Quote by W. H. Auden
The masculine imagination lives in a state of perpetual revolt against the limitations of human life. In theological terms, one might say that all men, left to themselves, become gnostics. They may swagger like peacocks, but in their heart of hearts they all think sex an indignity and wish they could beget themselves on themselves. Hence the aggressive hostility toward women so manifest in most club-car stories.
Summary
This quote suggests that the male imagination has a tendency to reject or resist the constraints placed upon human existence. It suggests that men, in their natural state, have a desire to transcend their physical limitations and seek a self-sufficient existence. This desire is seen through the expression of aggressive attitudes towards women in certain male-dominated social contexts, as women represent the reminder of their own physical and biological limitations. The quote implies that this hostility is often manifest in stories told amongst men, portraying a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with their own nature.
Topics
Men
By W. H. Auden
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