Perspective

The Scarlet and Black, November 14, 1975‘1), 4

—women at grinnell

Can we afford the conflicts?

by Lynn Voedisch

Try to deiine a ieminist. Now
take that definition and investigate
what it reveals about your
background and prejudices. Try to
imagine the opposite oi the woman
you described and pretend she, too,
is a feminist, If this sounds ims
possible, try thinking “all women
are potentially feminists.” If this
boggles the mind, well, don't
worry, many women’s
organizations have the same
problems in visualizing universal
feminism.

The women's movement. the
potential powerhouse oi pioneering
social change, is in danger of
destroying itself in the ’70’s.
Because the Women’s movement
has no universally recognized
leaders. and because there are no
exemplary models to iollow, tear
of “otherness" is threatening to
turn all the potentially productive
anger inward, More and more
often women’s spokespersons are
publicly attacking other crusading
feminists, i.e., NOW leaders ex-
pressing disgust for Connecticut
Gov. Ella Grasso‘s refusal to
support “Alice Doesn‘t," National
Women‘s Strike Day.

The international women's
Year Conference in Mexico City is
a very model oi the disruptive
power this ingrown rage has
produced A male president was
chosen for the conference because
of the Mexican political situation
(all women candidates
represented Mexican political
parties). Squabbles ensued and
continued for the whole of the
Conference. Radical feminists
challenged the American
delegation. The informal Tribune
was formed to supplement the
oiiicai conference, and ended up in

contention with it, Third World
women refused to cooperate with
Americans. incredibly, antir
Zionism became the only
recognizable issue which came out
of the conference,

The effect this and hundreds of
other similar situations has on the
productivity of the movement is
disasterous. When the enemy is
confused, and the rage is turned
inwards, the movement, in eiiect,
“devours its own.” Tile women
who should fight for other women
are now oppressing their sisters.
The enemy (which some
mistakenly thought was “men,"
and which this writer believes is
simply “sexism") no longer is
clearly defined.

Vivian Gornick, whose article
recently appeared in the Village
Voice. Nov. 3, saw that feminism
was infiltrated by “internecine
warfare.” She see the only issue
which is universally acceptable is
the ERA, the “old warhorse.” The
large and profound issues have
boiled away leaving doubt and
disillusionment.

Quarelling leaves the women’s
movement open to attack irom all
sides. The male dominated press
has a field day when Betty Friedan
attacks Gloria Steinem or Simone
deBeauvoir. “Look at that,” they
race over the AF wire, “they
always fight with each other.
They're basically jealous. Men
don’t do that." Myra Barrer, the
editor or Wonlcn Today. a national
women’s newsletter, explained to a
national Women in Com-
munications, Inc. conference how
the male-oriented press would only
cover the International Women’s
Year iight scenes, and ignored any
progress women made. Sen-
sationalism in the news often relies

on enraged iemales who murder,
divorce, or put on any kind oi
public display oi emotion. The
more unstable the “girls” appear,
the “cuter" it is.

Women in the outside world are
clearly afraid to be labeled as
feminists, because of the overplay
the press has given to the iighting
and the extremist groups. Idiotic
slogans like “man-hating
lesbians” still abound. But ac
cording to a i-iarris poll, most
women favor the basic issue of
ieminism—they just can‘t stand
the label,

Other feminists, usually the
radical ones, regard themselves as
keepers of the faith and refuse to

womcnhood should free women to
choose liiestyles they can handle,
not demand a new party»produced
puritanism. ii we can support and
love each other in finding these
individual lifestyles, “womana
power" will have meaning.

There can’t be y hiding away
from responsib ty now, The

movement has started, changest“_

are occurring, and society is giving ‘
way, All the change in this country
is effected by social and economic
action Social convention can be
assailed irom the top (govern-
ment) or the bottom (un-
dergorund); it society can feel
pressure irom all sides, so much
the better! Alternative life must be

grant other women the right at
being known as feminists. ”If you
aspire to bank presidency, you're a
traitor," they say. Even Ms,
magazine has been called
traitorous And on the other hand,
professional women complain the
radicals alienate society, standing
in the way oi progress

The essential problem is: why
can’t all women support all on»
deavors of all women? The
inability oi many radical groups to
accept a well»dressed, careers
oriented woman into their ranks is
exactly the same as discriminating
against lesbians. We are all in the
same boat together. How long do
we have to wait before we realize
that the more we Search for “the
people” the farther away we rush?
As, Gornlck says in the Voice.
“We are the people."

All that matters is pride in being
women. Men can’t dominate a
woman if she is knowledgable of
and practical about her power as a
woman. How much does it matter '
iishc attracts and enjoys men, or ii
she dislikes them? Pride in

draw

Play by and about women

by Cindy Marshall

The Women’s Movement has
served as a great impetus ior the
artistic expression oi women,
especially in literature. An ins
creased recognition oi cone
temporary women writers has
been accompanied by the
publication oi compiled works by
relatively unnoticed women irom
centuries past. To the reader oi
such anthologies it is clear that
women have traditionally turned to
personal diaries, poetry, and
fiction when their selfexpression
was repeatedly suppressed by
society. This sense of united
womanhood spanning history has
been an essential source of
strength and inspiration ior con-
temporary women who seek to
explore and express their ex
perience of being a woman.

This focus on feminist literature
and poetry forms the basis of an
independent project that Barbara
Thulfsen, a senior art major, has
been working on this semester. She
has compiled writings by and
about women, past to present, and
has Worked this material into a
dramatic production. She is
directing the production in
association with Assistant
Professor of Theater Karl Har-
shbarger, who is her advisor ior
the project.

Nancy Ohlson, Rima Miller, and
Tholisen each portray a variety oi
roles in an experimental approach
to include many different forms of
theater, A good deal of their work
involves improvisation and a
personal identification with the
material, with ﬁle more objective
insight of Lucinda Eilert ano‘

Michelle Casey, who serve as
assistant directors and stage
managers, these women have
adopted a flexible style of
rehearsal in which they co-direct
one another,

Though the script is composed of
excerpted writings from a wide
range of literature, the transition
between characters and moods
suggest a universality of women.
The threads that tie the play
together are those woven by
women throughout history.

in the space oi one hour this play
cannot, of course, communicate all
that Women have ever ex-
perienced, said, or written, (And,
believe it or not, there is even
enough about women to iill more
than a one-semester course!) The
viewpoints expressed admittedly
are not all encompassing, and
perhaps reilect predominately
middle class values associated
with feminism.

A piayiui sense oi humor per
vades many of the scenes. The
intent of this production is
ultimately not a verbal attack upon
male oppressors. but an attempt to
lace honestly and openly the
condition of our culture and society
that have caused the inequality oi
sexes,

The play Will be staged in Arena
Theater on December 4, 5, and s,
and the audience will be included
in the dramatic interaction. Men
and Women in the audience will be
seated separately, and at times a
particular portion or the spectators
will represent characters within
the context of the play. Tholisen
hopes this setup will cause~the

audience to be directly effected by
the play,

In all, the presentation should be
one worth attendingeior it's
perspcctivcs on women and to view
the results oi a unique projcct
undertaken by a tow Grinneil
students during the semester,

investigated,
always keep ahrcast oi the
capitalist institutions which op-
nress them. otherwise, the Powers
That Be will always be able to hold
in the economic reins,
Differences can make the
women‘s movemem stronger than Photo tram Grinnell Collegei by John 5. Noiien, co
ever; they can serve as magnets to
disparate

it’s time to stop the purges and
show the outside world how strong
unified womanhood can be.

but Women must

factions.

degree in irti-i. From then on women

Women’s art exhibited

by Patti steinbi-echei-

The current exhibit in Sheaffel' Gallery,
“Women in Art" (through Nov. 17) is in-
tended to fit thematically with the In-
ternational Women’s Year Celebratlon. The
original plan, as explained by Richard Cer»
vene, curator of the permanent collection or
the College, was to coordinate a general
tribute to women in the fine arts, adding
theatre and music to the planned plastic arts
exhibit. The theatre component, rescheduled
for Dec. 4-6, will be the production “Of and
About Women" by Barbara Tholfsen, a
Grlnnell senior.

“Women in Art” consists of pieces from the
permanent collection oi the College produced
by women artists. These range from the
poweriul etching of 1905 “Sharpening the
Scythe” (the third subject of the “Peasant
War” cycle depicting the peasant uprisings oi
sixteenth Century Germany) to the 1974
“Vischer Fcrry Crescent Exit 3" by Lois
Olian Rheingold.

There is no stereotyping this exhibit; as
Cervenevremarks,‘ “The use oi media is

amazing—sculture, painting, both water
color and oil, prints, and drawings.”

The emphasis is on the expression of the
artist. not the limits of gender. This is not to
say that this visible involvement of Women in
a previously maleedominated field is without
note: on the contrary, the expression in this
exhibit by women of their own art further
demonstrates the inapplicability oi mere
male or female labies to the artistic process.

The next exhibit, to begin next week, is of
the works of Christo, whose credits include
draping an enormous curtain across a
California canyon and wrapping the Museum
oi Contemporary Art in Chicago in canvas. it
promises to be an unusual show by an unr
conventional artist.

The next exhibit, to begin next week, is of
the works of Christo, whose credits include
draping an enormous curtain across a
California canyon and wrapping the Museum
oi‘ Contemporary Art in Chicago in canvas. lt
promises to be an unusual show by an un-
conventional artist,

AN liAki \irli a

Working diligently, women participate in t
became ctr-educational soon after its
take classes as part oi a “Ladies' Pr

ning
iam.
particina

clearly I
studies.

endpoint
st‘dies i

 

