Cixous attributes women's oppression to the power created by Phallocentricism. Women lack the central organ which men base their power on. Men have also silenced a body that they fear--a desirous woman's body. Men's fears of this body have instilled an image of a woman who is proper and has a "divine composure".
Women fear the desires, drives, and dreams of their bodies. Their body is virtually unknown to them due to years of silence; it has become a "dark" territory which they fear. The image of a virtuous woman creates guilt and shame as women's bodies and minds entertain drives and desires.
Cixous describes a woman who has allowed her desires and drives to be expressed through writing and speech. She has learned to face her fear of the dark unknown. She has created the image of a new woman. Women must show there desires and drives to other women, who will then allow their drives to be felt, enjoyed, and expressed without regret or fear. Cixous states that as women let their presence be known orally and in text, they will not be overshadowed by masculine drives and desires. It will be the end of the Phallic period.
Cixous describes an explosion of feministic writing that will occur when Phallicism and its standards are destroyed. Women will explore their bodies, other's bodies, men's bodies--all bodies that encompass the unconscious and the drives that are hidden there. As they observe, women will write and share what they have learned. They write to inform others--to destroy the fearful unknown. Cixous states that women should no longer fear the unknown but rather explore it, write about it, and share it--aim for the impossible.
Cixous concludes that as women see their opportunities and dispel their fears, they will set out to learn and observe others. Women observe others to understand them, not to perpetuate their position. As men and women come to accept others as equal, a new love will be created--a loving desire.
Cixous presents her theory why women have been placed in darkness and their bodies silenced. A masculine egoism has kept women's writing and speech from public awareness. She broaches the subject of a male dominance that focuses on the phallus and the fear that gravitates on the phallus. Her discussion of phallocentrism is a refreshing, if not somewhat humorous, outlook on male dominance. Her essay is aimed at male and female feminists. These men understand what causes her to write and the drive behind it. Although male feminists may not agree with Cixous' theory, they will empathize with the silent battle women have fought in the dark and "dirty" territory of their bodies and minds.
Cixous writes to encourage women to break the chain created by phallocentric standards and codes. She encourages her readers to break free, to "fly", to explore, and to express their drives and desires without restraint, resentment, fear, or guilt. Cixous is trying to create a feministic revolution that allows women to write and speak freely. Her words are positive and very emotional. She creates images which allow women to experience, vicariously, the novelty of a world that is no longer Phallocentric. Her essay presents a feeling that anything is possible. We, as women, can attain happiness by showing our desires and drives.
Her motivational words and humorous anecdotes allow women to see their uniqueness and to be happy. The title, The Laugh Of The Medusa, comes from the mythological story of a man who beheaded Medusa. He resented and feared the desire he had for her body. Men have associated femininity with decapitation and castration, therefore, fear the woman. The unreasonableness of men (the realists) allows women to laugh at the "silliness" of men's fears. Women understand what men have not yet grasped--comfort and acceptance with their sexuality and drives. While this is a good analogy, Cixous fails to realize that some of her audience may not be educated in mythical stories; therefore, it may be more confusing than encouraging.
An underlying purpose may be to discover a new form of love. The drive to find love, based on desire, will appeal to the romantics of the world. She also hopes that men will realize women are unique and not lacking. First, women must see the beauty of their bodies and express, with their bodies, their desires and drives. Cixous claims that the giving of women's bodies without expected paybacks will nullify men's fears. Once these fears are destroyed, men will see women as an equal partner in finding love and desire. Love is a very strong emotion and any appeal to it will encourage most, especially women who are resented for the desire they create in men. It will encourage Cixous' reader to find the strength to transform past beliefs.
Cixous' essay is a compelling argument for women to break free
of the phallic period and explore what has been kept from them.
Their body is a fountain of desires and drives that are beautiful
and natural. These desires and drives must be shared with other
women so they can be freed from the darkness, fear, and guilt
that has prevented their happiness.
© Beth LaCanne, Winona (MN) State University, 30 January 1997
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