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seeking to become profound in the matter I will say this： it is but lightly as
compared with a man that one need scratch a woman to come on the
natural creature。
Now； your natural creature； not inhibited by reason； lives by theft；
murder； and dissimulation。 It lives； even as regards the male； but for one
purpose： to continue its species。 Enrage a woman； then； or frighten her
into the natural creature； and she will discard all those petty rules invented
by the human male for his advantage over； and his safety from； the less
disciplined members of the species。 All that stuff about ‘honour；'
‘Queensberry rules；' ‘playing the game；' and what not will go by the board。
And she will fight you with tooth and talon； with lies； with blows below
the beltmetaphorically； of course。
It may well be that you have done nothing more than hurt her pride
the civilized part of her。 But instinctively she will fight you as the
mother animal； either potentially or in being。 It will not occur to her that
she is doing so。 Nor will it occur to you。 But the fact that she is
fighting at all will bring it about； for fighting to any female animal means
defence of her young。 She may not have any young in being。 That does
not affect the case。 She will fight for the ova she carries； for the ova she
has yet to develop。 Beyond all reason； deep； instinct deep； within her she
is the carrier of the race。 This instinct is so profound that she will have
no recollection in a crisis of the myriads of her like； but will think of
herself as the race's one chance to persist。 Dangerous？ Of course she's
dangerousas dangerous as Nature！ Just as dangerous； just as self…
centred； as in its small way is that vegetative organism the volvox； which；
when food is scarce and the race is threatened； against possible need of
insemination； creates separate husband cells to starve in clusters； while
‘she' hogs all the food…supply for the production of eggs。
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This small flight into biology is made merely for the dim light it may
cast on the Kipling half…truth。 It is not made to explain why women
criminals are more deadly； more cruel； more deeply lost in turpitude； than
their male colleagues。 But it may help to explain why so many crime…
writers； following Lombroso； THINK the female more deadly。
There is something so deeply shocking in the idea of a woman being
other than kind and good； something so antagonistic to the smug
conception of Eve as the ‘‘minist'ring angel； thou；'' that leaps to extremes
in expression are easy。
A drunken woman； however； and for example； is not essentially more
degraded than a drunken man。 This in spite of popular belief。 A
nymphomaniac is not essentially more degraded than a brothel…haunting
male。 It may be true that moral sense decays more quickly in a woman
than in a man； that the sex…ridden or drink…avid woman touches the deeps
of degradation more quickly； but the reasons for this are patent。 They are
economic reasons usually； and physical； and not adherent to any inevitably
weaker moral fibre in the woman。
Women as a rule have less command of money than men。 If they
earn what they spend they generally have to seek their satisfactions
cheaply； and； of course； since their powers of resistance to the debilitating
effects of alcohol are commonly less than those of men； they more readily
lose physical tone。 With loss of health goes loss of earning power； loss
of caste。 The descent； in general； must be quicker。 It is much the same
in nymphomania。 Unless the sex…avid woman has a decent income； such
as will provide her with those means whereby women preserve the effect
of attractiveness； she must seek assuagement of her sex…torment with men
less and less fastidious。
But it is useless and canting to say that peccant women are worse than
men。 If we are kind we say so merely because we are more apprehensive
for them。 Safe women； with but rare exceptions； are notably callous
about their sisters astray； and the ‘‘we'' I have used must be taken
generally to signify men。 We see the danger for erring women； danger
economic and physical。 Thinking in terms of the phrase that ‘‘a woman's
place is the home；'' we wonder what will become of them。 We wonder
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anxiously what man； braver or less fastidious than ourselves； will accept
the burden of rescuing them； give them the sanctuary of a home。 We see
them as helpless； pitiable beings。 We are shocked to see them fall so low。
There is something of this rather maudlin mentality； generally
speaking； in our way of regarding women criminals。 To think； we say；
that a WOMAN should do such things！
But why should we be more shocked by the commission of a crime by
a woman than by a maneven the cruellest of crimes？ Take the male and
female in feral creation； and there is nothing to choose between them in
the matter of cruelty。 The lion and the lioness both live by murder； and
until gravidity makes her slow for the chase the breeding female is by all
accounts the more dangerous。 The she…bear will just as readily eat up a
colony of grubs or despoil the husbandry of the bees as will her mate。 If；
then； the human animal drops the restraints imposed by law； reverting
thereby to the theft； murder； and cunning of savagery； why should it be
shocking that the female should equal the male in callousness？ Why
should it be shocking should she even surpass the male？ It is quite
possible that； since for physiological reasons she is nearer to instinctive
motivation than the male； she cannot help being more ruthless once
deterrent inhibition has been sloughed。 But is she in fact more dangerous；
more deadly as a criminal； than the male？
Lombrosovide Mr Philip Beaufroy Barry in his essay on Anna
Zwanzigertells us that some of the methods of torture employed by
criminal women are so horrible that they cannot be described without
outraging the laws of decency。 Less squeamish than Lombroso or Mr
Barry； I gather aloud that the tortures have to do with the organs of
generation。 But male savages in African and American Indian tribes have
a punishment for adulterous women which will match anything in that line
women have ever achieved； and men in England itself have wreaked
perverted vengeance on women in ways indescribable too。 Though it
may be granted that pain inflicted through the genitals is particularly
sickening； pain is pain all over the body； and must reach what might be
called saturation…point wherever inflicted。 And as regards the invention
of sickening punishment we need