The Little Review, April 1914 (Vol. 1, No. 2)Various
General
The Little Review, April 1914 (Vol. 1, No. 2)
Various
Literature, Modern -- 20th century -- Periodicals
The something that Mrs. Gallichan lacks, not in her retrospect so much
as in her previsioning, has been lacked by many of the great
investigators and writers who have built up the magnificent literature
of evolution and evolutionary philosophy: she has an admirable survey of
the "whenceness" of life and love and labor, but a short-sighted,
astigmatic vision of its "whereuntoness."
If the sole purpose of life and love and labor, among humans as among
lower animals, is to continue life, to transmit the life-force, then
indeed are those frustrated, futile creatures who are cheated, or who
cheat themselves, out of rendering this one service to the world which
can justify them for having lived in it.
But if, as most of us believe, we are more than just links in the human
chain; if we have a relation to eternity as well as to history and to
posterity, there are splendid interpretations of our struggles that Mrs.
Gallichan does not apprehend. If souls are immortal, life is more than
the perpetuation of species, or even than the improvement of the race;
it is the place allotted to us for the development of that imperishable
part which we are to carry hence, and through eternity. And any effort
of ours which helps other souls to realize the best that life can give,
to seek the best that immortality can perpetuate, may splendidly justify
our existence.
Mrs. Gallichan's conclusion about religion is that it is an "opium" to
which women resort when they have no proper outlet for their
sex-impulses. "I am certain," she says, "that in us the religious
impulse and the sex impulse are one." And when she was able to satisfy
the sex impulse, she no longer had any need of or interest in religion.
The limitations this puts upon her interpretation of life are too
obvious to need cataloging. And this is the reason she signally fails to
tell the whole of the truth about woman. This is the reason why the
latter chapters of her book, in which she writes of marriage and divorce
and prostitution, are of less worth to the generality of readers than
the earlier ones; though this is not to say that these chapters do not
contain a very great deal of vigorous thinking and excellent suggestion.
But to anyone who holds that the continuance of life is the principal
justification for having lived, yet deplores free love and state
endowment of mothers, there is inevitably an appalling waste, for the
elimination of which she may well be staggered to suggest a remedy.
Mrs. Gallichan's book is not constructive in effect. But it is so
excellently analytical, as far as it goes, that it can scarcely fail to
provoke a great deal of thought.
"Change"
There is coming soon, to the Fine Arts Theatre--that charming Chicago
home of the Irish Players and of "the new note" in drama--a play with an
interesting title. It is called _Change_. It is to be given by the Welsh
Players--which fact alone has a thrill in it. But the theme is even more
compelling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account