Starting tonight, I have begun re-reading a favorite book of mine, Fear of Flying by Erica Jong. Published in 1973, the book was a staple in Sexual Revolution literature. The novel is passionate, uninhibited, and truely amazing. But to the point, a passage I just read really grabbed me. Miss Jong and I seem to have a similar thought process, set of ideas, and set of values. She writes:
"Nobody bothered to tell you what marriage was really about. You weren't even provided, like European girls, with a philosophy of cynicism and practicality. You expected not to desire any other men after marriage. And you expected your husband not to desire any women. Then the desires came and you were thrown into a panic of self-hatred. What an evil woman you were! (Jong 10)"
Not too long ago, in my Theory of Knowledge class, we were discussing happiness througout the world, and America was said to be "most happy". I brought up the idea that Americans are sort of expected to be happy, to live a perfect life. I kind of feel like everyone, well not everyone, many people in America are far too idealistic, not seeing the truth. This passage made me think of that...
If you're not afraid of a few four letter words, and some graphic writing about sex, you should really pick Fear of Flying up. It's not just about sex, though sex is a significant part of the novel because it has the ability to define our relationships with other people. Back to reading...
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