Women's Sexuality in Literature

A recurrent theme throughout literature has been the repression of female sexuality. At many, if not most, times throughout history women's sexual desires have been stifled by patriarchal societies.

However, the culmination of this repression can be seen in 19^th century women's literature and its themes. One of these themes was the awakening of female sexuality, which can be seen in stories such as Kate Chopin's "The Storm" and Zora Neil Hurston's "Sweat".

In today's society we still see remnants of repression of female sexuality in the fact that it is more acceptable for men to be sexually promiscuous than women. This modern day double standard may have rather practical roots in biology.

It is simply biology that provides for the fact that men can continue their blood line through multiple women at once while women can only carry one man's child at a time. Therefore, in order to have many offspring, it was acceptable for men to have sex with many women.

However, as time went on and society evolved, this was no longer a valid excuse because of the institution of marriage and its vows. So male sexual promiscuity became another feature of patriarchy where men exercised control over female sexuality by taking sex when they wanted it.

Society then explained this reprehensible behavior by saying that it was a woman's duty and if she did not like sex, she wouldn't mind either way when or with whom she had sex. This notion still continues today within out double standard for sexual promiscuity which is challenged when women enjoy sex and have multiple partners for their own pleasure, not a man's.