Intercourse, by: Andrea Dworkin - Feminish

In her intercourse with man, it is impossible but that womanshould feel her own inferiority, and it is right that it should beso. . . she does not meet him on equal terms. Her part is tomake sacrifices in order that his enjoyment may be enhanced.She does this with a w illing spirit but she does it so oftenwithout grateful acknowledgm ent. Nor is man to be blamedfor this. 29Being grateful is the celebration of one’s own inferiority; asMrs. Ellis suggests, it is uncommon.The metaphysical ground rules for male and female were setin Genesis, in the beginning. The implications have been comprehendeddeeply and honed into laws and practices. The implicationsgo far beyond the letter of the law, especially beyondthe specific small laws that regulate the when and how of intercourse.The implications honor the basic law, men’s ownershipof women through intercourse. As Maimonides explained:Since a man’s wife is permitted to him, he may act with her inany manner whatsoever. He may have intercourse with herwhenever he so desires, and kiss any organ o f her body hewishes, and he may have intercourse with her naturally or unnaturally,provided that he does not expend semen to no purpose. 30All the tangle of rules that govern when a woman is accessibleto her husband and in what ways— all the rules that make heroff-limits some times of the month or prescribe sexual intercoursein the vagina or proscribe sexual intercourse in themouth or in the rectum—all the rules are suspended when theman wants them to be because of his authority over his wife;except that his semen, the totem of his power as a man, must be