Many women, like Ruth, were often scared or intimidated into submitting themselves to these facilities. Sometimes husbands turned their wives in if they felt dissatisfied with their home life. Women didn’t receive due process through a court system. Why do you think women were the primary focus of immoral behaviors and not men?
Plain old sexism and misogyny. Religion also played a large part in reinforcing the virgin/whore image of women.
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There is a long history of blaming and punishing women for behavior in which both sexes have been engaged. In college, I wrote an essay about the treatment of women during the middle ages. Women were seen as the temptresses responsible for men’s sexual thoughts and behaviors (even in marriage). I would argue that this ideology became deeply rooted throughout many generations and has impacted the way women are treated even now. Women are still held responsible in many circumstances when men are not. Women’s health is being compromised and even endangered, but somehow men are completely overlooked in these conversations. The “boys will be boys” mentality is still rampant today. Women may no longer fear being placed in reform facilities, but women are still being blamed for men’s behavior.
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This was a period of time when women were exploring more ways to be other than mother and wife. Women who did not fit into the traditional mold were looked on with suspicion from both men and women.
The disparity between how the men with STI’s were treated and the women was astoundingly awful. Men didn’t seem to have consequences. The worst example of this was Stella a victim of incest who had the most serve consequences for her father’s behavior while he had none.
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Women just did not have the same resources and control over their own lives, the way society functioned. I remember hearing a statement of fact that of course a woman would be paid less in the same job - and this was in the 1960s, years later than this story’s setting. I grew up seeing men who claimed they saw women as equal, still go back to male priority when decisions needed to be made. Besides cultural beliefs, women did not have the same legal rights as men, so they could not have the same options. Even in the early 1970s I remember not being able to open a credit card without my husband signing for it. I think these circumstances made it easier to focus on blaming and controlling women. Unfortunately, both this cultural and legal sexism was accepted as justifiable to many.
In my opinion, it was the trio of religion, the legal system and culture that prioritized men over women that caused women to be held to a higher, often unfair, standard. There is a long history of the imbalance of priority of men over women, and it still exists is some formats. There has been progress for women, but I think we still have a long way to go.
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As others mentioned, women had no agency! Men made and enforced the rules and blamed “wayward” women for their own bad behavior. When Ruth asked if there was a place they sent diseased men, I was asking the same thing. The government used the wars as an excuse; a way to keep men from catching STDs; but they were content to lock up women who simply did not conform to how society thought women should behave.
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I agree that religion is part of the cause - I guess I was including it in culture in my mind. I had many years of being active in the Catholic church and it is so painful to me that religion plays such a hurtful role.
Absolutely all of the above. It’s religious – goes all the way back to the creation story in Genesis (“The woman - she gave it to me.”) It’s the gender-based power dynamic that gives men the power and women the blame. In this specific case it was also the legal system, which dictated what would happen to women who were perceived to be “endangering” servicemen. (Amazing that lawmakers did not understand the danger went in two directions, no?)
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Thanks to all who pointed toward religion as a part of the problem. At the risk of sending us off course, I went back and read and thought about Genesis 3 where, when confronted by God, Adam blames the woman. The interrogation moves to the woman who blames the snake. Here’s my thought: it’s human nature that it’s easier to assign blame than it is to accept blame. Hence the blame passes to the snake who can’t pass it on to anyone else. Unfortunately, the American Plan didn’t allow women any choice but to take the blame on themselves. Vulnerable, shamed, and possibly shunned…everyone could righteously consider the “problem” solved.
Sexist attitudes, subservient perspective relative to women, male hierarchy and entitlement, male dominance and lack of accountability. It all goes back to Eve and that garden thing!
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I just mentioned that same cliche a minute ago for another question.
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Exactly. I was just about to make a separate post and say, since the beginning of recorded history/stories… who was it that got stoned, labeled, vilified? The women.
Men were in charge of everything. During the first WW, when the American Plan was created, women couldn’t vote. They had no control over future laws of the country. During WWII women could be easily intimidated because the least indiscretion brought shame on the entire family. Women couldn’t even have a checking account without approval of a spouse or father…and that continued into the early 1970s. There were many laws that kept women from becoming independent.
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Women had no say in anything. It was a man’s world. Always the women’s fault, even going back to ancient times. I agree about the religion theory.
SAME ol’ SAME ol’!
Ugh
WHO wrote that trope to fit their narrative! Man was created in the nature of god, more like a god was created in the the nature of(selfish) man and made ultimate arbitered of all (women have always suffered under that) I will be thinking about this book and the story it tells for a LONG time. “If you’re not pissed off with the world, you’re just not paying attention.” Kasey Chambers
Women have been subjugated by men for centuries. Same thing, different day.
Men rule…have always ruled and continue to do so. Women are subservient, have always been made to be and continue to be…the laws support this. Slowly changing, but not fast enough. Will women ever be equal?
In a male-dominated society women have always been second-class citizens. Not only were women treated unjustly by men in this book, they were also mistreated by other women. Women are taught to be subservient through belief systems that are taught and reinforced. As a result, many women have accepted these beliefs. At the time of this novel it took extremely strong and confident women act independently and speak their minds.