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Heinlein was anti-feminist! 
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Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:53 am
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Post Heinlein was anti-feminist!
LOL! Not really. Just thought I'd stir things up a little.
If one wanted to make that case, though, one would have to look no further than The Star Beast to come to that conclusion.
On the face of it, The Star Beast is the story of John Thomas Stuart, proud descendant of a freedom fighter, who BY GOD is going to stand up for his rights!
But Johnny is not free at all; in fact, all the females in his life manipulate him.
First there's his mother. She is portrayed as a typical 50s hen, conventional to the core and worried about what the neighbors will think. In later chapters, the bureaucrats distract her by sending her out shopping!
Secondly, there is Betty, who pushes Johnny around at will. It is probably her influence that made him decide to stand up for himself to start with.
Thirdly, there is Lummox, whose hobby it is to raise John Thomases. She will go on raising them, too, since her lifetime is many times that of the typical John Thomas'. In effect, Lummox has trapped the John Thomas line to perpetual "pethood" (or enslavement) on her planet. Some fate for the line of a famous freedom fighter!
Are these views of women not those of the typical misogynist?


Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:57 pm
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Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 2:10 pm
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Location: Juneau, AK
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Post Re: Heinlein was anti-feminist!
He just appreciated the power of the vjay over most men, most of the time! Including himself in real life. He proposed to two different women after one night of major-league level sex with each. I know you were just playing around, but you have hit a good point about Mom, here and in other stories--RAH was an admirer of P. Wylie's Generation of Vipers as I noted in a different post on the Forum. "Mom" gets svaged by Wylie (see viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1089&p=9857#p9857)

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Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:17 pm
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Post Re: Heinlein was anti-feminist!


Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:35 pm
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