Sexual Politics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sexual Politics is a classic feminist text written by Kate Millett. Based on her dissertation, it was published in 1970. Millet argues that "sex has a frequently neglected political aspect" and goes on to discuss the role that patriarchy plays in sexual relations, looking especially at the works of D. H. Lawrence, Henry Miller, and Norman Mailer. Millet argues that these authors view and discuss sex in a patriarchal and sexist way. In contrast, she applauds the more nuanced gender politics of homosexual writer Jean Genet. Other writers discussed at length include Sigmund Freud, George Meredith, John Ruskin, and John Stuart Mill.

"[T]here is no remedy to sexual politics in marriage."

– (147)

Sexual Politics was an important theoretical touchstone for the second wave feminism of the '70s. It was also extremely controversial. Norman Mailer, whose work, especially his 1965 novel An American Dream, had been criticised by Millett, wrote the article "The Prisoner of Sex" in response, attacking Millett's claims and defending Miller and Lawrence. More recently, Camille Paglia accused Sexual Politics of spawning what she sees as the excesses of women's studies departments, especially for attacks on the sexism of male authors of the Western canon.