XXX INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION xxxi them.In both cases the former masters lavish more or less sincere dently the speaker referred to is not reflecting the ideas of Mauriac eulogies,either on the virtues of "the good Negro"with his dormant, himself,for no one knows of his having any.It may be that she re- childish,merry soul-the submissive Negro-or on the merits of the fects ideas originating with men,but then,even among men there are woman who is "truly feminine"-that is,frivolous,infantile,irrespon- those who have been known to appropriate ideas not their own;and sible-the submissive woman.In both cases the dominant class bases one can well ask whether Claude Mauriac might not find more inter- its argument on a state of affairs that it has itself created.As George esting a conversation reflecting Descartes,Marx,or Gide rather than Bernard Shaw puts it,in substance,"The Amcrican white relegates himself.What is really remarkable is that by using the questionable the black to the rank of.shoeshine boy;and he concludes from this we he identifies himself with St.Paul,Hegel,Lenin,and Nietzsche, that the black is good for nothing but shining shoes."This vicious and from the lofty eminence of their grandeur looks down disdain- circle is met with in all analogous circumstances;when an individual fully upon the bevy of women who make bold to converse with him on (or a group of individuals)is kept in a situation of inferiority,the a footing of equality.In truth,I know of more than one woman who fact is that he is inferior.But the significance of the verb to be must would refuse to suffer with patience Mauriac's "tone of polite indif. be rightly understood here;it is in bad faith to give it a static value ference,” when it really has the dynamic Hegelian sense of "to have become." I have lingered on this example because the masculine attitude is Yes,women on the whole are today infcrior to men;that is,their situa- here displayed with disarming ingenuousness.But men profit in many tion affords them fewer possibilitics.The question is:should that more subtle ways from the otherness,the alterity of woman.Here is state of affairs continue? miraculous balm for those afflicted with an inferiority complex,and Many men hope that it will continue;not all have given up the indeed no one is more arrogant toward women,more aggressive or battle.The conservative bourgeoisie still see in the emancipation of scornful,than the man who is anxious about his virility.Those who women a menace to their morality and their interests.Some men are not fear-ridden in the presence of their fellow men are much dread feminine competition.Recently a male student wrote in the more disposed to recognize a fellow creature in woman;but even to Hebdo-Latin:"Every woman student who goes into medicine or law these the myth of Woman,the Other,is precious for many reasons. robs us of a job."He never qucstioned his rights in this world.And They cannot be blamed for not cheerfully relinquishing all the bene economic interests are not the only ones concerned.One of the bene- fits they derive from the myth,for they realize what they would lose fits that oppression confers upon the oppressors is that the most hum- in relinguishing woman as they fancy her to be,while they fail to ble among them is made to feel superior;thus,a"poor white"in the realize what they have to gain from the woman of toinorrow.Refusal South can console himself with the thought that he is not a "dirty to pose oneself as the Subject,unique and absolute,requires great nigger"-and the more prosperous whites cleverly exploit this pride. self-denial.Furthermore,the vast majority of men make no such claim Similarly,the most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as explicitly.They do not postulate woman as inferior,for today they are compared with women.It was much easier for M.de Montherlant too thoroughly imbued with the ideal of democracy not to recognize to think himself a hero when he faced women (and women chosen all human beings as equals. for his purpose)than when he was obliged to act the man among men In the bosom of the family,woman seems in the eyes of childhood -something many women have done better than he,for that matter. And in September 148,in one of his articles in the Figaro litteraire, 1A sigmificant article on this theme by Michel Carrouges appeared in No.292 Claude Mauriac-whose great originality is admired by all-could" of the Cahiers du Sud.He writes indignantly:"Would that there were no woman- myth at all but only a cohort of cooks,matrons,prostitutes,and bluestockings write regarding woman:"We listen on a tone [sicl of politc indiffer- serving functions of pleasure or usefulnessl"That is to say,in his view woman has ence ..to the most brilliant among them,well knowing that her no existence in and for herself;he thinks only of her function in the male world. wit reflects more or,less luminously ideas that come from us."Evi- Her reason for existence lies in man.But then,in fact,her poetic"function"as myth might be more valued than any other.The real problem is precisely to find Or at least he thought he could. out why woman should be defined with relation to man