The Flaw of Modern Feminism

The Flaw of Modern Feminism

            Modern feminism is a concept meant to liberate women from patriarchal dominance. Luce Irigaray is a postmodern feminist and a master septic of penis supremacy and its disempowering notion toward the feminine spirit. Irigaray’s, The Speculum of the Other Woman, is a monumental piece of work that is foundational to understanding feminine sexuality. Irigaray’s masterpiece dives into Freudian’s feminine theory and brutally picks it to pieces, proving the flaw of not only psychology, but also modern feminism. Modern feminism empowering women using subliminal penis supremacy, such as the Washington Monument and many other white phallic structures is reductio ad absurdum. The Speculum of the Other Woman is a collection of three major essays, The Blind Spot of an Old Dream of Symmetry, Speculum, and Plato’s Hysteria. However, what about the woman who is successful and even content living as a “disadvantaged man”? The Speculum of the Other Women enlightens the readers with Freudian’s feminist theory, penis envy, and the mystical theology of the womb.

             Her literary masterpieces excelled in an era of masculine dominancy and made Sappho a feminist legend. Known as the “Tenth Muse” and an Aphrodite worshiper, her Sapphic literary works stay renowned for their extreme emotional romanticisms and lament. Her monodies were often about her most intimate affairs with other women and “Like the Very Gods in My Sight Is He”, is no exception. This literary work is a perfect example of her elegiac expression and profound introspection.  Each all four stanzas, comprising this poetic hymn contains fours lines. Although this title is deceptive, is Sappho truly lamenting over a woman or man in this poem? “Like the Very Gods in My Sight Is He”, captivates the audience with passive passion, submissive torment, and penis-envy.   

            Modern feminism is an idea intended to permit women to be fully actualized in society as a woman, however the collective consciousness of modern feminism is to be “more man” then men. The Speculum of the Other Women informs the audience through “The Blind Spot of an Old Dream of Symmetry: Anatomy is ‘Destiny” of the flaw in Freud’s feminist theory. There is much sexist controversy in his theory such as, “Inevitably, the trial of ‘castration’ must be undergone [for the developing girl]. This, ‘little boy’ [girl], who was, in all innocence and ignorance of sexual difference, phallic, notices how ridiculous ‘his’ [her] sex organ looks. ‘He’ [Her] sees the disadvantage for which ‘he’ [she] is anatomically destined: ‘he’ [she] has only a tiny little sex organ, no sex organ at all, really, an almost invisible sex organ…The humiliation of being so badly equipped…in comparison with the penis…can only lead to a desire to ‘have something like it too,’ and Freud claims that this desire will form the basis of ‘normal womanhood’ (49). This theory of feminism that has been the primary foundation of a woman’s psyche in a world where masculine consciousness reigns, is a murderous castration indeed to feminism. Instead of understanding the inherent intelligence of the invisible, Freud suggests that comparing the clitoris, a to the penis is the only way for women to enter womanhood. What is more audacious of this theory, is that it’s publicity, popularity, and cultural acceptance encourages it to develop further in the subconscious of the modern woman’s psyche. Irigaray continues to castrate Freud’s theory saying within, (3) The Shame That Demands Vicious Conformity, “Whence the importance she vests in fabrics and cloth to cover herself…Which is, however, more or less, an ‘imitation’ of the ‘model’ Nature gives in the pubic hair…But this is paradoxical. Since Nature is all. But this ‘all’ cannot appear as no thing, as no sex organ…But the contradiction is already implicit in the veil [‘glossing over’] Freud talks about, in the duplicity of that veil’s function. Used to cover a lesser ‘value’ and to overvalue the fetish…And this disavowal is also a frabric(ation)…one will have already denied woman her sexual potency, the power of her jouissance…By fetishing the male organ” (115-117). Why is woman so good at fashioning herself? Is this adoration of adornment a distraction and unconscious belief in the fault and flaw of her nature and to therefore, not veil her is exposing her inherent burden? If modern day feminism is truly empowering women, then learning, mastering, and living the art of feminine bareness (pubic regime) an esoteric concept? However, to “veil” a woman’s erotic “jouissance” and to keep it secret is living by through phallocentric norm, which is the real “fetish”. Interestingly, Iregaray uses her juxtaposition to understand and dissect the following, “Sexual difference’ is a derivation of the problematics of sameness…The ‘differentiation’ into two sexes derives from the a priori assumption of the same” (26-27). Of course, when one is analyzing the clitoris’s anatomy and physiology, it is obvious that it is identical to the phallus. Thus, Freudian theory mistakably focuses only on comparing mass rather than compatible functions. Consequently, phallic envy is imbedded in Freudian theory for reasons that are suspicious, however, moving forward one can easily see the flaws of such an ignorant envy.     

Contemporary feminism is a concept meant to liberate women from phallocentrism, yet it’s very foundation is built upon comparing women to the penis. The Speculum of the Other Women cleanses the concept of penis envy. “For if woman did not want what he has, it would soon be obvious that the concentration on the phallus suffers from a certain ex-centricity. The problem is that woman often finds it hard not to claim access to the procedures of equivalency that are still limited by right to men alone…women will only be able to ‘envy’ and demand powers equal, or ‘equivalent’ to those of men. There comes, perhaps ineluctably, a moment when she will represent herself as oppressed, the victim of penile narcissism…In a sexual revolt, or revolution that would simply reverse things and risk ensuring an everlasting return of the same” (118-119). To claim “victim” or “oppressed”, is simply to reinforce lack of control of one’s suffering and claiming incapable of striding with self-power. Irigaray skeptically analyzes Freud again saying, “Why does the term ‘envy’ occur to Freud? Why does Freud choose it? Envy, jealously, greed, are all correlated to lack, default, absence…The fact remains that ‘penis-envy’ must above all be interpreted as a symptomatic index – laid down as a law of the economy of a woman’s sexuality” (51-52). Irigaray is a artful sarcastic when laying down the evidence of one of society’s respected and flawed psychologist. She continues saying, “As for woman, one may wonder why she submits so readily to this make-believe, why she ‘mimics’ so perfectly as to forget she is acting out man’s contraphobic projects, projections, and productions…For the ‘penis-envy’ alleged against woman is –let us repeat – a remedy for man’s fear of losing one” (53). The suggestion is obvious here, that to “envy” is to therefore keep and maintain the penis that is. Modern feminism is modern women’s medicine to a healthy consciousness, but once we dig deeper, the Oedipus is loaded with questionable constructs.

Modern feminism at this point has be a consequence to patriarchal dominance. The Speculum of the Other Women now enlightens the readers with the mystical theology of the womb!