04/07/2016

LRBAlisonLightHarnessedtoaShark:WhowasVirginiaWoolfafraidof?

LRBAlisonLightHarnessedtoaShark:WhowasVirginiaWoolfafraidof?
HarnessedtoaShark
AlisonLight
ThreeGuineasbyVirginiaWoolf,editedbyNaomiBlack
Blackwell,253pp,60.00,October2001,ISBN0631177248
Inthe1960sweusedtosingamusichallsonginthepubwhoserousingrefrainbegan,TwolovelyblackeyesOh,whatasurprise!andwenton:
Onlyfortellinamanhewaswrongtwolovelyblackeyes!Ittookmeawhiletorealisethatthesingerwasawomanwhodbeenbeatenupbyher
blokebecausethesongmademelaughsomuch,especiallywhenweallwhoopedinchorusontheOh,raisingoureyebrowsmelodramatically.
Storiesofmengiventohittingtheirwomenwerentunheardofinmyfamily,butIassociatedthemwithmygrandparentsgeneration,likechenille
tableclothsormanglesorthemusichallitself.Intheolddaysthereweremenwholikedtheirdrinkabittoomuchandtookitoutonthewife.Wife
beating,intheoryatleast,belongedtothedarkages.Hittingchildren,however,wascommonplaceamotherslappingatoddlerroundthelegswasa
familiarsightinpublic,thoughhittingoneacrossthefacewasnt.Corporalpunishmentatschoolwasroutine(inPenhaleRoadInfantswewere
rappedacrosstheknuckleswitharuler)andinthecourseofhisgrowingupmybrothergotthrashedwithabelt,canedandslippered.Therewere
limits,evenso.Whenasportsmasteratthegrammarhithimsohardwithahockeystickthathisbackbrokeoutinraw,crescentshapedwelts,my
motherwentinafurytotheheadmaster.Shegotanapologybuttheteacherkepthisjob.
Igrewupwithacolourfullanguageofaggression,muchofitcenturiesold,likethethreatsofawhoppingorawalloping,agoodhidingoratanning
(or,lessfrequently,aleathering,whichalsoharkedbacktothetreatmentofanimalskins).Mostlyitsuspendedviolenceoverourheadslikethe
swordofDamocles.Everybodymenacedchildrenallthetime:parents,neighbours,shopkeepers,busconductors,younameit.Illwringyourneck!,
Illknockyoutokingdomcome!(or,oneofmyfavouritevariations,intonextweek!)andIllmurderyou!wereheardsofrequentlyastosuggesta
societyofpsychopaths.Takenmoreseriouslywerethequieterformsofintimidation,aswhenyourmotherasked,wouldyouliketoseethebackof
myhand?orofferedtogiveyousomethingtocryabout(or,moreominously,somethingtoremember).Waittillyourfathergetshomewasthe
ultimatedeterrent.Anafternoonspentinanticipationcouldfeellikealifetime.
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LRBAlisonLightHarnessedtoaShark:WhowasVirginiaWoolfafraidof?

Iwasrarelysmackedand,ofcourse,Iknewthedifferencebetweenathreatandablow.Asmack,whenitcame,wasmeanttorelievetensionandto
drawaline.Butangerdoesnotalwaysgothroughallitsstageslikeakettlecomingslowlytotheboil.Inmychildhoodafoultemperwastreatedwith
respect,asifitwereaforceofnature,likeahurricaneorvolcano,andmorefoolyouifyouputyourselfinitspath(youknowwhathistemperslike).
Adultswerealwaysseeingredorblowingtheirtopstheylashedoutorgotcarriedaway.Menwhoweretoofondoftheirhandsthiswasusually
meantasanapologyafterthefactdidntknowtheirownstrength.Ithurttobesmacked(anditwasnever,notonce,fair),butIdreadedpeople
gettingangry:theshouting,theredfaces,theraisedfists,thefactthatanythingmighthappenintheheatofthemoment.Inthebullyingculturetypical
ofmanyEnglishchildhoods,youaremeanttostandupforyourselfandtofightback.Beingpunishedandbeingbravealsoentitlesyoutoacertain
amountofesteem.Beingafraid,ontheotherhand,hasnothinggoingforit.
IbegininthiswaybecauseVirginiaWoolfcallsThreeGuineas,herantiwarbook,anenquiryintothenatureoffear.ThreeGuineasfindsakinship
amongfearsvictims,amovewhichmanyreadersthoughtwrongheadedordownrightfoolishwhenthebookwaspublishedin1938,andwhichisstill
hardtotake.Woolfarguesthatuntilrecentlywomenofherclassthedaughtersofeducatedmenhadbeenutterlydependent:theyhadnoclaim
tonationality,norightofcitizenshiptheycouldnotownpropertytheywerenotabletotravelormixwithoutachaperonetheywereexcludedfrom
educationandtheycouldnotearntheirownlivingnorcouldtheydivorcetheirhusbandorlimitthenumberofchildrentheyhad.Theirsmayhave
beenagildedcage,buttheywereneverthelessimprisonedandsilencedbyfearthefearthatforbidsfreedomintheprivatehouse.Theywere
afraidofthemaleaggressionthatsurfacedintheangryoppositionwithwhichthemajorityofmenmeteverystageofthestruggleforequality.Woolf
suggeststhatthisfear,thoughitmightseemsmallandinsignificant,isconnectedtothefearatlargeinHitlerandMussolinisEurope.Sheidentifies
theexperienceofthosebeingpersecutedunderFascismwiththatofhermothersgeneration:Youarefeelinginyourownpersonswhatyour
mothersfeltwhentheywereshutout,whentheywereshutup,becausetheywerewomen.Nowyouarebeingshutout,youarebeingshutup,
becauseyouareJews,becauseyouaredemocrats,becauseofrace,becauseofreligion.ForWoolffearisthecontrollingforce,andisasdestructive
andasviolating,tothosewholiveinitsgrip,asphysicalaggression.
ThefulltextofthisbookreviewisonlyavailabletosubscribersoftheLondonReviewofBooks.

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TheimpliedsingerofTwoLovelyBlackEyesisnot,asAlisonLightthinks(LRB,21March),awomanbeatenupbyherbloke,butayoungman
assaultedinverseoneforpraisingtheConservativesandinversetwoforpressingthemeritsofGladstone.Thelogicofthechorushasbotheyes
blackedeachtime,anditisnosurprisethatversethreefindstheyoungmanrecommendingnonengagement,oratleastdiscretion.Onthissongand
TheManWhoBroketheBankatMonteCarlo,CharlesCoburnbuiltaperformingcareerofmorethanseventyyears.Sincehisdeathin1945the
chorusseemstohavedevelopedalifeindependentofthesong,freetocarryaquitedifferentanxiety.
GrahamKemp
UniversityofLiverpool

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