Alexander McCall Smith, in his new book The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, throws down the gauntlet to Sigmund Freud:
In the background, she could hear the sound of Puso slamming the door of the bathroom.
'He cannot shut doors quietly,' said Motholeli, putting her hands to her ears.
'He is a boy,' said Mma Ramotswe. 'That is how boys behave.'
'Then I am glad that I am not a boy,' said Motholeli.
Mma Ramotswe smiled. 'Men and boys think that we would like to be them,' she said. 'I don't think they know how pleased we are to be women.'
9 comments:
I have just discovered the joys of Mma Ramotswe, and I'm totally in love.
I think Freud was jealous.
Mma Ramotswe is a wonderful character. Reading about her is just so relaxing but so entrancing at the same time.
Penis envy I can sort of imagine. But the scrotal sac? Please. There's a good history of cosmetic surgery called "Venus Envy".
" 'Men and boys thinkthat we would like to be them' "
Seems to be an example of a not uncommon female shortcoming: a lack of knowledge of and a lack of sympathy for male mental processes, not just those of Freud.
This reminded me of when I was growing up and my brother regularly enlisted his mates to humiliate me. When I was going through a short-hair-and-overalls phase, they all 'taunted': "You look like a BOY!"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Whadoooyooreckon?"
"Well, you ALL look like boys."
Dany, I don't think either I or Alexander McCall Smith meant it anything but fairly lightheartedly. Besides, If I can't trust someone called Alexander to put me straight on male mental processes, then where am I to turn?
I have spent every decade of my adult life trying to get men to explain male mental processes to me, not least because it is hard to feel sympathy for something one has not been allowed to understand no matter how much one has pleaded to have it explained. Thus far none of them has been able to. Typical exchange:
HIM: You always assume you know what I'm thinking.
ME: Well, if you'd TELL me what you're thinking once in a while, I wouldn't have to make it up, would I!
'ullo P.C. Dead as a dodo in Larvae Land, thought I'd pop over for a purr. Poor old Siggy copping a serve I see. Chez moi, it's the dominant lioness( who will not be trifled with) and her similarly gendered cubs who do the door slamming, toast burning, and synchonised affection strikes when matters of procedural domesticity need emphasizing.
Horse for courses; cat's for cradles. It's a particularly diverse jungle out there.
Welcome, enemy combatant! Three words I never thought I'd say together, much less in that order. Agreed re LP; I assume they are all out on the grog (or the pull). I am at home working, myself.
I regard Siggy as a very great and influential man -- an opinion for which I have been known to pay dearly in the blogosphere -- but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy seeing some other man (especially Alexander McCall Smith) take it up to him from time to time.
Good for Mr. McCall Smith. But I still can't close a door quietly unless I'm really concentrating. Perhaps I am a boy after all.
Post a Comment