Interesting! I totally agree with your comparison, Xanthe's stories are on the hardcore Romance end of the spectrum, but Helen's is a bit more realistic--the flip side of Xanthe's coin.
Although it's a bit of a slap in the face to overlay this dynamic on our society and see the sub=women angle, I think (I hope) things are not quite that bad for women anymore.
I think Helen's story is a social commentary on the insider's view of the USMiltary complex. I definitely remember the sexual harrasment issues at VMI not even a decade ago. Tailhook, anyone? I seem to recall AFA problems, but no details.
John's dad, the career counselor's attitude towards John just leaving to find a top are barely stylized examples of the glass ceiling that still exists; I believe there's a rule that disallows women from serving in active combat. I think also that you have to think of time period that the story is describing and make it equivalent to the mid 1950's. Now, the glass ceiling is so much thinner or non existent in the rest of American society, that's it's a little shocking to know that we've only come so far.
I think that John as a sexual sub but not a lifestyle sub is a really effective metaphor for with his interaction with Elizabeth. The question of Elizabeth's intent (outside of being a plot device) is a fascinating one. Is she making a not-so-subtle statement about how the military is subservient to the ends of the expedition? Is she indulging in a personal, misogynistic (wow, what a twisted way to use that word) mindset that subs don't get to have initiative? It's difficult to make any real call here, Elizabeth barely exists, a few lines of dialog and John's colored perception of his treatment.
I've read all three stories, the BDSM in them doesn't bother me, because it's so over the top. I know there's a subsection of society that does indulge, but I don't correlate that with the fiction--as Xanthe says repeatedly--it's fiction.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2006-11-17 01:23 pm (UTC)Although it's a bit of a slap in the face to overlay this dynamic on our society and see the sub=women angle, I think (I hope) things are not quite that bad for women anymore.
I think Helen's story is a social commentary on the insider's view of the USMiltary complex. I definitely remember the sexual harrasment issues at VMI not even a decade ago. Tailhook, anyone? I seem to recall AFA problems, but no details.
John's dad, the career counselor's attitude towards John just leaving to find a top are barely stylized examples of the glass ceiling that still exists; I believe there's a rule that disallows women from serving in active combat. I think also that you have to think of time period that the story is describing and make it equivalent to the mid 1950's. Now, the glass ceiling is so much thinner or non existent in the rest of American society, that's it's a little shocking to know that we've only come so far.
I think that John as a sexual sub but not a lifestyle sub is a really effective metaphor for with his interaction with Elizabeth. The question of Elizabeth's intent (outside of being a plot device) is a fascinating one. Is she making a not-so-subtle statement about how the military is subservient to the ends of the expedition? Is she indulging in a personal, misogynistic (wow, what a twisted way to use that word) mindset that subs don't get to have initiative? It's difficult to make any real call here, Elizabeth barely exists, a few lines of dialog and John's colored perception of his treatment.
I've read all three stories, the BDSM in them doesn't bother me, because it's so over the top. I know there's a subsection of society that does indulge, but I don't correlate that with the fiction--as Xanthe says repeatedly--it's fiction.