10.10

“Glancing at her essay, the three red stars dulled to obscurity, but peacefully, pensively, as if yielding to the pressure of unquestionable might, that is the conviction that it was not hers to dominate, or to assert; rather to air and embellish this orderly life where all was done already; high towers, solemn bells, flats built every brick of them by men’s toil, churches built by men’s toil, parliaments too; and even the criss-cross of telegraph wires she thought looking at the window as she walked. What had she to oppose such massive masculine achievement? An essay of the character of Dean Swift! And as she came up to the group, which Bob Brinsley dominated, (with his heel on the fender, and his head back), with his great honest forehead, and his self-assurance, and his delicacy, and honour and robust physical well being, and sunburn, and airiness and direct descent from Shakespeare, what could she do but lay her essay, oh and the whole of her being, on the floor as a cloak for him to trample on, as a rose for him to rifle.”

My question for this passage is why was this group, with Bob Brinsley in particular, able to get under her skin and shake the core of her foundations so easily?

My answer being, though I’m not so sure of it, that she thought of all the “achievements of men” listed above as if they had been great tasks completed by singular individuals, rather than what they are; task completed by groups of people, by communities, not just the male portion of them either. The old saying “behind every great man is a woman supporting him” proves itself to be quite accurate. Unfortunately, she’s not thinking this. Instead, she is looking at Mr. Brinsley, who does indeed have the attributes she listed to his name, as if he’s done all these great things himself, which he has not. The time period and general situation in society also plays a role, as women were very downtrodden and underappreciated back then.