apropos quote
Posted by Kay on February 23, 1998 at 20:19:38:
In response to Lucy, by Cecil, written by Constanza (once again) on February 23, 1998 at 14:51:31
Costanza says this about Cecil
] However, whenever there is a glimpse of Lucy's feelings or emotions, he is shaken and aesthetically disturbed:
He longed to hint to her that not here lay her vocation; that a woman's power and charm reside in mystery, not in muscular rant
] Therefore, in choosing Cecil, Lucy 's chances of ever developing - of living as she plays - become zero.
Today I read a footnote from the book "Three Guineas" about a 19th century man, John Bowdler who had this advice to women:
"Above all, avoid everything which has the least tendency to indelicacy or indecorum. Few women have any idea how much men are disgusted at the slightest approach to these in any female, and especially in one to whom they are attached. By attending the nursery, or the sick bed, women are too apt to acquire a habit of conversing on such subjects in language which men of delicacy are shocked at."
This explains to me why Lucy is even afraid to think unless her thoughts are validated by others. If women are constantly worried about saying something that may be considered indecorous by somebody else and must constantly be on guard, then of course they can't really live. There is a lot of John Bowdler in Cecil and in Rev. Eager. Thank goodness there are men like George or Rev. Beebe in Lucy's life.
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