When Women Love Men

When Women Love Men by Rossario Ferré  
"When Women Love Men" provides both an intriguing and shocking perspective on women. The line  "Have always known that a prostitute hides under the skin of every lady"(258), surprised me and caused me to read it twice. I can't get behind this inherent sexualization of women and the idea that they all "get around" or are all sexual deviants. When interpreting the idea that women are prostitutes deep down it could also point to the thought that women all have sexual desires deep down. Which I would agree with only to the point that all women are interested in sex at the right time in their life or at least in their mind, the same way all men are interested in sex and have desires even if they are sworn to celibacy. I feel like this line is partially rebutted with the later line "Because we have always known each prostitute is a potential lady."(258), this goes back to the idea that oftentimes women in the sex industry do it because they are forced to not because they want to. I like the term "prostituted" for women that work as prostitutes that do their job out of necessity. A lot of prostitutes are not sex addicts or purely lust-driven individuals, and all of them have a story, a reason for why they do what they do. Prostitutes are very much people the same way anyone else is, they are just part of a frowned upon industry by religious groups. I don't think it is fair to shun them and I like how this line alludes to that. I posit what these lines are really trying to point to is not prostitution the industry, but prostitution in terms of infidelity and women acting out of lust. The story is trying to get to the idea that sexual temptation is everywhere, and that women are flirty by nature and all women flirt to get a rise out of people. I agree that sexual temptation is everywhere but I don't agree that all women participate in infidelity or have the desire to move from man to man. Some women do enjoy this lifestyle and it is their prerogative to do so, but I by no means think all women want or do this. So I can't agree with the idea that all women are prostitutes deep down in a flirty and unfaithful or lusty manner. "I then decided to win you in other ways, through means of that ancient wisdom"(266), this line shows that while sex can have dominion over some, it is not what actually controls the actions of most people, it is the actual love and affection that is the key to man's heart. Of course Ambrosio gives into lust and loses sight of this but the narrator understands that at the end of the day sex isn't most people's god.
    I find the perspective of the narrator fascinating as she is a women speaking on the lusts and desires of women also written by a female author. Even though I don't agree with the ideology of this story that is to be expected since it is written from the perspective of someone in the sex industry. I feel like the integrity of this story largely hinges on it being written by a female author. This story wouldn't carry the same validity written by a man because the objectified view of women by men has been beaten across Caribbean literature and literature in general that it would tell us nothing new. This story is interesting because we get to look at how Caribbean women view women, and they happen to see them in this instance in an objectified manner. I think it's truly interesting to read a women's view on sexuality after men have spoken for them in much of the literature we explore.

Comments

  1. Tommy TimeNovember 22, 2020 at 6:40 PM

    Collin you perspective on “when women love men” was pretty interesting describing it as “intriguing and shocking perspective on women.” Which is precisely what it is. The line you quoted from page 258 was also very surprising to me as well, it is saddening to hear and read about the sexualization of women and that idea of them just getting around which is just disappointing to me. You raised so many excellent points throughout this whole post, great job!

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