Introduction
In her essay “Men Explain Things to Me”, Rebecca Solnit tackles the themes of power, gender, and feminism in the society. She addresses the issue of feminism by exploring the various issues affecting women in the society. She explores gender rights within the contemporary society and how men assume that women know “very little about anything” (Solnit 2).
Throughout the book, themes of the relationship between male and female genders are explored in depth. An analysis of the text reveals that Solnit has nothing against men. However, it appears that she has a deep understanding of the various problems arising from the nature of men.
“Men Explain Things to Me” is one of the essays written by Solnit in a book by the same title. All the texts in this anthology focus on the disparities between men and women, especially with regards to the generally accepted misconception that women know little. The female members of the society are rarely allowed to express themselves. In addition, they are expected to listen to men, who assume that they know very little or nothing at all about anything.
In this paper, the author analyzes the theme of feminism in the essay by Solnit. The arguments made in the analysis are supported by resources addressing this topic.
“Men Explain Things to Me”: A Synopsis
The essay begins with a narrative of how Solnit and one of her friends visited the home of one “imposing man who had made a lot of money” (Solnit 1). From the onset, it is clear that Solnit has a problem with men and how they treat women. Her agenda in this article touches on the nature of men in contemporary society.
She goes on to describe how the man she was visiting with her friend reacts after realizing that she is an author. The man describes her work as “[encouraging] your friend’s seven-year-old to describe flute practice” (Solnit 2). It is an indication of how men have a low opinion of the achievements made by women in the society.
Solnit tells the man about her recent work in Eadweard Muybridge. However, he does not even wait for her to finish talking. He is quick to cut her off by enquiring whether or not she had “heard about the very important Muybridge book that came out this year” (Solnit 2). In vain, Solnit and her friend try to impress it upon the man that he was talking about her (Solnit’s) book.
In his mind, he is convinced that the book is the work of a man, not of a woman. Solnit and her friend fail to convince him otherwise. Solnit describes their failure by saying that “[he carries on] with that smug look I know so well in a man holding forth, eyes fixed on the fuzzy far horizon of his own authority” (Solnit 2). She appears to be frustrated by the reaction of the man.
The essay highlights the apparent but unexplored conflict between the male and female genders. Solnit specifically focuses on this conflict in relation to communication between the two parties. Men tend to impose on women by explaining things that they do not even know about.
For instance, the man described by Solnit had never even read the book. He goes ahead and praises it, assuming that it has been written by another man. However, all he had done was read “its review in the New York Review of Books” (Solnit 1). The reality is that the women (Solnit and her friend) are more knowledgeable than the man.
Feminism in “Men Explain Things to Me”
Various scholars define feminism differently. The variation in their definitions varies with the scholars’ academic and professional orientation. However, the general agreement is that feminism entails the fight for women rights. For example, Gentry defines the concept as a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at establishing, defining, and defending the rights of women (235). The issues advocated for by feminists include economic, political, cultural, as well as social rights.
The agents believe that women have been oppressed for a long time. Feminists also seek to establish equal opportunities for women in all sectors of life, especially in the male dominated spheres (Gentry 235). For example, they seek to establish fair treatment of women in the political, academic, and economic fronts. In the recent past, the activities of these lobbyists appear to have succeeded with the formulation of affirmative actions in various fronts in the society. Such sentiments are discernible in Solnit’s essay.
In “Men Explain Things to Me”, the author is very articulate in bringing out the issues of how men assume their power over women based on their gender. According to Kirkus Reviews, one of the reasons for this is that “…so many women recognized an experience they had never been able to vocalize before: having their expertise instantly dismissed because of the lady-shaped package it came in” (54).
In most cases, women are dismissed by men on the basis of gender irrespective of how much they know about a given topic. Lewis identifies with this experience by postulating that reading the essay made her realize that “[she] wasn’t alone in being patronized in this intriguingly gendered way” (54).
According to Ayrelan, Solnit’s feminist essay became a ‘viral sensation’ based on the fact that it reveals a number of issues based on gender biasness that women identify with (61). The essay highlights the stories told through the voices of women and how they have been downgraded by the male gender in show of power. For instance, Solnit tells the story of a female FBI agent whose warnings regarding Al-Qaeda were ignored (7).
If the authorities have paid attention to the issues raised by the officer, maybe 9/11 could not have taken place. In extension, Solnit also talks of women who need male witnesses to corroborate their cases of rape (7). Men dominate women in almost every aspect of the society.
According to Sonksen, “arrogance and privileges of the male gender are [some of the] main issues explored [in] the essay” (6). The experiences of gender biasness are made apparent through the superiority complex displayed by men. According to Sonksen, this can be summed up through “misogyny-motivated mass killings, gang rapes, spousal abuse, and femicide” (4).
Irrespective of their professional and academic orientations, feminists emphasize on the need to liberate women from male dominance in the patriarchal society. To this end, the issue of violence against women is explored in detail by Solnit. Solnit gives an account where a man stabbed a woman after she rejected his sexual advances (27).
According to her, “the man framed the situation as one in which (the) chosen victim had no rights and liberties” (Solnit 27). The man also regarded himself as having “the right to punish and control her” (Solnit 27). In this case, the perpetrator is used by Solnit to highlight the attitude held by men towards women. They (men) believe that women have no rights. The little rights they have are determined by the male figures in their lives.
All the issues identified by Sonksen are similar (4). However, some of them may seem farfetched. All of them focus on strategies used by men to silence and isolate women (Ayrelan 62). Bauer argues that Solnit “makes a crystal clear argument for treating all these disparate issues as one civil rights matter” (7).
According to Sonksen, “just as lynchings were used to silence […] in the Jim Crow South, so does sexual violence and our tolerance for a rape culture work to disappear women- literally and, of course, metaphorically” (7). What this means is that the violence perpetrated against women is meant to suppress them. Feminists are working to avert such hostilities and the resulting alienation of women.
Throughout the essay, Solnit highlights various instances of how men have imposed themselves on women. However, she acknowledges that not all men do this. To this end, Solnit states that “other men got it and were cool. This was, after all, written in an era when male feminists had become a more meaningful presence, and feminism was funnier than ever” (13). What this implies is that although most men tend to silence women, some of them are lobbying against this trend.
Solnit makes it apparent that men’s penchant for explaining things to women and impose on them through their assumptions of power is not limited to any one region of the society. The issue applies to almost every culture in the world. According to Moore, Solnit herself “comes from a place of privilege, where her voice has been heard more loudly than the average woman” (85). It appears that Solnit is writing the article from her personal experience.
In agreement with this, Solnit admits that “I’ve had a lot more confirmation of my right to think and speak than most women, and I’ve learned that a certain amount of self-doubt is a good tool for correcting, understanding, listening, and progressing” (9). In most societies, women are viewed as inferior to men. The ability to express what they feel is determined by the opportunities they are given by men to do so.
In spite of her privileged background, Solnit notes the various misogynistic tendencies that form part of “[a] global or national mentality- although usually passed off as rare anomalies” (Moore 85).
Such issues as sexual violation attest to the superiority complex of men in the modern society. In addition, although the issues are apparent, addressing them is limited by the fact that men dominate most of these social spheres. In most cases, women are either spectators or peripheral participants.
Feminist movements seek to alter the male dominated social misconception that women are unequal to men. The misunderstanding is indirectly perpetuated by men when they try to explain things to women in various circumstances. Gentry argues that “sex, as well as the relations between the natural worlds, are biased towards the male perspective” (239).
In addition, “women’s liberation has often been portrayed as a movement intent on encroaching upon or taking power away from men” (Solnit 36). As such, regardless of the ongoing quest for equal rights, Solnit regards women as victims of ‘illogical resistance’, which is still male oriented.
Solnit’s Stylistic Devices
The approach utilized by Solnit in exploring the problem of feminism is very effective in communicating the intended message. In concurrence, Moore notes that “Solnit was the perfect writer to tackle the (feminist) subject: Her prose style is so clear and confident that surely no one could have caricatured her as a shrieking harpy” (85).
It is apparent that some people may brand Solnit a male antagonist due to her writing. However, her analysis from the perspective of the two genders allays these fears. The reason is that she acknowledges the views of male feminists.
Solnit’s use of analogies and real life instances in the essay gives weight to the theme of feminism, especially from the perspective of gender violence. For instance, exploring how men tend to explain things to women reveals another aspect of how the former dominates the latter. Solnit notes that explaining “keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; [it indicates what] harassment on the street does. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence” (8).
The essay is critical of the status quo in relation to communication between men and women. The interaction between the two genders seems to be the cause of the problems between them hence the uprising of feminism.
Solnit weaves a story using the voices of women and how they have been downgraded and dismissed. She “reveals an extensive culture of men knowingly or otherwise trampling on the rights of women as equal beings” (Kirkus Reviews 213). The fact that the state of affairs between the two genders has existed for years attests to the cultural aspect of the disparity between men and women.
The feminist streak in Solnit approaches the question of gender disparity and the assumption of power and dominance by men in a critical way. According to Bauer, the writing style adopted by Solnit is “equally comic and scathing” (1). The author does not flinch from her depiction of the actual life events shaped by the inequalities between men and women. For instance, she provides examples of female politicians and writers whose anger is labeled as “hysterical” and “shrill” (Solnit 12).
The similarity between some of the problems faced by men and women brings out the ugly side of male dominance. According to Kirkus Reviews, as a feminist author, Solnit “has a sensational writing style” (213). The style helps her texts to create an impression on the readers, arousing their emotions and challenging their viewpoints (Kirkus Reviews 213).
For instance, with regards to the two genders, Solnit notes that “[by assuming that] he knows what he’s talking about and she doesn’t, however minor a part of any given conversation, [man] perpetuates the ugliness of this world and holds back its light” (13). Such phrases excite and challenge the reader to explore the truth of the issues in real life.
According to Kirkus Reviews, “Solnit expounds on the way women are perceived in American culture and around the world” (213). Recent activist groups, such as Women Strike for Peace, have had limited impact on the disparity between the two genders.
Kirkus Reviews also notes that from Solnit’s work, it is apparent that “much of the female population in the world is often powerless, forced to remain voiceless and subjugated to acts of extreme violence in the home, on school campuses, and anywhere men deem they should dominate” (213).
Conclusion
As a feminist and a historian, Solnit understands the problems afflicting communication between the men and women. She is also aware of the vices arising from these interactions. The tendency of men to dominate conversations and explain things to women leads to a form of social domination. Women can enjoy equal opportunities with men if they are given a voice and a chance to express their opinions.
As Solnit reveals in the essay, voiceless women are powerless in the hands of their men. The power held by men increases as they continue to dominate domestic and national affairs. Consequently, it is the duty of men, and not feminists only, to treat women fairly and respect their rights and privileges.
The contemporary society is enlightened and individuals understand that men and women are equal partners in the community. Solnit shows that men have a big role to play in feminism. They can start by listening to their women instead of trying to explain things to them.
Works Cited
Ayrelan, Amelia. “Men Explain Things to Me.” Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response to Pop Culture. 64.1 (2014): 61-62. Academic Search Premier.
Bauer, Jaclyn. Rebecca Solnit’s ‘Men Explain Things To Me’ Is A Riveting Collection Of Feminist Essays. 2014. Web.
Gentry, Caron. “Twisted Maternalism: From Peace to Violence.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 11.2 (2009): 235-232. Print.
Kirkus Reviews. “Men Explain Things to Me.” Kirkus Reviews. 82.8 (2014): 213-213. MasterFILE Premier.
Lewis, Helen. “Mansplainers Anonymous.” New Statesman. 143.1 (2014): 54. Academic Search Premier.
Moore, Katie. “The Silence is Deafening.” Utne Reader: The Best of the Alternative Press. 184.1 (2014): 85. Academic Search Premier.
Solnit, Rebecca. Men Explain Things to Me, Los Angeles, California: Haymarket Books, 2014. Print.
Sonksen, Mike. On Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me. 2014. Web.