Prager’s Theory in Shaw’s The Girls in Their Summer Dresses Story Essay

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Introduction

Throughout the decades of sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, and psychology, many thinkers have asked two questions about the individual’s interior. These are what constitutes the nature of a human being and what their most substantial property is. Prager is one of those who found a relatively correct and sufficient answer to these fundamental questions. According to him, insatiability is a psycho-biological feature that both constitutes a person’s nature and determines its change’s direction (Prager 88). Interestingly, some old and new works of non-scientific literature prove Prager’s given theory. Shaw’s “Girls in Their Summer Dresses” is among those that belong to the first category. Irwin Shaw’s “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses” perfectly illustrates Prager’s theory in “The Opposite Sex” via a small yet depressing quarrel between two near middle-aged spouses.

Male Insatiability

While insatiability is one of the psychical pillars of human nature, it differs in how it functions and drives men and women. Prager states that “male nature is designed to … lust for yet another partner” (88). It applies to all men regardless of their sexual preference and sex life. In Shaw’s short story, the character of Michael is a prime example or a perfect manifestation of this sub-theory of the American thinker. For example, during his confession, he tells Frances that he does notice other women; “I look at women,” he says (Shaw). He even admits that he wants them and is unsure if he will resist when it comes to sleeping with another woman (Shaw). The lust for new women and the desire for more unique sexual experiences are evident in Michael.

Female Insatiability

Female insatiability is different and not associated with bodily and sensual topics. One could even say that what they are driven towards is the opposite of the male meta-desire. According to Prager, women seek “emotional intimacy” with their partners (Prager 89). In Shaw’s story, Frances asks her husband to provide it for her. She demands from her husband, “I want him to talk only to me and listen only to me” (Shaw). Frances has a satisfying sex life, but this is not enough for her because she is a woman. The only thing satisfying her psycho-biological hunger is anticipating upcoming emotions, experiencing and periodically remembering them later. Frances does not need anything new, as she wants an immersion.

Conclusion

Dennis Prager’s theory of the insatiable nature of the two sexes is curious, and I consider it partly true. I believe the thinker is making a mistake when he claims that men and women can desire only one thing in terms of the psychology and biology of relationships. Based on personal experience, a significant proportion of men are sincerely hungry for a solid and vibrant emotional connection, just like many women are looking only for sexual sensations with new partners. I also think that the natural insatiability of the majority of people is two-sided. It feels like an hourglass; when one section is filled, it has to be flipped over, and the mind switches to satisfying the opposite hunger. I understand that people with one psycho-biological direction exist too. For men, it is lust for everything or exploration and a natural hunger for the moment or essence for women. Everything implies here concepts such as unknown lands to discover, new foods to consume, technologies to invent, and enemy territories to conquer.

Works Cited

Prager, Dennis. Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual. William Morrow Paperbacks, 1998.

Shaw, Irwin. “.” 101 Bananas, 1939, Web.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Prager’s Theory in Shaw’s The Girls in Their Summer Dresses Story." April 13, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pragers-theory-in-shaws-the-girls-in-their-summer-dresses-story/.

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IvyPanda. "Prager’s Theory in Shaw’s The Girls in Their Summer Dresses Story." April 13, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pragers-theory-in-shaws-the-girls-in-their-summer-dresses-story/.

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