Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Feminism has come full circle

This article from Salon is really interesting to me for a couple of reasons. The article addresses the strained relationship of Alice Walker and her daughter Rebecca Walker. It approaches their relationship from a distinctly feminist view point. Basically, the author bemoans how feminist ideology has become another of many possible impediments to mother-daughter relationships.

The interesting thing to me is that the portrait of Alice Walker very much reminded me of my own overly ambitious, distant, uninterested father. I could not help, but think that feminism has largely come full circle. The last step is recognizing that highly talented, passionate and driven people are often cruel, self-centered and egotistical. This is true whether you are a man or woman. While I am sure Alice Walker was also driven by her ideology, I think it is more than likely that, (gasp) all woman are not nurturing, they don't all love children and they can have the same lofty-overwrought ambitions as men. Alice Walker is probably not much different than James Joyce, Pablo Picasso or Miles Davis; all supremely ambitious and fabulously talented and full of contradictions that cared less for domesticity than for making a mark of world. Unfortunately, people rarely make a lasting mark on the world and have a warm and loving home life.

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