Three+Primary+Sources+on+Germaine+Greer



This primary source reveals Germaine Greer's personal views on vanity and superficiality. It is in line with her works, especially the Female Eunuch, in that it questions the ways female beauty is portrayed through media - she is well-dressed, but with a sly look in her eye. Her quote, "If I'm going to change my personality for a picture, I'd like to look like the Vicomtesse [Jacqueline] de Ribes," shows not only her views on the superficial, distorted nature of magazine photos, but also her dry sense of humour. It can reveal to historians her way of using her personal opinions and experiences to encompass a wider political view, something that remains a part of her work's legacy.

//"Hopefully, this book is subversive. Hopefully, it will draw fire from all the articulate sections of the community. The conventional moralist will find much that is reprehensible in the denial of the Holy Family, in the denigration of sacred motherhood, and the inference that women are not by nature monogamous. The political conservatives ought to object that by advocating the destruction of the patterns of consumption carried out by the chief spenders, the housewives, the book invites depression and hardship. This is tantamount to admitting that the oppression of women is necessary to the maintenance of the economy, and simply ratifies the point. If the present economic structure can change only by collapsing, then it had better collapse as soon as possible. The nation that acknowledges that all labourers are worthy of their hire and then withholds payment from 19,500,000 workers cannot continue. Freudians will object that by setting aside the conventional account of the female psyche, and relying upon a concept of woman which cannot be found to exist, the book is mere metaphysics, forgetting the metaphysical basis of their own doctrine. The reformers will lament that the image of womanhood is cheapened by the advocacy of delinquency, so that women are being drawn further and further away from the real centres of power. In the computer kingdom the centres of political power have become centres of impotence, but even so, nothing in the book precludes the use of the political machine, although reliance on it may be contra-indicated. The most telling criticisms will come from my sisters of the left, the Maoists, the Trots, the I.S., the S.D.S., because of my fantasy that it might be possible to leap the steps of revolution and arrive somehow at liberty and communism without strategy or revolutionary discipline." //

 An extract from Greer's 1970 summary of //The Female Eunuch,// detailing her feelings about the book.

This source directly shows Germaine Greer's attitudes towards different opinions of femininity and change . It supports her legacy of being 'controversial', bringing a wide range of views from all groups in society - it shows that she //wanted // people to critique her work, so long as it started discussions. It also reveals her nontraditional views of the female nature and sexuality, through lines such as 'the inference that women are not by nature monogamous'. The tone of the piece would show historians Greer's desires in her career: to be different, and make important changes to feminism.

This source would reveal to historians Germaine Greer's status as an academic and intellectual, due to the papers strewn all over her desk in front. It reveals an aspect of her home life, writing, and the way she conducted herself personally. It supports the perception of her hardworking, learned character, which remains a part of her legacy. The picture adds a personal aspect to her mainly public profile, but still supports her academic persona.

Different Perspectives: Discussion

 Although the three sources combined create a similar intellectual persona, each has a different shade. The first source creates the impression of Greer having a wry, humorous personality, with a subtle take on issues such as magazine distortion. In comparison, the second sources is much more 'serious', with Greer's intentions of subverting sexism portrayed in a clear, academic manner. While the first two sources show Greer's public intentions and persona, the third source shows the actual work put into her writings on a daily basis. This shows a more independent side to her character: one that doesn't rely on media or opinions other than her own.