Reflecting Men at Twice Their Natural Size

Why do women continue to protect, please and boost men's egos without reciprocal behavior on the part of men, thereby perpetuating the primacy of men? Feminists have neglected to seriously address the nature of male ego and how it affects women, according to this discussion of relations between the sexes by Cline, an English journalist and novelist, and Australian novelist Spender. From interviews with women, the authors, who verge on misandry, conclude that the survival of society depends to a large extent on the ability of women to reflect men at ""twice their natural size.'' Women, they further claim, are trained from infancy to be subservient to men for reasons of personal and economic security for themselves and children, and to assure approval and advancement in male-dominated schools and workplaceeven in matters of fashionoften at the expense of their sexual and emotional integrity. Assertive women, they contend, are subject to sanctions, abusive treatment and sexual harassment, while others continue to cater to men out of unconscious fear of such treatment. (October 2)