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PARTISAN REVIEW
"binding" and "unbinding" them; expanded on Jeffrey Masson's inter–
pretation of Freud's seduction theory; evoked Derridean erasures of dif–
ference between modes of thinking as imposing a new idiom on old
problems; attacked "old-fashioned" psychoanalytic criticism; advocated
existential positions and, generally, were intent on creating a new
"feminine imaginary" for postmodern society. Increasingly, they invoked
political strategy which, on closer reading, was addressing intra-university
politics alone, except for the gradual move from "straight" to "gay"
feminism.
In
the process, literary theory was turned into a special branch
of political theory. All in all, most of these theories tend to assume that
the unconscious replicates the social world or the feminists' own psyches.
However, these are abstractions. When applied as solutions
to
social
problems and inequalities they tend to make lofty assumptions. These as–
sumptions, in turn, to a great extent derive from the deeply implanted
postmodernist credo that theory, as much as practice, will solve our in–
superable dilemmas. (This may well be an unacknowledged remnant of
Althusser's search for "theoretical practice" - itself a very selective read–
ing of Marx's texts.) In any event, the belief that we will be able to cre–
ate a better society is deeply imbedded in the assumption of feminist the–
ory.
In
the process, it often has been forgotten that theory ought not to
be separated from practice, and that talk about politics does not equal
political action - even though it may incite it. Yes, Lacan encouraged his
feminist disciples to say what they pleased, to "let their unconscious
speak." But the French do not take their talk all that seriously : the love
of hyperbole, of equating the sound of words with their meaning was a
soon-to-be-forgotten game. Ultimately, in France, most of this verbal
gamesmanship did not claim direct political validity, whereas in America
it often was taken at face value.
The overall success of feminism itself, I believe, has derived from con–
comitant changes in laws about divorce, abortion, human rights, affir–
mative action, etc ., from the First Wave of feminism, and which still
continues to function in the political realm. Psychoanalysis has figured in
this equation inadvertently, insofar as it prepared the emotional ground
by assuming that all of us are bisexual, that by altering unconscious re–
sponse patterns learned in infancy individuals' lives can be improved, and
that the proper socialization of little girls will produce liberated women.
In
any event, women psychoanalysts have addressed the evolving psy–
chological nature of women in their environment, and have contributed
to our understanding of the cultural conditions which are more (or less)
hospitable in encouraging sexual and emotional equality. That psycho–
analysis as well has evolved and has lost many of its earlier promises com–
plicates the issues exponentially, maybe hopelessly. So, as theories are
constructed to explain yet other theories, people often may wonder
