Feminism in James Crumley's Whores

All societies universally make distinctions between men and women, while differing in their cultural conceptions of them. In a patriarchal society, for example, the way men experience reality defines their patriarchal culture and reinforces their culture's view (devalued) of women. James Crumley's story, Whores, shows how two South Texas men (influenced by the borderland) treat and devalue women. In this paper, I will use a feministic approach to analyze the story's title, its symbolism, and its connection to the ideologies that reinforce the devaluation of women as the nonsignificant Other. Furthermore, Crumley's vision of whores and wives will be compared with Gilbert & Gubar's angel verses madwoman in a mythical paradox.

In Whores, the title reinforces the myth that women are marked by their oppressors (men). The whore's image (fantasy) represents sexual desire, domination, and oppression of women by men. "A wry smile, a boy's grin" (Crumley 363) appears on Lacy's face, as he associates his sexual desire with the whore Elena and the word Mexico. According to Jacques Derrida, word play is important, as it opens all claims for stability in identity or truth (Richter 878). For instance, Lacy's comrade acknowledges the truth about whores. He claims that "Whores help me avoid the complexities of love, for which I am justly grateful" (Crumley 364). Thus, we see that the title represents something other than itself.

Unlike Jacques Derrida, other French Feminists turn to Lacan's philosophies (Imaginary, Symbolic, and Real), in their analyze of the oppression of women. In the Imaginary Order stage, for example, the human psyche's perception of the world concerns itself with nurturing, self-image, wishes, and desires. In view of this, the story's title signifies Lacy's unfilled desires with Elena (whore) and his fake relationship with Marsha. The narrator notes that "A life of indolence is really a search, ...a quest for that perfect place to place one's head, to sleep, to dream..." (Crumley 365).

In the Symbolic Order stage, a male is emotionally castrated, as he accepts the loss of his wholeness and the power of his father. "...We learn that our father comes to represent cultural norms and laws" (Bressler 130). Indeed, Lacy's unable to sexually perform with Elena seems to have castrated his masculinity. So much so that "His untoward passion had begun also to disturb the tranquility" (Crumley 368) of his companion. His friend enlightens the reader by telling how honest whores handle such impotency problems. "Those who took simple pride in their work, those honest tradeswomen of the flesh, usually gave the customer his best chance, along with motherly comfort and no advice except to relax" (Crumley 366). In essence, the title represents (fantasy or the unattainable) the sexual desires of men, their wishes to oppress women (whores), and their domination of women. It is worth remembering that the imaginary and symbolic can not exist in the Real Order. This stage represents the natural order of the universe, God, and man's acceptance of his downfall as part of the material and physical world. According to Lacan, literature has the power to conjure up a "moment of joy or terror or desire that somehow arises from deep within our unconscious psyche" (Bressler 131). In doing so, the author reminds Lacy of a time when he was whole. "Hesitating, unable to meet my eyes, he shook himself as if with anger, a flush troubling his pale face" (Crumley 366). As Lacy contends with his masculinity, he behaves strangely around his friend.

Certainly, the author is questioning the image of whores. "They seemed shy, unprotected out of their whore dresses, like virgins caught naked" (Crumley 364). According to Virginia Woolf, nakedness lies underneath the clothes and costumes give the illusion of power (Hermann 141). In Whores, the narrator distinguishes between the costume and the child underneath. "She was after all only a child, in spite of that woman's body, so she just started talking aimlessly, in her child's voice, winding her black hair with her fingers" (Crumley 367). In this way, Crumley suggests that clothes act as costumes, in which gender roles and sexual identity are learned. Elena's whore dress and behavior remain artificial, as she plays the role of the whore.

Furthermore, Crumley supports Judith Butler's theory that gender roles are learned through imitation and performance. He elaborately describes the "norm" of the borderland whores of Nuevo Laredo. "Most whores in Nuevo Laredo are carefully cloistered in a section of the city called, appropriately, Boys Town, a shabby place with raucous bars spaced among the sidewalk cribs, but the better-class whores worked in the clubs were frequented, outside Boys Town" (Crumley 364). Like the other whores, Elena dresses provocatively, charges by the hour, and requires payment for her sexual performances. When Lacy pays for more time, she accommodates him and responds "why not" (Crumley 367).

In "Whores," James Crumley also skillfully explores the image of whore, in paradox. Crumley's vision of whores and wives compares with Gilbert & Gubar's angel verses madwoman paradox. Initially, Crumley binds the dual nature of the woman, as he imagines the figures in paradox. Lacy's friend reveals "I always answered, as if wives were the antithesis of whores, 'You've no need. You've a lovely wife a home'" (Crumley 364). He imagines the figure as a paradox, "a real woman hidden behind the patriarchal textual facade" (Moi 1545). Whores, then, are unilateral figures, representation of those values considered important to a patriarchal Hispanic society.

Gilbert and Gubar also examine the patriarchal facade of women. They "Assert that either of these images-the angel or the madwoman-are unrealistic representations of woman in society" (Bressler 151). For example, Crumley illuminates the stereotypical view of patriarchal men by depicting Marsha as a sexually fallen monster. "He looked at this mad child, now his wife, seeing her now, dumb, painted, pliant" (Crumley 371). Gilbert and Gubar argue that women are stereotyped as monsters (by males), if they do not embrace their roles as wives and mothers in a patriarchal society. The author again exposes Lacy's thoughts concerning his mad wife in the story. "... A final act of passion before we went home to his mad wife, but the world is neither ideal nor orderly..." (Crumley 369). "...The message is clear to all women: If you are not an angel, then you are a monster" (Bressler 151).

Again, the narrator magnifies the patriarchal façade of women by intentionally focusing on Marsha's face behind layers of makeup. Lacy recalls that "In all the years we were married I saw her without make-up just twice" (Crumley 372). The audience becomes aware of the falsehoods in his marriage. Lacy recalls how he mistakenly mistook his wife for a shy woman of repose. In light of this, he embraces the honesty of his relationship with Elena. In support of this assumption, Crumley shows Lacy happy, affectionate (hugging), and thankful in Boys Town. Although Marsha's nature beauty remains a mystery to Lacy, his teaching colleague marvels at Marsha's natural beauty at the end of the story. " Even in her gray hospital robe, without a trace of makeup left on her face, she is still lovely, so lovely I know why men speak of the face of an angel" (Crumley 376). Consequently, the real woman remains hidden from Lacy behind the patriarchal façade.

Crumley's vision of women and Gilbert & Gubar's angel verses madwoman paradox both address the patriarchal facade of women, in literature. I believe that the virgin/whore dichotomy is confusing and very unrealistic. I certainly believe that Crumley stereotypically depicts the image of the unattainable.

Indeed, it would seem that Crumley's story, Whores, illuminates Western societies' stereotypical myths and attitudes toward women. In order to bring these stereotypical myths to light, we must consider Simone De Beauvoir and the nonsignificant Other. Simone De Beauvoir's explores the question, "What is woman?" (Baird 243). It's title, "The Second Sex," represents the idea that the female identity remains dependent and relevant to man" (Baird 243). For instance, Lacy's companion shares his patriarchal thoughts and attitudes towards women at the end of the story. "I'll marry my chubby Shakespearean or somebody so much like her that the slight differences won't matter. I'll still go bordertown whoring, and it will never occur to her to complain. And we'll avoid children like the plague" (Crumley 376). As his significant Other, the female is thought to exist as man's inferior slave.

Essentially, Crumley's characters hope that the inferiority of women will continue to serve their masculine needs. Unlike women, men have never questioned their place in the scheme of things, as women do. "He is the Subject, he is the Absolute-she is the Other" (Baird 244). In support of such a notion, Aristotle regards the female as a defect of nature. He states, "We should regard the female nature as afflicted with a natural defectiveness" (Baird 244). Like Aristotle, Lacy also notes deformity in Marsha and her family. To him, Marsha's family members have long straight noses, very wide eyes, and "each face-black, white, or whitetrash" (Crumley 371). Like Aristotle, Lacy regards his wife as naturally defective.

On the other hand, De Beauvoir speculates that master and slave are united in their reciprocal needs. In fact, they may even possibly enjoy being seen as man's Other. For instance, Elena continues to service Lacy for money and companionship. Likewise, Lacy continues to pay Elena for her services and companionship. In truth, what men think define and power the Western view (devalues) of women.

In conclusion, the way men experience reality determines the way they view women (devalued) in a patriarchal culture. Simone De Beauvoir's essay "The Second Sex" shows how the female identity remains dependent and relevant to man (Baird 243). Gilbert & Gubar's also discuss the patriarchal paradox between the virgin (mad wife) and the whore. In the story, Crumley illustrates these assumptions and supplies the reader with plenty of food for thought. Certainly, he notes how borderland ideology influences the way men think in those particular cultures. My understanding of the two sexes starts with the notion of free will. An individual has the freedom of choice to be treated as an equal or as an inferior. I'm sure that is easier said than done. I certainly agree with Simone De Beauvoir's observation that women are not organized individuals, but entities of their male counterparts.

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