Violence Against Women

I am reading the book Fahrenheit 451, a classic which I never read in high school. I am about a third of the way through the short book. What surprises me the most is not the portrayal of a dystopian future, the prediction of the dumbing-down of society, or the forecast of the decline of social interactions with the rise of technology - but the cavalier manner in which the book portrays violence against women.

I have so far counted three instances where women have been hit, slapped, or punched in Fahrenheit 451. In all cases, this violence is portrayed in a very casual fashion. For example, the wife of the protagonist is described as a "hysterical," and the sympathetic main character casually slaps her.

This book was published in 1953, often evoked in nostalgic moments as a better time. I am not convinced 1953 was a better time for women. Or for minorities. Or for anyone who was powerless.

Nor is Fahrenheit 451 the only book that portrays violence against women in such a dismissive manner. I read The Bourne Identity, published in 1980, after seeing the movie. The violence against the later-love interest is shocking - the narrator kidnaps a woman in a long, drawn out, abusive series of events, where he repeatedly hits her and threatens her life. My husband reminded me tonight that in the classic comedy Airplane, there is a long sentence where passengers repeatedly hit and assault a "hysterical" woman. A Beatles song chirps, "I used to be cruel to my woman, I'd beat her, and kept her away from the things that she loved...."

Sometimes it feels like society is moving in one giant step backwards. Sometimes 2018 feels depressing. But in examining the underbellies of the past, it gives me hope for the future. Because violence against woman (or anyone) is no longer acceptable. Even for "hysterical" women. And that feels like we have made a giant collective step forward.