Posted by Anne LeVeque on May 18, 1999 at 20:46:09 from 207.197.129.139:
In Reply to: Re: Arthur Ransome: Feminism is extraordinary posted by Alan Hakim on May 18, 1999 at 19:06:14:
Since you mentioned our off-board email, I will share with the board part of my response to you:
"A cursory reading of basic women's history texts will show you that the women's movement was far from dormant from 1848 until the 1960s, although there was a bit of a lull in the 50s. In both the UK and the US the movement for women's suffrage was in full flower at the turn of the century and after (I confess, I don't know exactly when women got the right to vote in the UK, but my guess is early 20s? - certainly at a time when AR would have taken notice!). There is much more, and as I said, it is readily available from a variety of sources."
Alan, I don't think AR would consider our characterization of his work as feminist a "modern straitjacket." As a journalist, he would certainly have been aware of the suffrage movement, of the innovations in birth control, and the changing roles of women in this century. I don't think it is too much of a stretch to surmise that AR was generally in favor of treating women as human beings.
As I mentioned earlier, they are AMAZONS after all!
Anne LeVeque