Analysis #6 Gender Studies/ Feminist Theory

    In her Feminafesto, Anne Waldman asks the question “is language phallogocentric?”  She refers to practice of misogyny in the literary practice, but the phallogocentric nature of words exists in the real world as well as the literary world.  In particular, the army uses many of these types of words and although these practices were more predominant when women weren’t involved in the military, but they still exist.  Phalluses become a symbol of power, while the feminine is used to subvert that power in other terms.
    The phallic and destructive components of war are coded male according to writer Joshua Goldstein in his book War and Gender.  Bombs, missiles, guns all represent the male and are therefore coded male.  Hence the phrase “this is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for fighting, this is for fun.”  The male’s private are turned into a symbol of power and their gun is turned into a phallus.
    Inversely, carriers of these phalluses are coded in terms of the female.  Other coded images are targets, thing male coded objects are intended to destroy and conquer.   Just as Waldman states, there is misogyny and women in war are coded to be mothers, and carries of phallus carriers; whores as receivers of the phallus; and sex objects to be dominated and destroyed by these phallic symbols. 
    This phallogocentric language not only serves as a commentary on gender perception, but also reinforces it.  It supports and reiterates the notion that the feminine/female is something to be dominated by the masculine/male.  Waldman hopes that one day “the page not be empty female awaiting penetration by dark phallic ink-juice.”  It seems, too, she should start hoping that that the enemy is not something to be dominated and destroyed by phallic weaponry.

Works Cited

Goldstein, Joshua. War and Gender. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print.

Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kU0XCVey_U