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July 17 - July 18, 2022
‘Religion is very odd!’
‘They turned me out of one place today because I had on a sleeveless dress,’ she said ruefully. ‘Apparently the Almighty doesn’t like my arms in spite of having made them.’
Dr Gerard ordered coffee and they sat down in a corner of the lounge. The Frenchman was less interested in Sarah’s medical achievements than in the black hair that rippled back from her forehead and the beautifully shaped red mouth.
Boo
‘To have too much power is bad for women,’ Gerard agreed with sudden gravity. He shook his head. ‘It is difficult for a woman not to abuse power.’
This guy sucks
The illusion that freedom is the prerogative of one’s own particular race is fairly widespread. Dr Gerard was wiser. He knew that no race, no country and no individual could be described as free. But he also knew that there were different degrees of bondage.
‘There are such strange things buried down in the unconscious. A lust for power—a lust for cruelty—a savage desire to tear and rend—all the inheritance of our past racial memories…They are all there, Miss King, all the cruelty and savagery and lust…We shut the door on them and deny them conscious life, but sometimes—they are too strong.’
Dr Gerard said gravely: ‘I believe at least in one of the chief tenets of the Christian faith—contentment with a lowly place. I am a doctor and I know that ambition—the desire to succeed—to have power—leads to most ills of the human soul. If the desire is realized it leads to arrogance, violence and final satiety—and if it is denied—ah! if it is denied—let all the asylums for the insane rise up and give their testimony! They are filled with human beings who were unable to face being mediocre, insignificant, ineffective and who therefore created for themselves ways of escape from reality so as
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Young people have the courage of their ideals and convictions—their values are more theoretical than practical. They have not experienced, as yet, that fact contradicts theory! If you have a belief in yourself and in the rightness of what you are doing, you can often accomplish things that are well worth while! (Incidentally, you often do a good deal of harm!)
In fact a great many women would be better poisoned. All women who have grown old and ugly.’
Get fucked, Gerard
‘Oh, you Frenchmen! You’ve got no use for any woman who isn’t young and attractive.’ Gerard shrugged his shoulders. ‘We are more honest about it, that is all. Englishmen, they do not get up in tubes and trains for ugly women—no, no.’
‘I think it’s our fellow travelers who depress me,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s awful, isn’t it, but I do hate women! When they’re inefficient and idiotic like Miss Pierce, they infuriate me—and, when they’re efficient like Lady Westholme, they annoy me more still.’
Damn Sarah internalized misogyny much?
‘Oh, because—I mean—just because—well—it’s so nice that women are able to do things!’ ‘I don’t agree,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s nice when any human being is able to accomplish something worth while! It doesn’t matter a bit whether it’s a man or a woman. Why should it?’
Maybe cause women have been prevented from doing things throughout history so overcoming that is more remarkable?
On the whole, you know, people tell you the truth. Because it is easier! Because it is less strain on the inventive faculties! You can tell one lie—or two lies—or three lies—or even four lies—but you cannot lie all the time. And so—the truth becomes plain.’
Lady Westholme entered the room with the assurance of a transatlantic liner coming into dock. Miss Amabel Pierce, an indeterminate craft, followed in the liner’s wake and sat down in an inferior make of chair slightly in the background.
‘Fatigue,’ said Lady Westholme, ‘can be conquered like everything else. I make a point of never giving in to my bodily needs.’
