The Female Eunuch

Introduction

Germaine Greer's "The Female Eunuch," published in 1970, is a groundbreaking feminist text that continues to resonate with readers today. This powerful book challenges societal norms and expectations placed on women, arguing that they have been effectively "castrated" by patriarchal structures. Greer's work explores how women are molded into submissive, sexless beings – much like eunuchs – and calls for a radical reassessment of femininity and women's roles in society.

The Castration of Women in Society

Subservience and Sexlessness

Greer argues that society values qualities in women that are reminiscent of eunuchs: subservience and sexlessness. Women are expected to be:

• Attentive
• Agreeable
• Patient
• Lacking ambition and confidence

This societal expectation discourages women from actively seeking what they want from the world. Instead, they are taught to:

• Wait for instructions
• Show mindless joy when given gifts
• Demonstrate unfailing devotion to their families
• Express a passionless desire for their husbands

Dominant Women in Pop Culture

When dominant women do appear in popular culture, they are often portrayed as stereotypes:

1. The cunning and sexy woman
2. The athletic and arrogant woman

These characters are typically tamed or overpowered by the male hero by the end of the story. This narrative reinforces the idea that dominant qualities in women are ultimately detrimental to men unless they are defeated.

The Aesthetics of Womanhood

Greer points out that the concept of "woman" has been reduced to mere aesthetics, with little substance behind it. Women are expected to have:

• Soft, non-threatening bodies
• No signs of power or maturity

The media and brands push women to alter their appearances to fit this artificial norm, causing the true essence of womanhood to be lost.

Limited Sexual Potential for Women

The Passive Receptacle Narrative

Greer criticizes how society talks about sex, arguing that it promotes the idea of women as passive receptacles. This narrative:

• Discourages women from prioritizing their own sexual pleasure
• Teaches women to treat sex as a commodity to be exchanged for commitment

The Romance Novel Trap

Romantic novels often perpetuate harmful ideas about sex:

• Heroines make male love interests wait for sex
• This waiting period is seen as a test of devotion
• The woman's enjoyment of sex is excluded from the narrative

Limited Knowledge of Female Orgasm

As a result of these societal norms, women have limited knowledge of their own sexual experiences:

• Clitoral orgasm is typically considered the height of female pleasure
• Vaginal orgasm, which is more euphoric but harder to achieve, is often overlooked
• Achieving vaginal orgasm requires both physical and mental stimulation, as well as deep emotional bonds

Greer emphasizes that sex isn't something women owe to men who treat them kindly – it's a pleasure that women owe to themselves as human beings.

Missed Opportunities for Women

The Suffragette Movement and Its Aftermath

While the suffragette movement and subsequent feminist waves secured many victories for women, including the right to vote and own property, Greer argues that girls are still conditioned from a young age to live cautiously rather than ambitiously.

Childhood Conditioning

The author highlights the differences in how boys and girls are raised:

• Boys are given freedom to run wild and grow strong
• Girls are taught to play with dolls, sit still, and stay close to their mothers
• This early conditioning prepares girls for dependency on their husbands in adult life

Puberty and Societal Expectations

As girls enter puberty, societal pressures intensify:

• Girls who previously enjoyed more freedom are now looked down upon as unladylike or strange
• They are expected to change their behavior as their bodies change

Education and Missed Opportunities

Greer argues that even as more young women attend university, they often miss out on the true value of education:

• Many are motivated by the prospect of finding a husband of a higher social class rather than by a love of learning
• Girls start school ahead of boys academically but fall behind as learning becomes more dependent on independent thought
• Young women are rarely encouraged to develop critical thinking skills or take risks

University Experience

At university, many young women:

• Struggle to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them
• Focus on gaining professors' approval rather than challenging themselves intellectually
• Demonstrate the same kind of obedience expected in their future marriages

The Male Conception of Femininity

Rejecting the Eternal Feminine

Greer calls for women to reject the restrictive definitions of femininity imposed by men throughout history:

• Poets and painters have depicted women as fragile and vulnerable
• Women are often likened to delicate flowers or captured in states of repose and undress
• This "eternal feminine" reduces women to alluring objects that can be owned by men and aspired to by other women

Limited Power Beyond Appearance

Women are not encouraged to develop the virtues that men are told to live by. Instead, they are expected to demonstrate their morality through:

• A benign outward appearance
• A gentle, inoffensive demeanor

The Shame of Female Biology

Despite the power of the female body to bear and give birth to children, many aspects of female biology are viewed with fear and shame:

• The womb, menstruation, and other aspects of the fertile female body terrify men
• Women are taught to feel shame about natural bodily processes
• Many religions still consider menstruating women unclean and unfit to sleep with their husbands

Reclaiming Female Bodies

Greer argues that women must take ownership of their bodies and let their own gynecology empower them. This is the first step toward creating a new definition of femininity that goes beyond superficial characteristics.

Revolutionizing Women's Roles in Society

Rejecting Violence and Machismo

Greer challenges women to reconsider their attraction to men in uniforms and their tacit approval of violence:

• Women have learned to condone violence implicitly or explicitly
• By rejecting the allure of violent masculinity, women can discourage men from engaging in dangerous acts
• Women should be impressed by intellectual bravery rather than physical aggression

Rethinking Marriage and Dependency

The author calls for a reevaluation of marriage and financial dependency:

• Many women live with the goal of finding a man to depend on as quickly as possible
• Even career-driven women face pressure to quit their jobs after marriage and children
• By rejecting the dependency of traditional marriage, women can achieve true independence

Embracing Experimentation and Risk-Taking

Greer encourages women to:

• Take risks professionally and fight for new opportunities
• Explore their sexuality and get to know their own bodies and desires better
• Experiment with different lifestyles and relationships to discover what they truly want

Creating a New Definition of Womanhood

The ultimate goal is to create and normalize a liberated definition of womanhood:

• Women must show the world that they have far more to offer than the castrated slaves society pressures them to be
• This new definition should embrace strength, independence, and sexual autonomy

Final Thoughts: The Path to Liberation

"The Female Eunuch" presents a powerful critique of societal expectations placed on women and calls for a radical reassessment of femininity. Germaine Greer's work challenges women to:

1. Reject the notion of the eternal feminine and the objectification of women's bodies
2. Embrace their natural biological processes without shame
3. Seek true independence by rejecting traditional marriage roles and financial dependency
4. Take risks and explore their own desires, both professionally and personally
5. Create a new, empowering definition of womanhood that goes beyond societal constraints

While some progress has been made since the book's publication in 1970, many of Greer's arguments remain relevant today. Women continue to face pressure to conform to certain ideals of femininity, and the fight for true equality in all aspects of life is ongoing.

By encouraging women to take ownership of their bodies, minds, and choices, "The Female Eunuch" provides a roadmap for personal and societal liberation. It challenges readers to question long-held beliefs about gender roles and to imagine a world where women are free to define themselves on their own terms.

As we continue to grapple with issues of gender equality in the 21st century, Greer's work serves as a reminder of the power of radical thinking and the importance of challenging the status quo. "The Female Eunuch" remains an essential text for anyone interested in feminism, gender studies, or the ongoing struggle for women's rights and empowerment.