Intercourse, by: Andrea Dworkin - Feminish

y sex in that she is not carnal, not greedy for sex or sensuallysubmissive. Her integrity is intact. She has self-respect andcompassion. She has learned typing and shorthand to participatein her husband’s work; she memorizes the train schedulesto help him, to expedite his way. She is active, always anticipatinghis needs but without servility; she regards herself as onewho works with him; she wants to participate in a life of themind and a life of work, not leisure. She has the status of a virginbecause of her relative equality with her husband in marriage:she is not possessed, tamed, debased, brought down bysex; she is untouched. She proves, according to Van Helsing,an old-fashioned moralist, "'that there are good women still leftto make life happy—good women, whose lives and whosetruths may make good lesson for the children that are to be. ’” 110Van Helsing acknowledges "'her great brain which is trainedlike a man’s brain. . . ” ’111 Yet, as the men try to find Dracula,they exclude Mina from their efforts. Hearing the story ofLucy’s apparent death and real death, it is Mina who connectsthat train of events with Jonathan’s experiences at Dracula’scastle. Having provided this crucial information, she is thenleft out of all further discussions. She is socially defined as femaleby being segregated out of the search. This social definitionof her as female isolates her from dialogue and knowledge;and it also makes her more physically vulnerable because she isphysically alone. It genderizes her as marriage itself did not:T hey all agreed that it was best that I should not be drawn furtherinto this awful work, and I acquiesced. But to think that hekeeps anything from me! And now I am crying like a silly fool,when I know it comes from my husband’s great love and fromthe good, good wishes o f those other strong men. 112