Theme Of Dualism In The Laugh Of The Medusa

1.1 “Women as Other” (Beauvoir 1)
The contemplation of women as other specie accommodates men to consider her as a less important being. The attitude of man is not based on equality, it’s a way to dehumanize woman on the whole. The French feminist Cixous in “The Laugh of the Medusa” has talked about the dualism of western thought which revolves around man/woman. This dualism is not based on equality as man is the superior half who is foretold to subordinate women. Maugham’s men in the stories are trying to subordinate women through considering woman as the other who cannot be merged in their life. George’s side life is more important for him and he feels satisfaction that his wife does not intervene in his public life. He considers her a “sad …show more content…
Once she is won, she is nothing for them. George believes he only loves her the time when he proposed her. Grange was madly in love before marriage but excitement vanished right after some months. The victorious man moves forward after possessing woman and leaving her behind sobbing his name. The men in the stories are not respecting the desires of women; instead they want them to follow their order. Mrs. Grange desire remains unheard to visit London by Norman. She wants his time but rarely exists for him. As a final decision she tries to leave him because of the unpleasant feeling she is suffering by living with him but he never lets it happen. It is Fred in “Episode” who decides when to marry or when to leave, all is important for him is himself. Gracie a young woman madly in love waits to marry him all the time period when he was in jail. But he refused to do so without any regret and wish her to forget …show more content…
The men do not want to recognize the discrimination because it will not only lead women to freedom but to stand them as a guilty. The world of men in Maugham’s stories never count on the experiences of women as a sensible observation. George (“The Colonel’s Lady”) and Skeleton (“Flotsam and Jetsam”), come across the chance to listen the experience of women closely. George is offered to go through his wife experience of love life from a book. Though it is not easy for a man to read about the affair of his wife yet he never understands it from the book. He finds the summary of poetry book by his girlfriend and shocked by the truth. His disability to understand Eva’s poetry is enough to show his life understanding with her. He never accepts that he has discriminated her by having affair but wants to call her in witness for her affair. Due to his social reputation and death of Eva’s lover ten years before stop him from calling her into