
omni present soldier's monuments： the story of war and conquestwar and
conquestover and over； with such boasting and triumph； such cock…crow
and flapping of wings as show most unmistakably the natural source。
All this will strike the reader at first as biased and unfair。 〃That
was the way people lived in those days！〃 says the reader。
Noit was not the way women lived。
〃O； women！〃 says the reader； 〃Of course not！ Women are different。〃
Yea； women are different； and _men are different！_ Both of them； as
sexes； differ from the human norm； which is social life and all social
development。 Society was slowly growing in all those black blind years。
The arts； the sciences； the trades and crafts and professions；
religion； philosophy； government； law； commerce； agricultureall the
human processes were going on as well as they were able； between wars。
The male naturally fights； and naturally crows； triumphs over his rival
and takes the prizetherefore was he made male。 Maleness means war。
Not only so； but being male； he cares only for male interests。 Men；
being the sole arbiters of what should be done and said and written；
have given us not only a social growth scarred and thwarted from the
beginning by continual destruction； but a history which is one unbroken
record of courage and red cruelty； of triumph and black shame。
As to what went on that was of real consequence； the great slow steps of
the working world； the discoveries and inventions； the real progress of
humanitythat was not worth recording； from a masculine point of view。
Within this last century； 〃the woman's century；〃 the century of the
great awakening； the rising demand for freedom； political； economic； and
domestic； we are beginning to write real history； human history； and not
merely masculine history。 But that great branch of literatureHebrew；
Greek； Roman； and all down later times； shows beyond all question； the
influence of our androcentric culture。
Literature is the most powerful and necessary of the arts； and fiction
is its broadest form。 If art 〃holds the mirror up to nature〃 this art's
mirror is the largest of all； the most used。 Since our very life
depends on some communication； and our progress is in proportion to our
fullness and freedom of communication； since real communication requires
mutual understanding； so in the growth of the social consciousness； we
note from the beginning a passionate interest in other people's lives。
The art which gives humanity consciousness is the most vital art。 Our
greatest dramatists are lauded for their breadth of knowledge of 〃human
nature；〃 their range of emotion and understanding； our greatest poets
are those who most deeply and widely experience and reveal the feelings
of the human heart； and the power of fiction is that it can reach and
express this great field of human life with no limits but those of the
author。
When fiction began it was the legitimate child of oral tradition； a
product of natural brain activity； the legend constructed instead of
remembered。 （This stage is with us yet as seen in the constant changes
in repetition of popular jokes and stories。）
Fiction to…day has a much wider range； yet it is still restricted；
heavily and most mischievously restricted。
What is the preferred subject matter of fiction？
There are two main branches found everywhere； from the Romaunt of the
Rose to the Purplish Magazine；the Story of Adventure； and the Love
Story。
The Story…of…Adventure branch is not so thick as the other by any means；
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