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human body； the vicious standards of sex…consciousness enforced under
the name of modesty； the covered ugliness； which we do not recognize；
all this is a deadly injury to free high work in sculpture。
With a nobly equal womanhood； stalwart and athletic； with the high
standards of beauty and of decorum which we can never have without free
womanhood； we should show a different product in this great art。
An interesting note in passing is this： when we seek to express socially
our noblest； ideas； Truth； Justice； Liberty； we use the woman's body as
the highest human type。 But in doing this； the artist； true to humanity
and not biassed by sex； gives us a strong； grand figure； beautiful
indeed； but never _decorated_。 Fancy Liberty in ruffles and frills；
with rings in her earsor nose。
Music is injured by a one…sided handling； partly in the excess of the
one dominant masculine passion； partly by the general presence of
egoism； that tendency to self…expression instead of social expression；
which so disfigures our art； and this is true also of poetry。
Miles and miles of poetry consist of the ceaseless outcry of the male
for the female； which is by no means so overwhelming as a feature of
human life as he imagines it； and other miles express his other
feelings； with that ingenuous lack of reticence which is at its base
essentially masculine。 Having a pain； the poet must needs pour it
forth； that his woe be shared and sympathized with。
As more and more women writers flock into the field there is room for
fine historic study of the difference in sex feeling； and the gradual
emergence of the human note。
Literature； and in especial the art of fiction； is so large a field for
this study that it will have a chapter to itself； this one but touching
on these various forms； and indicating lines of observation。
That best known form of art which to my mind needs no qualifying
descriptionpaintingis also a wide field； and cannot be done full
justice to within these limits。 The effect upon it of too much
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；