Feminism and Degenrates

The Psychology of Feminism 

            In “Phycology of feminism”, Hugh E.M Stutfield made a very distinct observation of behavior of men and women towards degeneration. He did this through observing men and women at a play that portrayed degeneration. Through, this observation Stutfield examined the psychology of men and women through Ibsen’s view of men and women, in the Victorian society. Furthermore, he expresses his view on degenerates and feminism through his observation.

         Hugh Stutfield starts his account with “I attended a matinee of “Little Eyolf” at the Avenue theatre. I arrived early, but found the house already full. There was a small sprinkling of males, but women had assembled in force to do honour to the Master who headed the revolt of her sex.” (The Psychology of Feminism, pg 302) The small sprinkling of males showed the disinterest males had towards the “revolt”, which was the feminist movements. The use of “Master” was written in a more sarcastic tone. The author continues, “The new culture and the newest chiffon were alike represented in the audience, proving that intellectual womanhood has listened to Mrs Roy Devereux and once more begun (did is ever cease?) to beautify itself in real earnest”(The Psychology of Feminism, pg 302),  the simile of the “chiffon” showed the finesse the feminism revolt started with. The author personifies the dedication of women through “to beautify itself in real earnest”. To express the difficulty he faced to see the characters the author wrote “Through a forest of colossal and befeathered hats, I obtained occasional glimpses of the stage”.  Through the imagery of  “forest of colossal and befeathered hats” emphasized on the number of women that were there. However, the hyperbole of the hats the author conveys his irritation towards the “revolt”.

             Furthermore, in the next few lines, the author conveyed the stereotypical thought processes of women and men. He portrayed women to be comparatively more compassionate than men. The actor in play is described as “the hero, the usual Ibsenite idiot, or travesty of a man” ”(The Psychology of Feminism, pg 302). Henrik Ibsen in . While the actress is described as “his wife Rita, a neurotic ‘she-animal,’ she, all for the ‘roses and raptures’” ”(The Psychology of Feminism, pg 302). In the Victorian times, if women asked for something more than the usual the woman was portrayed as someone who is “neurotic”. The “neurotic” is more of a hyperbole for a woman who is too “demanding”. Eventually, the author revealed the main idea of the play, which was “ a couple of epileptics exercising in the hospital grounds”. In the play the author explained there was “Miss Achurch’s scream…recalled vividly to my mind the screeching of a woman whom I once had the misfortune to see fall down in an epileptic fit.” The author then continues to explain the different reactions of men and women towards that act. The women “seemed at times affected, and sobs and tears occasionally greeted such passages in the drama as were especially lugubrious” ”(The Psychology of Feminism, pg 303), while the men “were more disposed to chuckle irrelevantly, probably because…other forms of mental disease’.  The author in those descriptions criticized his own sex when he mentioned, “I regret to say” (The Psychology of Feminism, pg 303). Men in those days did not react to the woman’s pain and more often shunned people with “mental diseases”.

            However, after these observations the author revealed his view on the matter of degenerates and the feminist movement. Through this, he criticized Ibsenite’s point of view on feminine psychology: “The author of this dismal…the new so-called science of feminine psychology” (The Psychology of Feminism, pg 303). Stutfield mentioned “feminine psychology” as “so-called feminine psychology”, this conveys the fact the author was completely against the view the Henrik Ibsen had towards women. And to further make his own view clear, Stutfield wrote, “To my humble way of thinking…Ibsenite drama are neither admirable or interesting” (The Psychology of Feminism, pg 303). He also believed that “ They are simply ‘sick’ men and women; degenerates to be shunned, like any other manifestations of disease”, this portrays the orthodox view he had towards degenerates.

            The views that the author expressed in the end are quite offensive towards not only women but also degenerates. Like all men in the Victorian Age, he was quite apt with the view that ‘degenerates’ are to be ‘shunned’. However, this is not a view that many people now would agree to. The new age has become more aware about the different “mental diseases” and the causes behind them. Also now feminism is taken more seriously than before. Women in the play cried more than men not only because they tend to understand a person’s character more in depth than men. Thus, feminists or degenerates are not people to be “shunned” rather, they are people the world needs to accept more.

Citation:

1. Stutfield, Hugh, "The Psychology of Feminism". In The Secret Agent. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press,2009.