Woman, that poor sickly creature...
In spite of my insane workload and revision schedule I've still been managing to read an old copy of Zorba that I got a hold of. It's beautifully written and I have to say I have taken a liking, to a certain extent, with the character Zorba himself. An amazing yet simple man who lives life passionately, expressively and with so much gusto, yet somehow maintains a clarity and wisdom that is startling. Here he says eloquently what I have struggled for most of my adult life to understand:
"Yes, boss, they've nothing else in mind. Listen to me, now....I've seen all sorts, and I've done all kinds of things....A woman has nothing else in view. She's a sickly creature, I tell you, and fretful. If you don't tell her you love and want her, she starts crying. Maybe she doesn't want you at all, maybe you disgust her, maybe she says no. That's another story. But all men who see her must desire her. That's what she wants, the poor creature, so you might try and please her!"
Such words! What profound and painful lessons they must have sprouted from! I mean this stuff is gold dust is it not?
Woman. What will it take to please you? As you sit on that icy throne and stare down at us with your terrible beauty. It's no wonder that all the wise men in history have devised the most cunning ploys to keep you subdued and busy with other things. You would ruin the world and all men for your vanity....
10 comments:
It's not gold dust. It's just sexist.
I mean, the abstraction of the woman to be nothing but: "terribly beautiful," "icy," both despised and coveted at the same time; is such cliched and standard way of objectifying women. "What will it take to make you submit? Why your rebellion? Why with your charms do you derail my purpose?" Not much depth to women is appreciated there and, indeed, forgive me if I say this is something only a man can appreciate. It is not even about a particular woman but about desiring all women ("Woman") in the abstract. I really don't understand, what is there to appreciate here?
But why is that sexist? My experience with the fairer sex even confirms such cliched ways of "objectifying women", otherwise I wouldn't have quoted it.
You are attacking the distinction between the general and the specific with a ferocity that would destroy it, rendering everything meaningless, something which I know that your thought is far too structured and organised to really believe.
As for the issue of only a man being able to appreciate this abstract woman, then let me say that perhaps this time you are the one generalising, for not all men appreciate these things, as demonstrated in yourself. Not that I mean to insult you, but it is not with books that you get such understanding. The chicken has feathers yet it cannot fly.
What has made me curious is to know what has riled your own "feathers" about this article? You demonstrate that famous anglo-saxon self righteous indignation at the "backwardness" of the old world and its inhabitants. They point their finger at that savage and say he is ignorant. Meanwhile his feet are firmly planted in the ground whilst they are, in fact, the ones who are upside down.
you have stuggeled all your adult life to understand this?
you could've asked me earlier and i would have given u an even better conclsion which would suit the way you are formining the concepts of life and saved your time.
mesoiure wassim, your were looking for a quoto which would fill the gap and would not look bizaare in this panorama your creating called " my me"
now u have found it, you can go back to your backlog of work awaiting you:)
Lak ahlein sit Omnia! Wallah zaman. Yes I should have just asked you =) Life would have just been easier!
Women...maybe not even God knows what they want.
The quote from Zorba is so true and exact.
Nice post wassim.
OH MY GOD,
He is on to us!
Ladies, abort mission "ruin the world and all men" right now!
On a more serious note, I'm really sorry about your (experience with the fairer sex), but I agree with Yaman, what you quoted and wrote is downright sexist.
Oh dear me, we've got another one...Rima darling I don't really give a hoot.
You and Yaman remind me of somebody who hops onto a bus, pops a fart, and then gets off. All they leave behind is a bad smell.
Yes, let me take a moment, then, to descend from my anglo-saxon perch, to desist from my ferocious attacks on the "savage backwardness" of mid-20th century Greece, that backwards non-Western country!
Jesting.... but in all seriousness this "cliche" I pointed out quintessentially characterizes the White Man. I say "only a man" would see things that way sarcastically to emphasize the role of perspective here in the production of this so-called wisdom about "Woman." Strangely in response you attack me for being, among other things, anglo-saxon, apparently because you want to stand by the "truth" of your statements without engaging in any argument. Not even a clarification, explanation, etc -- just inflating your personal perceptions in your personal experiences to the "Truth of Life" that you insist must be true for all, except of course those idiots too stupid to see things like you, especially because they are elitist anglo-saxons.
Let us say that I am surprised you have a good eye for Western hegemony and the stupid "discoveries" that the White Man makes when he visits other lands; so, I too am surprised that you are blind to the way you make the same "discoveries" about "Woman." Not sure she would see things the same way, or would be interested in the slightest by your observations.
But, full of hot air as I am, I leave you according to my well-established flatulent tradition:
"I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."
Yaman,
Monty Python, excellent. You're not as hopeless as I thought you would be. Now all we have to do is get you laid and you'll be a man of this world.
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