“It is an infantile superstition of the human spirit that virginity would be thought a virtue and not the barrier that separates ignorance from knowledge.”
But it must be admitted, I think, that in most cases where women have been chaste they were also ignorant.”
Jilly Coppercorn was still staring at her reflection when she heard someone coming down the hall toward her room: two sets of footsteps, one light-footed as if hurrying to catch up with something else; another slow but determined tread like some heavy object being dragged along by its owner. She turned away quickly before either could see what had made her stop dead for so long – or who might notice how much longer than normal this time. It wasn’t until after both visitors had passed through the door into their rooms that Jilly realized there’d been no knock on hers first. That’s odd. And then again, maybe not. Maybe it just seemed that way because neither visitor looked back over his shoulder once during their visit. They didn’t even pause outside her door. Just went right inside without saying hello. Which probably meant he knew exactly which room belonged to whom. Or perhaps it only felt that way since Jilly hadn’t seen him come out yet. He might’ve gone straight home instead of stopping off here first. In any case, she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to pay them a social call tonight. Not unless he wanted to invite himself in for late dinner.
She sighed heavily and shook her head. This whole thing about having people drop by unexpectedly was tiring her. Especially now that she lived alone, she knows that some tired man who had worked his head off wants some physical comfort. She felt more like providing help and healing to some tired body. She was laying out what was so dear to her to give some comfort to the one who wanted it most. Its flesh, perishable flesh, after all, she thought. While it is still smooth, let it give succour to a tired soul. Even though sometimes you know better. Sometimes you do your best thinking while lying flat on your back, looking up at nothing. You can feel yourself becoming part of everything around you, losing all sense of self.
But never mind that now. Besides men wanting to lie next to her naked skin, there are other things to worry about. Like whether or not she should go ahead with her idea of doing an exhibit of paintings based on dreams last night. A dream book project. Her art teacher had suggested it earlier today and although it sounded good in theory, actually pulling together an exhibition wouldn’t be easy. Too many unknowns. What kind of reception will it get from gallery owners?
Repressive Hypothesis
Foucault talks about the “repressive hypothesis,” which Western society suppressed sexuality from the 17th to the mid-20th century due to the rise of capitalism and bourgeois society. Foucault argues that discourse on sexuality proliferated during this period, during which experts began to examine sexuality scientifically, encouraging people to confess their sexual feelings and actions. According to Foucault, in the 18th and 19th centuries, society took an increasing interest in sexualities that did not fit within the marital bond: the “world of perversion” that includes the sexuality of children, the mentally ill, the criminal and the homosexual, while by the 19th century, sexuality was being readily explored both through confession and scientific enquiry. Foucault addresses the role of sex in Greek and Roman antiquity. He discusses how ancient societies understood sex as a biological phenomenon and viewed it differently than we do today. For example, he describes how Athenian men were encouraged to have multiple wives for political reasons, whereas women had only one husband (although many would also take lovers). The Romans, however, saw marriage as sacred and monogamous relationships between two individuals as ideal.
The middle class had a very different view of sex from what we see in the modern era, where sexual liberation is seen as something good; this wasn’t necessarily so in medieval times or even the early Renaissance. In fact, it may not have been all that great for them. The middle-class man’s job entailed long hours away from home, working his fingers to the bone. He often returned late at night, smelling sourly from work and eating poorly while away. He would be too tired to do anything but lie down before falling into a fitful sleep, only to wake up feeling more exhausted than when he went off to bed the night before. Therefore, it must come as no surprise that he preferred women with whom one could engage in a physical relationship without any emotional involvement – after all if the woman was sleeping around, why should she expect him to commit? This is precisely why prostitutes were common among those in positions to afford them, particularly in Italy and France: a woman willing to provide physical satisfaction did not require commitment nor emotional intimacy and thus provided men with much-needed release in return for money or material goods. Women who engaged in prostitution were considered “easy,” promiscuous creatures unworthy of respect and marriage and certainly undeserving of the same rights enjoyed by other citizens.
In many cases, these prostitutes took advantage of the male population of a particular town/city because they could not find husbands themselves. Some were married to abusive men who beat and raped their wives. Others had children and could not take care of them on their own. Still, traveling merchants or wealthy landowners fell prey to their false promises. Whatever the reason, the result remained the same: unmarried women who had nowhere else to go ended up selling themselves out for food and shelter. As such, prostitutes served a practical purpose in medieval society. Not only did their income contribute to the economy (they were taxed like everyone else), but most of the townsfolk knew about them and accepted them as part of everyday life. If anything, they might consider some of them attractive enough to marry.
In ancient Greece, the Greeks saw prostitution as a crime against the community. The women engaged in the profession either willingly or unwillingly through force. Therefore, they believed the government’s role was to help these individuals escape this situation. This included providing housing, education, and employment opportunities in order to prevent these women from entering prostitution. By doing so, Athens’ rulers thought they could reduce corruption and increase moral behavior within the city. The Romans viewed this practice similarly, except instead of protecting the prostitutes from violence and exploitation, they focused on helping them enter legitimate professions. In Rome itself, however, the prostitutes faced harsh penalties. Those caught prostituting were subject to execution, although Roman law required that a prostitute be allowed to choose whether or not she wanted to be punished by death.
During the Middle Ages, Christianity played a significant role in defining the social values associated with sexuality. Although the Church had no problem with the concept of marriage, it was highly opposed to premarital sex. It condemned homosexuality, masturbation, abortion, and infanticide. The Church also frowned upon incest, bestiality, and adultery, which led to the rise of arranged marriages in which parents chose spouses for their children based solely on religious beliefs. In this manner, the Catholic Church helped establish its dominance in European society and culture during the Middle Ages.
The Christian Church’s opposition to nonprocreative sex was rooted in the Bible’s Old Testament writings, in which sex was seen as a means of procreating a race. Because sex was considered sinful, priests and nuns preached to the faithful against it. They urged people to abstain from intercourse until marriage when the couple would consummate their relationship in holy matrimony. Priests, bishops, and popes further enforced this belief system through sermons and edicts, ensuring that the public understood the importance of celibacy for married and unmarried couples.
In the early 1500s, a new sect known as the Protestants arose in Europe. Instead of following the teachings of the Vatican, they held the Bible as their guidebook and interpreted it literally. To them, this meant believing the word of God, including passages condemning premarital sex. The Protestants also rejected the concept of clergy hierarchy; instead, the congregations themselves governed the churches. As a result, the Protestant movement spread quickly and gained popularity with ordinary folk. The Protestant leaders argued that if a priest told you something and you disagreed, you could leave and start your congregation. Many Catholics followed suit and founded separate sects. Among these were groups called Anabaptists and Quakers. Their members did not believe in taking vows or performing rituals. As such, neither group ordained ministers. Instead, each person had to decide whether he wanted to be a minister. Both of these movements eventually merged to form the Anglican Church. The English monarchy supported the Protestant reformers, and many kings and queens converted to Protestantism.
The American Civil War brought about several changes in Western society that would affect the development of pornography. On July 21, 1861, Abraham Lincoln signed a bill establishing the first U.S. military hospital in Washington, D.C. It would serve as a field surgical facility where wounded soldiers received immediate attention. The medical staff operated on patients without regard for religion; they were treated equally regardless of what they believed about God. In addition, many women served as nurses at field hospitals. They cared for their injured brothers-in-arms as well as the men’s wives, who waited anxiously nearby for news regarding the fate of their loved ones. The experience of serving at a battlefield hospital deeply affected the women. While some women were motivated to volunteer due to patriotism and a desire to help the country, others sought to do so because it offered them a chance to see and hear firsthand accounts of war crimes committed by men against women. For example, one nurse recalled hearing stories about soldiers raping female slaves who worked in the fields. She also described how she observed the men forcing their women into sexual relations against their will: “One day I witnessed a case where a slave woman, with whom we were intimate, was forced by three Union cavalrymen under guard to submit to an unnatural act.” Other reports of rape and violence against women circulated the campfires as well. Women felt compelled to speak up, but social norms weren’t easy to do so. Society viewed women as weak and helpless victims; therefore, they should accept whatever happened to them as part of life.
All these events and proclamations against sex ended up bringing sex to the foreground and made it an obsession. It has been stripped of its art form and has become a perverse activity. The only purpose that sex serves now is to satisfy lust, which has taken over its original function—reproducing humankind. Sex has become the main focus in our society, while all other aspects have faded out.
Tilted Plus 