Cover image for Our Androcentric Culture

Our Androcentric Culture

Subtitle or, The Man-made World
Categories Essays, Women's Studies
Language English
Word count 45,304
Excerpt

male bird blossom like a butterfly. He blazes in gorgeous plumage, rears haughty crests and combs, shows drooping wattles and dangling blobs such as the turkey-cock affords; long splendid feathers for pure ornament appear upon him; what in her is a mere tail-effect becomes in him a mass of glittering drapery.

Partridge-cock, farmyard-cock, peacock, from sparrow to ostrich, observe his mien! To strut and languish; to exhibit every beauteous lure; to sacrifice ease, comfort, speed, everything--to beauty--for her sake--this is the nature of the he-bird of any species; the characteristic, not of the turkey, but of the cock! With drumming of loud wings, with crow and quack and bursts of glorious song, he woos his mate; displays his splendors before her; fights fiercely with his rivals. To butt--to strut--to make a noise--all for love's sake; these acts are common to the male.

We may now generalize and clearly state: That is masculine which belongs to the male--to any or all males, irrespective of specie