第4章

类别:其他 作者:G.K.Chesterton字数:19604更新时间:19/01/05 10:00:49
Warisadreadfulthing;butitdoesprovetwopointssharplyandunanswerably——numbers,andanunnaturalvalor。Onedoesdiscoverthetwourgentmatters;howmanyrebelstherearealive,andhowmanyarereadytobedead。Butatinyminority,evenaninterestedminority,maymaintainmeredisorderforever。Thereisalso,ofcourse,inthecaseofthesewomen,thefurtherfalsitythatisintroducedbytheirsex。 Itisfalsetostatethematterasamerebrutalquestionofstrength。 Ifhismusclesgiveamanavote,thenhishorseoughttohavetwovotesandhiselephantfivevotes。Thetruthismoresubtlethanthat; itisthatbodilyoutbreakisaman\'sinstinctiveweapon,likethehoofstothehorseorthetuskstotheelephant。Allriotisathreatofwar;butthewomanisbrandishingaweaponshecanneveruse。 Therearemanyweaponsthatshecouldanddoesuse。If(forexample) allthewomennaggedforavotetheywouldgetitinamonth。 Butthereagain,onemustremember,itwouldbenecessarytogetallthewomentonag。Andthatbringsustotheendofthepoliticalsurfaceofthematter。TheworkingobjectiontotheSuffragettephilosophyissimplythatovermasteringmillionsofwomendonotagreewithit。 Iamawarethatsomemaintainthatwomenoughttohavevoteswhetherthemajoritywantsthemornot;butthisissurelyastrangeandchildishcaseofsettingupformaldemocracytothedestructionofactualdemocracy。 WhatshouldthemassofwomendecideiftheydonotdecidetheirgeneralplaceintheState?ThesepeoplepracticallysaythatfemalesmayvoteabouteverythingexceptaboutFemaleSuffrage。 Buthavingagainclearedmyconscienceofmymerelypoliticalandpossiblyunpopularopinion,Iwillagaincastbackandtrytotreatthematterinaslowerandmoresympatheticstyle; attempttotracetherealrootsofwoman\'spositioninthewesternstate,andthecausesofourexistingtraditionsorperhapsprejudicesuponthepoint。Andforthispurposeitisagainnecessarytotravelfarfromthemoderntopic,themereSuffragetteoftoday,andtogobacktosubjectswhich,thoughmuchmoreold,are,Ithink,considerablymorefresh。 *** II THEUNIVERSALSTICK Castyoureyeroundtheroominwhichyousit,andselectsomethreeorfourthingsthathavebeenwithmanalmostsincehisbeginning; whichatleastwehearofearlyinthecenturiesandoftenamongthetribes。Letmesupposethatyouseeaknifeonthetable,astickinthecorner,orafireonthehearth。Abouteachoftheseyouwillnoticeonespeciality;thatnotoneofthemisspecial。 Eachoftheseancestralthingsisauniversalthing; madetosupplymanydifferentneeds;andwhiletotteringpedantsnoseabouttofindthecauseandoriginofsomeoldcustom,thetruthisthatithadfiftycausesorahundredorigins。 Theknifeismeanttocutwood,tocutcheese,tocutpencils,tocutthroats;foramyriadingeniousorinnocenthumanobjects。 Thestickismeantpartlytoholdamanup,partlytoknockamandown; partlytopointwithlikeafinger-post,partlytobalancewithlikeabalancingpole,partlytotriflewithlikeacigarette,partlytokillwithlikeaclubofagiant;itisacrutchandacudgel; anelongatedfingerandanextraleg。Thecaseisthesame,ofcourse,withthefire;aboutwhichthestrangestmodernviewshavearisen。 Aqueerfancyseemstobecurrentthatafireexiststowarmpeople。 Itexiststowarmpeople,tolighttheirdarkness,toraisetheirspirits,totoasttheirmuffins,toairtheirrooms,tocooktheirchestnuts,totellstoriestotheirchildren,tomakecheckeredshadowsontheirwalls,toboiltheirhurriedkettles,andtobetheredheartofaman\'shouseandthathearthforwhich,asthegreatheathenssaid,amanshoulddie。 Nowitisthegreatmarkofourmodernitythatpeoplearealwaysproposingsubstitutesfortheseoldthings;andthesesubstitutesalwaysansweronepurposewheretheoldthingansweredten。Themodernmanwillwaveacigaretteinsteadofastick;hewillcuthispencilwithalittlescrewingpencil-sharpenerinsteadofaknife;andhewillevenboldlyoffertobewarmedbyhotwaterpipesinsteadofafire。 Ihavemydoubtsaboutpencil-sharpenersevenforsharpeningpencils; andabouthotwaterpipesevenforheat。Butwhenwethinkofallthoseotherrequirementsthattheseinstitutionsanswered,thereopensbeforeusthewholehorribleharlequinadeofourcivilization。 Weseeasinavisionaworldwhereamantriestocuthisthroatwithapencil-sharpener;whereamanmustlearnsingle-stickwithacigarette; whereamanmusttrytotoastmuffinsatelectriclamps,andseeredandgoldencastlesinthesurfaceofhotwaterpipes。 TheprincipleofwhichIspeakcanbeseeneverywhereinacomparisonbetweentheancientanduniversalthingsandthemodernandspecialistthings。Theobjectofatheodoliteistolielevel; theobjectofastickistoswinglooseatanyangle;towhirlliketheverywheelofliberty。Theobjectofalancetistolance; whenusedforslashing,gashing,ripping,loppingoffheadsandlimbs,itisadisappointinginstrument。Theobjectofanelectriclightismerelytolight(adespicablemodesty);andtheobjectofanasbestosstove……Iwonderwhatistheobjectofanasbestosstove? Ifamanfoundacoilofropeinadeserthecouldatleastthinkofallthethingsthatcanbedonewithacoilofrope; andsomeofthemmightevenbepractical。Hecouldtowaboatorlassoahorse。Hecouldplaycat\'s-cradle,orpickoakum。 Hecouldconstructarope-ladderforanelopingheiress,orcordherboxesforatravellingmaidenaunt。Hecouldlearntotieabow,orhecouldhanghimself。Farotherwisewiththeunfortunatetravellerwhoshouldfindatelephoneinthedesert。Youcantelephonewithatelephone;youcannotdoanythingelsewithit。 Andthoughthisisoneofthewildestjoysoflife,itfallsbyonedegreefromitsfulldeliriumwhenthereisnobodytoansweryou。 Thecontentionis,inbrief,thatyoumustpullupahundredroots,andnotone,beforeyouuprootanyofthesehoaryandsimpleexpedients。 Itisonlywithgreatdifficultythatamodemscientificsociologistcanbegottoseethatanyoldmethodhasalegtostandon。 Butalmosteveryoldmethodhasfourorfivelegstostandon。 Almostalltheoldinstitutionsarequadrupeds;andsomeofthemarecentipedes。 Considerthesecases,oldandnew,andyouwillobservetheoperationofageneraltendency。Everywheretherewasonebigthingthatservedsixpurposes;everywherenowtherearesixsmallthings;or,rather(andthereisthetrouble),therearejustfiveandahalf。Nevertheless,wewillnotsaythatthisseparationandspecialismisentirelyuselessorinexcusable。IhaveoftenthankedGodforthetelephone; ImayanydaythankGodforthelancet;andthereisnoneofthesebrilliantandnarrowinventions(except,ofcourse,theasbestosstove)whichmightnotbeatsomemomentnecessaryandlovely。ButIdonotthinkthemostaustereupholderofspecialismwilldenythatthereisintheseold,many-sidedinstitutionsanelementofunityanduniversalitywhichmaywellbepreservedinitsdueproportionandplace。 Spiritually,atleast,itwillbeadmittedthatsomeall-roundbalanceisneededtoequalizetheextravaganceofexperts。 Itwouldnotbedifficulttocarrytheparableoftheknifeandstickintohigherregions。Religion,theimmortalmaiden,hasbeenamaid-of-all-workaswellasaservantofmankind。 Sheprovidedmenatoncewiththetheoreticlawsofanunalterablecosmosandalsowiththepracticalrulesoftherapidandthrillinggameofmorality。Shetaughtlogictothestudentandtoldfairytalestothechildren;itwasherbusinesstoconfrontthenamelessgodswhosefearsareonallflesh,andalsotoseethestreetswerespottedwithsilverandscarlet,thattherewasadayforwearingribbonsoranhourforringingbells。Thelargeusesofreligionhavebeenbrokenupintolesserspecialities,justastheusesofthehearthhavebeenbrokenupintohotwaterpipesandelectricbulbs。 Theromanceofritualandcoloredemblemhasbeentakenoverbythatnarrowestofalltrades,modemart(thesortcalledartforart\'ssake),andmenareinmodernpracticeinformedthattheymayuseallsymbolssolongastheymeannothingbythem。 Theromanceofconsciencehasbeendriedupintothescienceofethics;whichmaywellbecalleddecencyfordecency\'ssake,decencyunbornofcosmicenergiesandbarrenofartisticflower。 Thecrytothedimgods,cutofffromethicsandcosmology,hasbecomemerePsychicalResearch。Everythinghasbeensunderedfromeverythingelse,andeverythinghasgrowncold。 Soonweshallhearofspecialistsdividingthetunefromthewordsofasong,onthegroundthattheyspoileachother; andIdidoncemeetamanwhoopenlyadvocatedtheseparationofalmondsandraisins。Thisworldisallonewilddivorcecourt; nevertheless,therearemanywhostillhearintheirsoulsthethunderofauthorityofhumanhabit;thosewhomManhathjoinedletnomansunder。 Thisbookmustavoidreligion,buttheremust(Isay) bemany,religiousandirreligious,whowillconcedethatthispowerofansweringmanypurposeswasasortofstrengthwhichshouldnotwhollydieoutofourlives。 Asapartofpersonalcharacter,eventhemodernswillagreethatmany-sidednessisameritandameritthatmayeasilybeoverlooked。 Thisbalanceanduniversalityhasbeenthevisionofmanygroupsofmeninmanyages。ItwastheLiberalEducationofAristotle; thejack-of-all-tradesartistryofLeonardodaVinciandhisfriends; theaugustamateurishnessoftheCavalierPersonofQualitylikeSirWilliamTempleorthegreatEarlofDorset。Ithasappearedinliteratureinourtimeinthemosterraticandoppositeshapes,settoalmostinaudiblemusicbyWalterPaterandenunciatedthroughafoghornbyWaltWhitman。Butthegreatmassofmenhavealwaysbeenunabletoachievethisliteraluniversality,becauseofthenatureoftheirworkintheworld。 Not,letitbenoted,becauseoftheexistenceoftheirwork。 LeonardodaVincimusthaveworkedprettyhard;ontheotherhand,manyagovernmentofficeclerk,villageconstableorelusiveplumbermaydo(toallhumanappearance)noworkatall,andyetshownosignsoftheAristotelianuniversalism。 Whatmakesitdifficultfortheaveragemantobeauniversalististhattheaveragemanhastobeaspecialist; hehasnotonlytolearnonetrade,buttolearnitsowellastoupholdhiminamoreorlessruthlesssociety。 Thisisgenerallytrueofmalesfromthefirsthuntertothelastelectricalengineer;eachhasnotmerelytoact,buttoexcel。 NimrodhasnotonlytobeamightyhunterbeforetheLord,butalsoamightyhunterbeforetheotherhunters。 Theelectricalengineerhastobeaveryelectricalengineer,orheisoutstrippedbyengineersyetmoreelectrical。 Thoseverymiraclesofthehumanmindonwhichthemodernworldpridesitself,andrightlyinthemain,wouldbeimpossiblewithoutacertainconcentrationwhichdisturbsthepurebalanceofreasonmorethandoesreligiousbigotry。 Nocreedcanbesolimitingasthatawfuladjurationthatthecobblermustnotgobeyondhislast。Sothelargestandwildestshotsofourworldarebutinonedirectionandwithadefinedtrajectory:thegunnercannotgobeyondhisshot,andhisshotsooftenfallsshort;theastronomercannotgobeyondhistelescopeandhistelescopegoessuchalittleway。 Allthesearelikemenwhohavestoodonthehighpeakofamountainandseenthehorizonlikeasingleringandwhothendescenddowndifferentpathstowardsdifferenttowns,travelingsloworfast。 Itisright;theremustbepeopletravelingtodifferenttowns; theremustbespecialists;butshallnoonebeholdthehorizon? Shallallmankindbespecialistsurgeonsorpeculiarplumbers; shallallhumanitybemonomaniac?Traditionhasdecidedthatonlyhalfofhumanityshallbemonomaniac。IthasdecidedthatineveryhomethereshallbeatradesmanandaJack-ofall-trades。Butithasalsodecided,amongotherthings,thattheJackof-all-tradesshallbeaGill-of-all-trades。Ithasdecided,rightlyorwrongly,thatthisspecialismandthisuniversalismshallbedividedbetweenthesexes。 Clevernessshallbeleftformenandwisdomforwomen。 Forclevernesskillswisdom;thatisoneofthefewsadandcertainthings。 Butforwomenthisidealofcomprehensivecapacity(orcommon-sense) mustlongagohavebeenwashedaway。Itmusthavemeltedinthefrightfulfurnacesofambitionandeagertechnicality。 Amanmustbepartlyaone-ideadman,becauseheisaone-weaponedman——andheisflungnakedintothefight。 Theworld\'sdemandcomestohimdirect;tohiswifeindirectly。 Inshort,hemust(asthebooksonSuccesssay)give\"hisbest\"; andwhatasmallpartofaman\"hisbest\"is!Hissecondandthirdbestareoftenmuchbetter。Ifheisthefirstviolinhemustfiddleforlife;hemustnotrememberthatheisafinefourthbagpipe,afairfifteenthbilliard-cue,afoil,afountainpen,ahandatwhist,agun,andanimageofGod。 *** III THEEMANCIPATIONOFDOMESTICITY Anditshouldberemarkedinpassingthatthisforceuponamantodeveloponefeaturehasnothingtodowithwhatiscommonlycalledourcompetitivesystem,butwouldequallyexistunderanyrationallyconceivablekindofCollectivism。UnlesstheSocialistsarefranklyreadyforafallinthestandardofviolins,telescopesandelectriclights,theymustsomehowcreateamoraldemandontheindividualthatheshallkeepuphispresentconcentrationonthesethings。Itwasonlybymenbeinginsomedegreespecialistthatthereeverwereanytelescopes;theymustcertainlybeinsomedegreespecialistinordertokeepthemgoing。 ItisnotbymakingamanaStatewage-earnerthatyoucanpreventhimthinkingprincipallyabouttheverydifficultwayheearnshiswages。 Thereisonlyonewaytopreserveintheworldthathighlevityandthatmoreleisurelyoutlookwhichfulfilstheoldvisionofuniversalism。 Thatis,topermittheexistenceofapartlyprotectedhalfofhumanity; ahalfwhichtheharassingindustrialdemandtroublesindeed,butonlytroublesindirectly。Inotherwords,theremustbeineverycenterofhumanityonehumanbeinguponalargerplan;onewhodoesnot\"giveherbest,\"butgivesherall。 Ouroldanalogyofthefireremainsthemostworkableone。 Thefireneednotblazelikeelectricitynorboillikeboilingwater; itspointisthatitblazesmorethanwaterandwarmsmorethanlight。 Thewifeislikethefire,ortoputthingsintheirproperproportion,thefireislikethewife。Likethefire,thewomanisexpectedtocook:nottoexcelincooking,buttocook;tocookbetterthanherhusbandwhoisearningthecokebylecturingonbotanyorbreakingstones。Likethefire,thewomanisexpectedtotelltalestothechildren,notoriginalandartistictales,buttales—— bettertalesthanwouldprobablybetoldbyafirst-classcook。 Likethefire,thewomanisexpectedtoilluminateandventilate,notbythemoststartlingrevelationsorthewildestwindsofthought,butbetterthanamancandoitafterbreakingstonesorlecturing。 Butshecannotbeexpectedtoendureanythinglikethisuniversaldutyifsheisalsotoendurethedirectcrueltyofcompetitiveorbureaucratictoil。Womanmustbeacook,butnotacompetitivecook; aschoolmistress,butnotacompetitiveschoolmistress; ahouse-decoratorbutnotacompetitivehouse-decorator;adressmaker,butnotacompetitivedressmaker。Sheshouldhavenotonetradebuttwentyhobbies;she,unliketheman,maydevelopallhersecondbests。 Thisiswhathasbeenreallyaimedatfromthefirstinwhatiscalledtheseclusion,oreventheoppression,ofwomen。 Womenwerenotkeptathomeinordertokeepthemnarrow; onthecontrary,theywerekeptathomeinordertokeepthembroad。 Theworldoutsidethehomewasonemassofnarrowness,amazeofcrampedpaths,amadhouseofmonomaniacs。 ItwasonlybypartlylimitingandprotectingthewomanthatshewasenabledtoplayatfiveorsixprofessionsandsocomealmostasneartoGodasthechildwhenheplaysatahundredtrades。 Butthewoman\'sprofessions,unlikethechild\'s,werealltrulyandalmostterriblyfruitful;sotragicallyrealthatnothingbutheruniversalityandbalancepreventedthembeingmerelymorbid。 ThisisthesubstanceofthecontentionIofferaboutthehistoricfemaleposition。Idonotdenythatwomenhavebeenwrongedandeventortured;butIdoubtiftheywereevertorturedsomuchastheyaretorturednowbytheabsurdmodernattempttomakethemdomesticempressesandcompetitiveclerksatthesametime。 Idonotdenythatevenundertheoldtraditionwomenhadahardertimethanmen;thatiswhywetakeoffourhats。 Idonotdenythatallthesevariousfemalefunctionswereexasperating; butIsaythattherewassomeaimandmeaninginkeepingthemvarious。 Idonotpauseeventodenythatwomanwasaservant;butatleastshewasageneralservant。 TheshortestwayofsummarizingthepositionistosaythatwomanstandsfortheideaofSanity;thatintellectualhometowhichthemindmustreturnaftereveryexcursiononextravagance。 Themindthatfindsitswaytowildplacesisthepoet\'s; butthemindthatneverfindsitswaybackisthelunatic\'s。Theremustineverymachinebeapartthatmovesandapartthatstandsstill; theremustbeineverythingthatchangesapartthatisunchangeable。 Andmanyofthephenomenawhichmodernshastilycondemnarereallypartsofthispositionofthewomanasthecenterandpillarofhealth。 Muchofwhatiscalledhersubservience,andevenherpliability,ismerelythesubservienceandpliabilityofauniversalremedy; shevariesasmedicinesvary,withthedisease。Shehastobeanoptimisttothemorbidhusband,asalutarypessimisttothehappy-go-luckyhusband。ShehastopreventtheQuixotefrombeingputupon,andthebullyfromputtinguponothers。 TheFrenchKingwrote—— \"ToujoursfemmevarieBienfolquis\'yfie,\" butthetruthisthatwomanalwaysvaries,andthatisexactlywhywealwaystrusther。Tocorrecteveryadventureandextravagancewithitsantidoteincommon-senseisnot(asthemodernsseemtothink)tobeinthepositionofaspyoraslave。 ItistobeinthepositionofAristotleor(atthelowest) HerbertSpencer,tobeauniversalmorality,acompletesystemofthought。Theslaveflatters;thecompletemoralistrebukes。 Itis,inshort,tobeaTrimmerinthetruesenseofthathonorableterm; whichforsomereasonorotherisalwaysusedinasenseexactlyoppositetoitsown。ItseemsreallytobesupposedthataTrimmermeansacowardlypersonwhoalwaysgoesovertothestrongerside。 Itreallymeansahighlychivalrouspersonwhoalwaysgoesovertotheweakerside;likeonewhotrimsaboatbysittingwheretherearefewpeopleseated。Womanisatrimmer;anditisagenerous,dangerousandromantictrade。 Thefinalfactwhichfixesthisisasufficientlyplainone。 Supposingittobeconcededthathumanityhasactedatleastnotunnaturallyindividingitselfintotwohalves,respectivelytypifyingtheidealsofspecialtalentandofgeneralsanity(sincetheyaregenuinelydifficulttocombinecompletelyinonemind),itisnotdifficulttoseewhythelineofcleavagehasfollowedthelineofsex,orwhythefemalebecametheemblemoftheuniversalandthemaleofthespecialandsuperior。 Twogiganticfactsofnaturefixeditthus:first,thatthewomanwhofrequentlyfulfilledherfunctionsliterallycouldnotbespeciallyprominentinexperimentandadventure;andsecond,thatthesamenaturaloperationsurroundedherwithveryyoungchildren,whorequiretobetaughtnotsomuchanythingaseverything。 Babiesneednottobetaughtatrade,buttobeintroducedtoaworld。 Toputthemattershortly,womanisgenerallyshutupinahousewithahumanbeingatthetimewhenheasksallthequestionsthatthereare,andsomethattherearen\'t。Itwouldbeoddifsheretainedanyofthenarrownessofaspecialist。 Nowifanyonesaysthatthisdutyofgeneralenlightenment(evenwhenfreedfrommodernrulesandhours,andexercisedmorespontaneouslybyamoreprotectedperson)isinitselftooexactingandoppressive,Icanunderstandtheview。 Icanonlyanswerthatourracehasthoughtitworthwhiletocastthisburdenonwomeninordertokeepcommon-senseintheworld。 Butwhenpeoplebegintotalkaboutthisdomesticdutyasnotmerelydifficultbuttrivialanddreary,Isimplygiveupthequestion。 ForIcannotwiththeutmostenergyofimaginationconceivewhattheymean。Whendomesticity,forinstance,iscalleddrudgery,allthedifficultyarisesfromadoublemeaningintheword。 Ifdrudgeryonlymeansdreadfullyhardwork,Iadmitthewomandrudgesinthehome,asamanmightdrudgeattheCathedralofAmiensordrudgebehindagunatTrafalgar。Butifitmeansthatthehardworkismoreheavybecauseitistrifling,colorlessandofsmallimporttothesoul,thenasIsay,Igiveitup;Idonotknowwhatthewordsmean。TobeQueenElizabethwithinadefinitearea,decidingsales,banquets,laborsandholidays;tobeWhiteleywithinacertainarea,providingtoys,boots,sheetscakes。 andbooks,tobeAristotlewithinacertainarea,teachingmorals,manners,theology,andhygiene;Icanunderstandhowthismightexhaustthemind,butIcannotimaginehowitcouldnarrowit。 Howcanitbealargecareertotellotherpeople\'schildrenabouttheRuleofThree,andasmallcareertotellone\'sownchildrenabouttheuniverse?Howcanitbebroadtobethesamethingtoeveryone,andnarrowtobeeverythingtosomeone?No;awoman\'sfunctionislaborious,butbecauseitisgigantic,notbecauseitisminuteIwillpityMrs。Jonesforthehugenessofhertask; Iwillneverpityherforitssmallness。 Butthoughtheessentialofthewoman\'staskisuniversality,thisdoesnot,ofcourse,preventherfromhavingoneortwoseverethoughlargelywholesomeprejudices。Shehas,onthewhole,beenmoreconsciousthanmanthatsheisonlyonehalfofhumanity; butshehasexpressedit(ifonemaysaysoofalady)bygettingherteethintothetwoorthreethingswhichshethinksshestandsfor。 Iwouldobservehereinparenthesisthatmuchoftherecentofficialtroubleaboutwomenhasarisenfromthefactthattheytransfertothingsofdoubtandreasonthatsacredstubbornnessonlypropertotheprimarythingswhichawomanwassettoguard。 One\'sownchildren,one\'sownaltar,oughttobeamatterofprinciple—— orifyoulike,amatterofprejudice。Ontheotherhand,whowroteJunius\'sLettersoughtnottobeaprincipleoraprejudice,itoughttobeamatteroffreeandalmostindifferentinquiry。 ButtakeanenergeticmoderngirlsecretarytoaleaguetoshowthatGeorgeIIIwroteJunius,andinthreemonthsshewillbelieveit,too,outofmereloyaltytoheremployers。 Modernwomendefendtheirofficewithallthefiercenessofdomesticity。 Theyfightfordeskandtypewriterasforhearthandhome,anddevelopasortofwolfishwifehoodonbehalfoftheinvisibleheadofthefirm。 Thatiswhytheydoofficeworksowell;andthatiswhytheyoughtnottodoit。 *** IV THEROMANCEOFTHRIFT Thelargerpartofwomankind,however,havehadtofightforthingsslightlymoreintoxicatingtotheeyethanthedeskorthetypewriter; anditcannotbedeniedthatindefendingthese,womenhavedevelopedthequalitycalledprejudicetoapowerfulandevenmenacingdegree。 Buttheseprejudiceswillalwaysbefoundtofortifythemainpositionofthewoman,thatsheistoremainageneraloverseer,anautocratwithinsmallcompassbutonallsides。Ontheoneortwopointsonwhichshereallymisunderstandstheman\'sposition,itisalmostentirelyinordertopreserveherown。Thetwopointsonwhichwoman,actuallyandofherself,ismosttenaciousmayberoughlysummarizedastheidealofthriftandtheidealofdignityUnfortunatelyforthisbookitiswrittenbyamale,andthesetwoqualities,ifnothatefultoaman,areatleasthatefulinaman。 Butifwearetosettlethesexquestionatallfairly,allmalesmustmakeanimaginativeattempttoenterintotheattitudeofallgoodwomentowardthesetwothings。 Thedifficultyexistsespecially,perhaps,inthethingcalledthrift; wemenhavesomuchencouragedeachotherinthrowingmoneyrightandleft,thattherehascomeatlasttobeasortofchivalrousandpoeticalairaboutlosingsixpence。 Butonabroaderandmorecandidconsiderationthecasescarcelystandsso。 Thriftisthereallyromanticthing;economyismoreromanticthanextravagance。HeavenknowsIforonespeakdisinterestedlyinthematter;forIcannotclearlyremembersavingahalf-pennyeversinceIwasborn。Butthethingistrue;economy,properlyunderstood,isthemorepoetic。Thriftispoeticbecauseitiscreative; wasteisunpoeticbecauseitiswaste。Itisprosaictothrowmoneyaway,becauseitisprosaictothrowanythingaway; itisnegative;itisaconfessionofindifference,thatis,itisaconfessionoffailure。Themostprosaicthingaboutthehouseisthedustbin,andtheonegreatobjectiontothenewfastidiousandaesthetichomesteadissimplythatinsuchamoralmenagethedustbinmustbebiggerthanthehouse。 IfamancouldundertaketomakeuseofallthingsinhisdustbinhewouldbeabroadergeniusthanShakespeare。Whensciencebegantouseby-products;whensciencefoundthatcolorscouldbemadeoutofcoaltar,shemadehergreatestandperhapsheronlyclaimontherealrespectofthehumansoul。 Nowtheaimofthegoodwomanistousetheby-products,or,inotherwords,torummageinthedustbin。 Amancanonlyfullycomprehenditifhethinksofsomesuddenjokeorexpedientgotupwithsuchmaterialsasmaybefoundinaprivatehouseonarainyday。Aman\'sdefinitedailyworkisgenerallyrunwithsuchrigidconvenienceofmodernsciencethatthrift,thepickingupofpotentialhelpshereandthere,hasalmostbecomeunmeaningtohim。Hecomesacrossitmost(asIsay) whenheisplayingsomegamewithinfourwalls;whenincharades,ahearthrugwilljustdoforafurcoat,oratea-cozyjustdoforacockedhat;whenatoytheaterneedstimberandcardboard,andthehousehasjustenoughfirewoodandjustenoughbandboxes。 Thisistheman\'soccasionalglimpseandpleasingparodyofthrift。 Butmanyagoodhousekeeperplaysthesamegameeverydaywithendsofcheeseandscrapsofsilk,notbecausesheismean,butonthecontrary,becausesheismagnanimous;becauseshewisheshercreativemercytobeoverallherworks,thatnotonesardineshouldbedestroyed,orcastasrubbishtothevoid,whenshehasmadethepilecomplete。 Themodernworldmustsomehowbemadetounderstand(intheologyandotherthings)thataviewmaybevast,broad,universal,liberalandyetcomeintoconflictwithanotherviewthatisvast,broad,universalandliberalalso。 Thereisneverawarbetweentwosects,butonlybetweentwouniversalCatholicChurches。Theonlypossiblecollisionisthecollisionofonecosmoswithanother。Soinasmallerwayitmustbefirstmadeclearthatthisfemaleeconomicidealisapartofthatfemalevarietyofoutlookandall-roundartoflifewhichwehavealreadyattributedtothesex: thriftisnotasmallortimidorprovincialthing;itispartofthatgreatideaofthewomanwatchingonallsidesoutofallthewindowsofthesoulandbeinganswerableforeverything。 Forintheaveragehumanhousethereisoneholebywhichmoneycomesinandahundredbywhichitgoesout; manhastodowiththeonehole,womanwiththehundred。 Butthoughtheverystinginessofawomanisapartofherspiritualbreadth,itisnonethelesstruethatitbringsherintoconflictwiththespecialkindofspiritualbreadththatbelongstothemalesofthetribe。ItbringsherintoconflictwiththatshapelesscataractofComradeship,ofchaoticfeastinganddeafeningdebate,whichwenotedinthelastsection。 Theverytouchoftheeternalinthetwosexualtastesbringsthemthemoreintoantagonism;foronestandsforauniversalvigilanceandtheotherforanalmostinfiniteoutput。 Partlythroughthenatureofhismoralweakness,andpartlythroughthenatureorhisphysicalstrength,themaleisnormallypronetoexpandthingsintoasortofeternity; healwaysthinksofadinnerpartyaslastingallnight; andhealwaysthinksofanightaslastingforever。 Whentheworkingwomeninthepoordistrictscometothedoorsofthepublichousesandtrytogettheirhusbandshome,simpleminded\"socialworkers\"alwaysimaginethateveryhusbandisatragicdrunkardandeverywifeabroken-heartedsaint。 Itneveroccurstothemthatthepoorwomanisonlydoingundercoarserconventionsexactlywhateveryfashionablehostessdoeswhenshetriestogetthemenfromarguingoverthecigarstocomeandgossipovertheteacups。Thesewomenarenotexasperatedmerelyattheamountofmoneythatiswastedinbeer;theyareexasperatedalsoattheamountoftimethatiswastedintalk。 Itisnotmerelywhatgoethintothemouthbutwhatcomethoutthemouththat,intheiropinion,defilethaman。 Theywillraiseagainstanargument(liketheirsistersofallranks) theridiculousobjectionthatnobodyisconvincedbyit; asifamanwantedtomakeabody-slaveofanybodywithwhomhehadplayedsingle-stick。Buttherealfemaleprejudiceonthispointisnotwithoutabasis;therealfeelingisthis,thatthemostmasculinepleasureshaveaqualityoftheephemeral。Aduchessmayruinadukeforadiamondnecklace;butthereisthenecklace。 Acostermayruinhiswifeforapotofbeer;andwhereisthebeer? Theduchessquarrelswithanotherduchessinordertocrushher,toproducearesult;thecosterdoesnotarguewithanothercosterinordertoconvincehim,butinordertoenjoyatoncethesoundofhisownvoice,theclearnessofhisownopinionsandthesenseofmasculinesociety。Thereisthiselementofafinefruitlessnessaboutthemaleenjoyments;wineispouredintoabottomlessbucket;thoughtplungesintoabottomlessabyss。 AllthishassetwomanagainstthePublicHouse——thatis,againsttheParliamentHouse。Sheistheretopreventwaste; andthe\"pub\"andtheparliamentaretheverypalacesofwaste。 Intheupperclassesthe\"pub\"iscalledtheclub,butthatmakesnomoredifferencetothereasonthanitdoestotherhyme。 Highandlow,thewoman\'sobjectiontothePublicHouseisperfectlydefiniteandrational,itisthatthePublicHousewastestheenergiesthatcouldbeusedontheprivatehouse。 Asitisaboutfemininethriftagainstmasculinewaste,soitisaboutfemininedignityagainstmasculinerowdiness。 Thewomanhasafixedandverywell-foundedideathatifshedoesnotinsistongoodmannersnobodyelsewill。 Babiesarenotalwaysstrongonthepointofdignity,andgrown-upmenarequiteunpresentable。Itistruethattherearemanyverypolitemen,butnonethatIeverheardofwhowerenoteitherfascinatingwomenorobeyingthem。 Butindeedthefemaleidealofdignity,likethefemaleidealofthrift,liesdeeperandmayeasilybemisunderstood。 Itrestsultimatelyonastrongideaofspiritualisolation; thesamethatmakeswomenreligious。Theydonotlikebeingmelteddown;theydislikeandavoidthemobThatanonymousqualitywehaveremarkedintheclubconversationwouldbecommonimpertinenceinacaseofladies。Irememberanartisticandeagerladyaskingmeinhergrandgreendrawing-roomwhetherIbelievedincomradeshipbetweenthesexes,andwhynot。 Iwasdrivenbackonofferingtheobviousandsincereanswer\"BecauseifIweretotreatyoufortwominuteslikeacomradeyouwouldturnmeoutofthehouse。\"Theonlycertainruleonthissubjectisalwaystodealwithwomanandneverwithwomen。 \"Women\"isaprofligateword;Ihaveuseditrepeatedlyinthischapter;butitalwayshasablackguardsound。Itsmellsoforientalcynicismandhedonism。Everywomanisacaptivequeen。 Buteverycrowdofwomenisonlyaharembrokenloose。 Iamnotexpressingmyownviewshere,butthoseofnearlyallthewomenIhaveknown。Itisquiteunfairtosaythatawomanhatesotherwomenindividually;butIthinkitwouldbequitetruetosaythatshedeteststheminaconfusedheap。 Andthisisnotbecauseshedespisesherownsex,butbecausesherespectsit;andrespectsespeciallythatsanctityandseparationofeachitemwhichisrepresentedinmannersbytheideaofdignityandinmoralsbytheideaofchastity。 *** V THECOLDNESSOFCHLOE Wehearmuchofthehumanerrorwhichacceptswhatisshamandwhatisreal。Butitisworthwhiletorememberthatwithunfamiliarthingsweoftenmistakewhatisrealforwhatissham。 Itistruethataveryyoungmanmaythinkthewigofanactressisherhair。Butitisequallytruethatachildyetyoungermaycallthehairofanegrohiswig。 Justbecausethewoollysavageisremoteandbarbaricheseemstobeunnaturallyneatandtidy。Everyonemusthavenoticedthesamethinginthefixedandalmostoffensivecolorofallunfamiliarthings,tropicbirdsandtropicblossoms。 Tropicbirdslooklikestaringtoysoutofatoy-shop。Tropicflowerssimplylooklikeartificialflowers,likethingscutoutofwax。 Thisisadeepmatter,and,Ithink,notunconnectedwithdivinity; butanyhowitisthetruththatwhenweseethingsforthefirsttimewefeelinstantlythattheyarefictivecreations; wefeelthefingerofGod。Itisonlywhenwearethoroughlyusedtothemandourfivewitsarewearied,thatweseethemaswildandobjectless;liketheshapelesstree-topsortheshiftingcloud。 ItisthedesigninNaturethatstrikesusfirst;thesenseofthecrossesandconfusionsinthatdesignonlycomesafterwardsthroughexperienceandanalmosteeriemonotony。 Ifamansawthestarsabruptlybyaccidenthewouldthinkthemasfestiveandasartificialasafirework。 Wetalkofthefollyofpaintingthelily;butifwesawthelilywithoutwarningweshouldthinkthatitwaspainted。 Wetalkofthedevilnotbeingsoblackasheispainted; butthatveryphraseisatestimonytothekinshipbetweenwhatiscalledvividandwhatiscalledartificial。 Ifthemodernsagehadonlyoneglimpseofgrassandsky,hewouldsaythatgrasswasnotasgreenasitwaspainted; thatskywasnotasblueasitwaspainted。Ifonecouldseethewholeuniversesuddenly,itwouldlooklikeabright-coloredtoy,justastheSouthAmericanhornbilllookslikeabright-coloredtoy。 Andsotheyare——bothofthem,Imean。 ButitwasnotwiththisaspectofthestartlingairofartificeaboutallstrangeobjectsthatImeanttodeal。 Imeanmerely,asaguidetohistory,thatweshouldnotbesurprisedifthingswroughtinfashionsremotefromoursseemartificial; weshouldconvinceourselvesthatninetimesoutoftenthesethingsarenakedlyandalmostindecentlyhonest。 YouwillhearmentalkofthefrostedclassicismofCorneilleorofthepowderedpompositiesoftheeighteenthcentury,butallthesephrasesareverysuperficial。Thereneverwasanartificialepoch。Thereneverwasanageofreason。 Menwerealwaysmenandwomenwomen:andtheirtwogenerousappetitesalwaysweretheexpressionofpassionandthetellingoftruth。 Wecanseesomethingstiffandquaintintheirmodeofexpression,justasourdescendantswillseesomethingstiffandquaintinourcoarsestslumsketchorourmostnakedpathologicalplay。 Butmenhavenevertalkedaboutanythingbutimportantthings; andthenextforceinfemininitywhichwehavetoconsidercanbeconsideredbestperhapsinsomedustyoldvolumeofversesbyapersonofquality。 Theeighteenthcenturyisspokenofastheperiodofartificiality,inexternalsatleast;but,indeed,theremaybetwowordsaboutthat。 Inmodernspeechoneusesartificialityasmeaningindefinitelyasortofdeceit;andtheeighteenthcenturywasfartooartificialtodeceive。 Itcultivatedthatcompletestartthatdoesnotconcealtheart。 Itsfashionsandcostumespositivelyrevealednaturebyallowingartifice; asinthatobviousinstanceofabarberingthatfrostedeveryheadwiththesamesilver。Itwouldbefantastictocallthisaquainthumilitythatconcealedyouth;but,atleast,itwasnotonewiththeevilpridethatconcealsoldage。Undertheeighteenthcenturyfashionpeopledidnotsomuchallpretendtobeyoung,asallagreetobeold。 Thesameappliestothemostoddandunnaturaloftheirfashions; theywerefreakish,buttheywerenotfalse。Aladymayormaynotbeasredassheispainted,butplainlyshewasnotsoblackasshewaspatched。 ButIonlyintroducethereaderintothisatmosphereoftheolderandfrankerfictionsthathemaybeinducedtohavepatienceforamomentwithacertainelementwhichisverycommoninthedecorationandliteratureofthatageandofthetwocenturiesprecedingit。 Itisnecessarytomentionitinsuchaconnectionbecauseitisexactlyoneofthosethingsthatlookassuperficialaspowder,andarereallyasrootedashair。 Inalltheoldfloweryandpastorallove-songs,thoseoftheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturiesespecially,youwillfindaperpetualreproachagainstwomaninthematterofhercoldness; ceaselessanstalesimilesthatcomparehereyestonorthernstars,herhearttoice,orherbosomtosnow。Nowmostofushavealwayssupposedtheseoldanditerantphrasestobeamerepatternofdeadwords,athinglikeacoldwall-paper。YetIthinkthoseoldcavalierpoetswhowroteaboutthecoldnessofChloehadholdofapsychologicaltruthmissedinnearlyalltherealisticnovelsoftoday。 Ourpsychologicalromancersperpetuallyrepresentwivesasstrikingterrorintotheirhusbandsbyrollingonthefloor,gnashingtheirteeth,throwingaboutthefurnitureorpoisoningthecoffee;allthisuponsomestrangefixedtheorythatwomenarewhattheycallemotional。 Butintruththeoldandfrigidformismuchnearertothevitalfact。 Mostmeniftheyspokewithanysinceritywouldagreethatthemostterriblequalityinwomen,whetherinfriendship,courtshipormarriage,wasnotsomuchbeingemotionalasbeingunemotional。 Thereisanawfularmoroficewhichmaybethelegitimateprotectionofamoredelicateorganism;butwhateverbethepsychologicalexplanationtherecansurelybenoquestionofthefact。 Theinstinctivecryofthefemaleinangerisnolimetangere。 Itakethisasthemostobviousandatthesametimetheleasthackneyedinstanceofafundamentalqualityinthefemaletradition,whichhastendedinourtimetobealmostimmeasurablymisunderstood,bothbythecantofmoralistsandthecantofimmoralists。 Thepropernameforthethingismodesty;butasweliveinanageofprejudiceandmustnotcallthingsbytheirrightnames,wewillyieldtoamoremodernnomenclatureandcallitdignity。 Whateverelseitis,itisthethingwhichathousandpoetsandamillionlovershavecalledthecoldnessofChloe。Itisakintotheclassical,andisatleasttheoppositeofthegrotesque。 Andsincewearetalkingherechieflyintypesandsymbols,perhapsasgoodanembodimentasanyoftheideamaybefoundinthemerefactofawomanwearingaskirt。 Itishighlytypicaloftherabidplagiarismwhichnowpasseseverywhereforemancipation,thatalittlewhileagoitwascommonforan\"advanced\"womantoclaimtherighttoweartrousers; arightaboutasgrotesqueastherighttowearafalsenose。 WhetherfemalelibertyismuchadvancedbytheactofwearingaskirtoneachlegIdonotknow;perhapsTurkishwomenmightoffersomeinformationonthepoint。Butifthewesternwomanwalksabout(asitwere)trailingthecurtainsoftheharemwithher,itisquitecertainthatthewovenmansionismeantforaperambulatingpalace,notforaperambulatingprison。 Itisquitecertainthattheskirtrneansfemaledignity,notfemalesubmission;itcanbeprovedbythesimplestofalltests。 Norulerwoulddeliberatelydressupintherecognizedfettersofaslave;nojudgewouldappearcoveredwithbroadarrows。 Butwhenmenwishtobesafelyimpressive,asjudges,priestsorkings,theydowearskirts,thelong,trailingrobesoffemaledignityThewholeworldisunderpetticoatgovernment; forevenmenwearpetticoatswhentheywishtogovern。 *** VI THEPEDANTANDTHESAVAGE Wesaythenthatthefemaleholdsupwithtwostrongarmsthesetwopillarsofcivilization;wesayalsothatshecoulddoneither,butforherposition;hercuriouspositionofprivateomnipotence,universalityonasmallscale。Thefirstelementisthrift; notthedestructivethriftofthemiser,butthecreativethriftofthepeasant;thesecondelementisdignity,whichisbuttheexpressionofsacredpersonalityandprivacy。 NowIknowthequestionthatwillbeabruptlyandautomaticallyaskedbyallthatknowthedulltricksandturnsofthemodernsexualquarrel。Theadvancedpersonwillatoncebegintoargueaboutwhethertheseinstinctsareinherentandinevitableinwomanorwhethertheyaremerelyprejudicesproducedbyherhistoryandeducation。NowIdonotproposetodiscusswhetherwomancouldnowbeeducatedoutofherhabitstouchingthriftanddignity;andthatfortwoexcellentreasons。 Firstitisaquestionwhichcannotconceivablyeverfindanyanswer:thatiswhymodernpeoplearesofondofit。 Fromthenatureofthecaseitisobviouslyimpossibletodecidewhetheranyofthepeculiaritiesofcivilizedmanhavebeenstrictlynecessarytohiscivilization。 Itisnotself-evident(forinstance),thateventhehabitofstandinguprightwastheonlypathofhumanprogress。 Theremighthavebeenaquadrupedalcivilization,inwhichacitygentlemanputonfourbootstogotothecityeverymorning。 Ortheremighthavebeenareptiliancivilization,inwhichherolleduptotheofficeonhisstomach;itisimpossibletosaythatintelligencemightnothavedevelopedinsuchcreatures。 Allwecansayisthatmanasheiswalksupright;andthatwomanissomethingalmostmoreuprightthanuprightness。 Andthesecondpointisthis:thatuponthewholeweratherpreferwomen(nay,evenmen)towalkupright;sowedonotwastemuchofournoblelivesininventinganyotherwayforthemtowalk。 Inshort,mysecondreasonfornotspeculatinguponwhetherwomanmightgetridofthesepeculiarities,isthatIdonotwanthertogetridofthem;nordoesshe。Iwillnotexhaustmyintelligencebyinventingwaysinwhichmankindmightunlearntheviolinorforgethowtoridehorses;andtheartofdomesticityseemstomeasspecialandasvaluableasalltheancientartsofourrace。 NordoIproposetoenteratallintothoseformlessandflounderingspeculationsabouthowwomanwasorisregardedintheprimitivetimesthatwecannotremember,orinthesavagecountrieswhichwecannotunderstand。Evenifthesepeoplesegregatedtheirwomenforloworbarbaricreasonsitwouldnotmakeourreasonsbarbaric; andIamhauntedwithatenacioussuspicionthatthesepeople\'sfeelingswerereally,underotherforms,verymuchthesameasours。 Someimpatienttrader,somesuperficialmissionary,walksacrossanislandandseesthesquawdigginginthefieldswhilethemanisplayingaflute;andimmediatelysaysthatthemanisamerelordofcreationandthewomanamereserf。HedoesnotrememberthathemightseethesamethinginhalfthebackgardensinBrixton,merelybecausewomenareatoncemoreconscientiousandmoreimpatient,whilemenareatoncemorequiescentandmoregreedyforpleasure。 ItmayoftenbeinHawaiisimplyasitisinHoxton。Thatis,thewomandoesnotworkbecausethemantellshertoworkandsheobeys。 Onthecontrary,thewomanworksbecauseshehastoldthemantoworkandhehasn\'tobeyed。Idonotaffirmthatthisisthewholetruth,butIdoaffirmthatwehavetoolittlecomprehensionofthesoulsofsavagestoknowhowfaritisuntrue。 Itisthesamewiththerelationsofourhastyandsurfacescience,withtheproblemofsexualdignityandmodesty。Professorsfindallovertheworldfragmentaryceremoniesinwhichthebrideaffectssomesortofreluctance,hidesfromherhusband,orrunsawayfromhim。 TheprofessorthenpompouslyproclaimsthatthisisasurvivalofMarriagebyCapture。Iwonderheneversaysthattheveilthrownoverthebrideisreallyanet。IgravelydoubtwhetherwomeneverweremarriedbycaptureIthinktheypretendedtobe; astheydostill。 Itisequallyobviousthatthesetwonecessarysanctitiesofthriftanddignityareboundtocomeintocollisionwiththewordiness,thewastefulness,andtheperpetualpleasure-seekingofmasculinecompanionship。Wisewomenallowforthething;foolishwomentrytocrushit;butallwomentrytocounteractit,andtheydowell。Inmanyahomeallroundusatthismoment,weknowthatthenurseryrhymeisreversed。 Thequeenisinthecounting-house,countingoutthemoney。 Thekingisintheparlor,eatingbreadandhoney。 Butitmustbestrictlyunderstoodthatthekinghascapturedthehoneyinsomeheroicwars。ThequarrelcanbefoundinmolderingGothiccarvingsandincrabbedGreekmanuscripts。 Ineveryage,ineveryland,ineverytribeandvillage,hasbeenwagedthegreatsexualwarbetweenthePrivateHouseandthePublicHouse。IhaveseenacollectionofmediaevalEnglishpoems,dividedintosectionssuchas\"ReligiousCarols,\"\"DrinkingSongs,\" andsoon;andthesectionheaded,\"PoemsofDomesticLife\" consistedentirely(literally,entirely)ofthecomplaintsofhusbandswhowerebulliedbytheirwives。ThoughtheEnglishwasarchaic,thewordswereinmanycasespreciselythesameasthosewhichIhaveheardinthestreetsandpublichousesofBattersea,protestsonbehalfofanextensionoftimeandtalk,protestsagainstthenervousimpatienceandthedevouringutilitarianismofthefemale。Such,Isay,isthequarrel; itcanneverbeanythingbutaquarrel;buttheaimofallmoralsandallsocietyistokeepitalovers\'quarrel。