Book 58 - Waves

Title: Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays

Author: Rebecca Solnit

Genre: feminist collection of essays

Subway Book Review does it again - this collection of essays blew my

EVER

LOVING

MIND!

I'm trying to read more feminist literature because, well, I'm a woman, and times are pretty scary right now what with Alabama taking a page from the wrong side of Handmaiden's Tale. Solnit takes all the snarled up, half-formed, confused feelings I have about gender and power dynamics, and irons them into a concise and level-headed discussion - and tosses in a dash of history for flavour.

There's so much I love about this woman's writing that focusing on just a one thing feels like cheating readers out of the rest of the material. But, okay fine, if I had to pare it down: what Solnit does best is include men in the discussion of the subjugation, violence, and murder of women. "Women are afraid of being raped and murdered all the time," she states, "and sometimes that's more important to talk about than protecting male comfort levels." And this is true. She shares a story of a university that provided information to women on how to protect themselves from being assaulted, including walking in pairs, not going out at night - all that same ol' bullshit women are told from the moment they can understand anything. Someone suggested, jokingly, that "all men be excluded from campus after dark". Solnit shares that men were "shocked at being asked to disappear, to lose their freedom to move and participate, all because of the violence of one man". This story is a microcosm infinitely reflected pretty much everywhere in our society. All men do not rape, but most women live in fear of rape - subsequently, I somehow cannot bring myself to care if a man feels uncomfortable being denied space.

Instead of being bitter, or angry (and anger is very, very easy), Solnit veers into more wholistic territory. "There's something about how masculinity is imagined," she says, "about what's praised and encouraged, about the way violence is passed on to boys that needs to be addressed". She acknowledges that any changes to the current system need to involve not just its victims, but but those 'on top' as well. "The men who get it...understand that feminism is not a scheme to deprive men but a campaign to liberate us all" - and THAT is precisely what those who don't get it are missing! Equality for women doesn't mean women over or instead of men - it means changing the paradigm so that the unique challenges, disadvantages, and advantages of being a member of a certain group are acknowledged within the larger scope of our society.

There's so many more amazing quotes and ideas, but I'd like to end on this one - which relates to what I've heard echoed throughout any conversations I have around these issues, with men and other women (even my own mother). "The future," Solnit posits, "of something we may no longer call feminism must include a deeper inquiry into men".

Basically, we're all in this together :)

Rating: 👶 👶 👶 👶 👶 /5