Chapter 29 Chapter 19 The Prostitute

Chapter 19 The Prostitute We have seen that marriage is directly connected with the institution of prostitution; it has been said that the institution of prostitution, like the shadow that hangs over the family, has accompanied mankind from ancient times to the present.A man, out of prudence, makes his wife take a vow of chastity, but he himself is not content with the institution imposed on her.Montaigne tells us in an approving tone: Persian kings often invited their wives to a feast; But when they're so drunk that they can't help wanting to indulge their sensuality, they let them go back to their private apartments—because they can't share their lustful pleasures with them—

And put other women in their place, for whom they feel no duty of respect. Christian priests believed that gutters were necessary to keep palaces clean.And it is also often believed that some women need to be sacrificed in order to save others and prevent greater trouble.One of the arguments advanced by the advocates of slavery in the United States in support of this institution was that the most democratic and perfect relation could be maintained among the whites of the South if they were all freed from their obligations to slaves; In truth, the rank of "shameless woman" makes it possible for "recent woman" to be greatly respected like a knight.A prostitute is a scapegoat; a man uses her to vent his base desires and then casts her aside.

Whether she is legally supervised by the police or illegally and secretly engaged in prostitution, she is treated as a pariah. From an economic point of view, the status of a prostitute is the same as that of a married woman.Marlowe says in "Adults": "The only difference between a woman who sells herself by prostitution and a woman who sells herself by marriage is the difference in price and the length of time to perform the contract." Both sex acts are services, and the former is leased to a man for life , which has pay-per-view customers.The former is protected by one male and is not allowed to be violated by other men; the latter is protected by all men, 'no one man is allowed to perform exclusive tyranny.In any case, their benefits in exchange for the sacrifice of their bodies are limited by existing competition; the husband knows he can get another wife; fulfilled contract.In prostitution, male desire can be satisfied no matter what kind of body, this desire is specific, but not individualized in terms of object.Neither the wife nor the high-class courtesan can successfully exploit a man unless she has a personal advantage over him.The great difference between them is that the legal wife, oppressed as a married woman, is respected as a human being; and this respect is beginning to conspicuously check oppression.And as long as the prostitute is not granted personal rights, all the forms of female slavery are at once concentrated in her.

It is childish to be puzzled by the motives that drive women to prostitution; we no longer accept Lombroso today the theory that prostitutes are no longer compared with criminals, and that both are degenerate human beings; perhaps, as the statistics show, prostitutes have a slightly lower level of intelligence than the average person, and some are indeed mentally retarded, because retarded women are very May choose a profession that does not require specialized training; but most of them are normal, and some are quite intelligent.Without any predestined genetic factors and any psychological defects, they are deeply painful.In fact, in a world where unhappiness and unemployment are rife, people will take any career that is open.As long as there has been a police force and prostitution, there will have been police and prostitutes, especially since these occupations are better paid than many others.It would be sheer hypocrisy to marvel at the need of men that stimulates this supply of prostitutes, since it is nothing more than the activity of a fundamental, universal economic process.Palang."Among the various causes of prostitution," wrote Duchatry in his 1857 report, "the most important is the poverty caused by unemployment and low income." The righteous moralist replied sneeringly, The tragic tales of prostitutes are only romanticized to cater to simple-minded clients.In fact, prostitutes can often earn a living in other ways.But if she chooses a way which does not seem to her the worst, that does not prove that she is inherently depraved; society is rather to blame, where such occupations are still those which seem least repugnant to women. one.People often ask, "Why did she choose this career?" Instead, ask: Why didn't she choose this career?

It should first be noted that most of the prostitutes were former domestic servants.This fact can be explained by a little attention to the position of the maid.Exploited and enslaved, treated more like a thing than a person, the housemaid, the housemaid, could not hope for any improvement in her lot; sometimes she had to accept the courtesies of her parents.She slips from domestic slavery and sexual subordination into a perhaps slightly better slavery where she dreams of being happier.Moreover, the servants were likely to be far from home; an estimated 80 percent of Paris' prostitutes were from the provinces.A woman who is so close to home that she has to watch her reputation does not take up a generally disreputable profession; but if she is reduced to a great city and no longer integrated with society, the abstraction of "morality" Ideas are no obstacle at all.

For as long as middle-class people shrouded sexuality (especially virginity) with powerful taboos, those taboos were disregarded in many peasant and working-class settings.Numerous surveys suggest that many teenage girls find it natural to commit themselves to anyone after their virginity is taken away by the first person.Dr. Bizard surveyed 100 prostitutes and got the following data: 1 lost their virginity at the age of 11, 2 at the age of 12, 2 at the age of 13, 6 at the age of 14, and 7 at the age of 15. At the age of 16, 19 people were at the age of 17, 17 people were at the age of 18, and 6 people were at the age of 19; the rest were after the age of ZI.As a result, 5% of people were raped before puberty.More than half said they committed themselves for love because they needed to; the rest committed themselves out of ignorance.The first seducer is often a young man.Usually a colleague in the store or office, or a childhood friend; often followed by a soldier.A foreman, a valet, and a college student; Bizard's list also included two lawyers, an architect, a doctor, and a pharmacist.The employer himself seldom plays this role, as is so often said; but his son or junior relative or his friend often does.In another survey, Comengne also mentioned 45 girls between the ages of 12 and 17. Their virginity was taken away by strangers they never saw again; Indifferent attitude, no pleasure.The details of individual instances provided by these reports show how often and how differently girls and young women commit themselves to casual strangers, new acquaintances, and older relatives.

We can be sure that these passively committed girls will continue to suffer from the trauma of being stripped of their virginity; one wonders what psychological impact this brutal experience will have on their future; Whores do psychoanalysis, and they're not good at self-expression, often evading it with platitudes.In some cases, the readiness to commit oneself to the first comer is explained by the phantasy of prostitution which I have mentioned, for many very young girls, out of resentment of their families, Horrors of sexuality, or imitation of whores out of a desire to act like adults.They wear heavy makeup, associate with boys, and behave flirtatiously and provocatively.Girls who are still childlike, sexless, aloof, think they won't get burned playing with fire; someday some guy will believe their word, and they slide from dream to action.

A 14-year-old young prostitute quoted by Marlowe said: "Once the door is opened, it is difficult to close." However, girls rarely decide to live in prostitution immediately after their virginity is taken.Sometimes she is still attached to her first lover and lives with him; she has an "official" job;Since she no longer belonged to one man, she felt that she could give herself to all men; and sometimes her lover, the first or the second, suggested to her the trade for money.There are also many girls whose parents make them prostitutes; and in some families, such as the famous American Zucker family, almost all the women are destined to the trade.Among the homeless women were many little girls who had been abandoned by their relatives; they were first begging for a living, and then fell into prostitution.In the aforementioned survey, Parang-Duchatray found that out of 5,000 prostitutes, 1,141 were affected by poverty, 1,425 were abandoned after seduction, and 1,225 were abandoned by their parents. No means of earning a living.This was the case in 1857, but contemporary investigations suggest the same conclusion.Illness often drove women who were unable to hold real work or lost their jobs to prostitution; it disrupted the balance of payments and forced women to find new sources of income as quickly as possible.

In fact, an illegitimate child will also lead to this result.At Saint-Lazare prison, more than half of the women had at least one child.Many are raising 3 to 6 children, some more.Few abandoned their children; indeed, some unwed mothers prostituted themselves to support their children.It is well known that the number of prostitutes increased during wartime and post-war social chaos. A prostitute under the pseudonym Marie-Therese described her life in the magazine "Modern" as follows: When I was 16, I married a man who was 13 years older than me.I do this to get away from home.My husband just wanted me to get pregnant, and he said, "so I'd stay home." He objected to my makeup and going to the movies, and my mother-in-law was always there to tell me he was right.I had 2 kids in 2 years...I was so bored I went to nursing class which I loved...there was a cheeky nurse at the hospital and she told me things I hadn't heard , but I haven't done anything with a man in 6 months.One day, a young guy—he was very rude and handsome, came into my room and advised me to change my life, go to Paris with him, and stop working... For a month, I was with him. is happy.One day he brought a very fashionable woman who he said could take good care of herself.I didn't go down at first.

I even got a job at a local clinic and let him know I didn't want to be out on the streets.But I didn't last long.He said I don't love him or I would work for him.I cried and was heartbroken throughout the clinic.I finally got him to take me to a beauty salon... I started working "day jobs".Jolaut has been following me to see if I can take care of myself and call the police when they arrive. The story is somewhat similar to the traditional tale of a girl who is put on the street by a bustard.Sometimes it is the husband who fills this role, sometimes it is a woman.In a survey of 510 prostitutes, 284 were found to be living single lives, 132 were living with boyfriends and 94 were living with a woman with whom they were usually in a homosexual relationship.Some of the girls said they were raped by other women, while others prostituted women.

A woman may use prostitution merely as a stop-gap means to increase her income, but it is often said that she cannot help herself afterwards. If "wihteslav-ery" (that is, using violence, falsehood, pretending to get her a job, and the like to get her into a trap) is relatively rare, then let her engage in it against her will It is commonplace. The madam or the pimp provides the expenses needed for the establishment, she is obliged to them, and most of the money earned is taken by them, and it is impossible for her to escape their control. Mary-Theresa Before fleeing from the ground, he actually struggled for several years: I finally realized the truth. It turned out that Julaut only wanted my money, and I wanted to keep a relationship between us.A little distance, maybe I'll save a little money... At first I was very timid, and a woman who knew Jolaut watched me, and she even counted the number of times I "pick up guests".Julaut wrote me and asked me to put my money away with the lady "in case it gets snatched"... I wanted to buy a dress and she said Julaut told her not to give me a penny money.I am determined to get out of this brothel as quickly as possible.But I fell for it and was sent to a charity adoption home.I had to go back to the brothel to earn my travel expenses...but I only came for a month...I was working in another place, but I hated Jolaut too much to stay in Paris: He abused me and once almost threw me out of the window... I made an agreement with an agent to leave the city, but I heard that Julaut knew him, so I didn't go to the agreed place...I escaped, but six I went back to that brothel to beg for food in a week... Julaut met me on the road and beat me up.I was so tired of Julaut that I finally agreed to go back to Germany. Literature has made "Juraut" a well-known figure.He played the role of protector in the lives of prostitutes.He paid for the clothes, and later he protected her from competition from other women, and from clients; and all the clients were simply happy to use her without paying a penny, and some still wanted to be with her. Satisfy their sadistic desires.In Madrid a few years ago, fascist dandies threw prostitutes into the river for fun on cold nights; stay there.In order to get paid and avoid being treated rudely, a prostitute needs a man.He also gave her moral support: "Don't work so hard alone, don't worry so much about this job, or you won't be able to bear it," someone said.Often she fell in love with him; out of love she devoted herself to this work, or defended it.The extreme superiority of men over women in her environment lends itself to a certain religion of love that explains the zealous abandonment of certain prostitutes of their rights.In the strength and violence of her man, such a girl finds evidence of his masculinity and submits to him more and more willingly.With him, she learned about jealousy and torture, but also about the joy of a woman in love. The prostitute, however, sometimes feels only hostility and resentment towards her man; but she remains under his dominion out of fear, because, as we have seen in the story quoted above, he is always in control of her psychology.Thus, she is likely to choose a lover among the customers to comfort herself.Mary.Teresa wrote: All girls have lovers other than their "jolaut", and I am one of them.He was a sailor, a very handsome young man.Although he is actually a competent lover, I still can't bond with him, but we are good friends.He used to come upstairs with me, not for sex but for conversation; he said I should get out of there, it wasn't where I was. They also turned to women.Many prostitutes are gay.We have already mentioned that homosexual experiences are common at the beginning of a girl's life, and that many live with girlfriends all the time.According to Anna Lulin, about 20% of prostitutes in Germany seem to be gay.Pfeiffer reported that the young women in the cellmates in the prison often exchanged love letters, which were very affectionate and signed "always with yours" at the end.These libraries are exactly the same as the letters written by middle school students "like crazy". The latter is inexperienced and more timid; the former is emotionally dissolute, both in words and deeds. In the life of Marie-Thérèse (who is seduced by a woman), we can see what a special role this girlfriend plays compared with the obnoxious whore and the domineering procuress: Jolaut brought a girl, a poor servant who didn't even have a pair of shoes.She bought everything she needed at the consignment shop, and then she and I worked together.She's very likable, and she loves women, so we get on really well together.She reminded me of everything I learned from that nurse.We often like to go to the movies instead of going to work.I would love to have her stay with us. Apparently, the role of the prostitute's girlfriend is very similar to that of the lover of a "respectable" woman among women: she is a partner in pleasure, and at the same time a person - not unlike hers. Relationships are free, have no conflict of interest and are therefore entirely voluntary.Whores, either exhausted by men, disgusted by them, or simply looking for diversion, often seek relaxation and pleasure in the arms of another woman.In either case, the complicity I mentioned (which directly unites them) is stronger here than anywhere else. Because of the commercial nature of their relations with the human half, and because society in general treats them like pariahs, the prostitutes maintain a close solidarity; they may be rivals to each other, and therefore feel jealousy, speak ill of each other, and fight. to go, but in order to form an opposite world, to be able to gain the dignity of being human, they deeply feel that they need each other.The female companion is the favored confidant and witness; it is she who will appreciate the clothes and hairstyles prepared to seduce a man, but which have the consequence of incurring the envy and envy of other women. As to the relationship between prostitute and client, opinions vary widely, and instances no doubt vary.It is often emphasized that, as an expression of spontaneous affection, the prostitute reserves the mouth kiss for her lover, and that she considers the love embrace to be quite different from the professional embrace.Such evidence from men is suspect, since their vanity makes them vulnerable to the pleasures that girls feign.It should be said that the situation is quite different when it is a matter of quickly and exhaustingly dealing with one client after another, or when it is a matter of repeated relations with familiar clients.Mary.Talisa was usually aloof when she made deals, but she did remember some jovial evenings.People are not unaware that a girl refuses to accept payment from a client when she gets pleasure, and sometimes offers to help him if he is in trouble. Generally speaking, however, such women are "cold" when it comes to professional work.Some of them felt nothing but Lu Dao's contemptuous indifference to the crowd of johns.Marie-Therese wrote: "Oh, how stupid men are! How easy it is for women to fill their heads with whatever they like!" But many prostitutes have a deep resentment for men; And "bad deeds" are especially detested.Whether because they go to the brothel to indulge a hobby they dare not admit to their wives or mistresses, or because the very fact of staying in the brothel makes them think of all sorts of evils on a whim, many men actually ask the women to join various an evil act.Mary.Teresa complained that French men especially had an insatiable imagination.A whore would tell a compassionate doctor: "Men are evil to some degree." At the Bojon Charity Adoption Home, a friend of mine had a long conversation with a young prostitute; she was very bright, started out as a servant, and lived with a pimp whom she adored.She said: "Men are all evil, except mine. This is 1 reason why I love him.Whenever he showed the slightest sign of evil, I would leave him.The first time client in a brothel is not always bold, he is normal; but when he comes again, he wants to do something... You say your husband is not evil, but you will see , all the vices he has. "Because of these evil deeds, she hated her clients very much. Another friend of mine was intimate with a prostitute in Fresney in 1943.The girl insisted that 90% of her clients were vicious and 50% were shameful sodomites.If they were imaginative, they would make her heart shudder.A German civil servant wanted her to walk around the room naked holding flowers for him to admire, while he himself imitated the flight of birds; although he was very generous and gentle, she would see him coming in. Get away.Marie-Theresa hated all people who behaved in such a grotesque way, but they were much more expensive than simple sex, and they usually didn't cause the girl any trouble. All three women are intelligent and sensitive.They feel, no doubt, that when they no longer adhere strictly to business routines, when men are not mere clients but show personality, they become the prey of a wayward man, a consciously free man— This is no longer a mere transaction.However, due to the higher pay, some prostitutes specialize in "bad deeds". There was often an element of class resentment in the hostility these women felt towards their clients.Helen Deutsch recounts the experiences of the charming Anna in considerable detail.She is usually quiet, but she can get angry sometimes, especially towards officials, so she was sent to a psychiatric clinic for treatment.In short, her family life was unhappy, and she never wanted to marry, despite good opportunities.She was well adjusted to her life as a prostitute, but was taken to the hospital with tuberculosis.She hated the doctor, because she was rooting for all "respectable" men. "How can you not hate?" she said. "Don't we know better than anyone that men like this take off their masks of refinement, self-control, and arrogance and behave like animals?" The spirit is very normal.Another young prostitute, Julia, has been promiscuous since she was 15. She is slender and sweet, and she only helps men she thinks are weak, poor and needy; were treated harshly." The vast majority of prostitutes are mentally adjusted to their lives.This is not because they are still immoral or inherently immoral, but because they see a reason to associate with the society they need to serve.They are well aware that the police officers who register them speak in a purely bureaucratic tone, and that the high-sounding songs sung by clients outside the brothel will hardly scare them off.Marie-Teresa explained that people called her a whore whether she was paid or not, but if she was paid, they called her an oversmart whore; when she wanted her share, men pretended not to think of it She would be that kind of girl, and so on.Whether she gets paid or not, it's all the same to her. It is not the moral and psychological situation that makes the prostitute's fate so intolerable.Their material circumstances are often deplorable.Because of being exploited by pimps and madams, their lives are not guaranteed, and 3/4 of them are penniless. According to a doctor who has examined thousands of prostitutes, after five years of this life, about 75 percent have contracted syphilis. For example, young prostitutes who have no life experience are extremely vulnerable to virus infection; 25% of them need surgical treatment due to complications of gonorrhea. 1 in 20 suffers from tuberculosis; 60 percent suffer from alcohol or drugs; 40 percent die before the age of 40.It must also be seen that, despite the precautions, they often become pregnant and they usually operate on their own in very poor conditions. Ordinary prostitution is a very miserable profession. Women are not only exploited sexually and financially, but also subjected to arbitrary treatment by the police, shamed by medical examinations, and at the mercy of clients. They are also doomed to contract germs and diseases. To suffer from hunger and cold, so she was actually reduced to the level of a thing. There are many levels between ordinary prostitutes and high class prostitutes.The main difference is that the former trades in her sheer generality (as a woman), with the result that competition leaves her on a deplorable level of existence; To, she will have a high reward.Beauty, effort, or sexuality are indispensable here, but they are not enough: as a person, such a woman must be somewhat different in the public mind.Of course, her qualities are often shown through a man's certain desires; but it can be said that only when a man makes her value become world-renowned, can she "become famous" and start to make a fortune.In the last century, it was the mansions, the carriages, the jewels that proved the influence of the "mistress" on the protector, and raised her to the rank of courtesan; as long as men continued to destroy themselves for her, her worth will be further confirmed.Social and economic changes have done away with this flashy type, and courtesans can no longer make a name for themselves.Ambitious women are now striving to claim fame by other means.The latest incarnation of the high-class whore is the movie star.Despite having a husband, which is strictly required in Hollywood, or the company of a reliable boyfriend, she is still in the category of Fellini and Imparia.She played more of a woman than a man could ever dream of, so he rewarded her with fortune and fame. Between prostitution and art there has always been an ambiguous connection, since in fact beauty and sexual pleasure are ambiguously linked.In fact, of course, it is not beauty that evokes desire, but the Platonic theory of love's justification for lust is still hypocritical.When Fellini stands bare-breasted before the justices of the Athenian Supreme Court and is acquitted, her gaze on them is only conceptual.The naked body has become an art show; American burlesque has turned stripping into a show.Those old gentlemen who collect obscene photographs in the name of admiring the "art of nudity" declare that "nude is elegant".The scene where the whores are being picked at the brothel is exhibiting human bodies in droves from the very beginning.If it is more complicated, these performances become "moving photos" or "art poses" for clients. The prostitute who wants to gain personal value does not just passively display her body; she also strives to express special gifts.The girl who played the flute in ancient Greece captivated men with music and dance.Arab women in Algeria dance [belly dance]; Spanish girls sing and dance to Barriozzino music, allowing people to appreciate themselves delicately.Nana described by Zola appeared on the stage in order to find a "protector".Certain concert halls are as much a brothel as the nightclubs of yore.All occupations that expose women can be used for lewdness.Undoubtedly, some girls: dancers, dancers, street girls, commercial girls, models, singers and actors, treat love and business as two different things; See it as an end in itself.But a woman who makes a living out of publicity often tries to trade her own charms directly.High-class prostitutes, on the other hand, want to use their professions to disguise the real deal.There are very few characters like Colette's Lea. After being called "dear artist" by friends in letters, she replied: "Artist? My God, my lover is so indiscreet!" We have It is mentioned that the fame of a high-class courtesan is a reputation that can give her a market value, and today, a "fame" can be produced on the stage or screen that can become business capital. Cinderella doesn't always dream of Prince Charming; husband or lover, she fears he might become a tyrant; she rather dreams of her own smiling face, plastered on the door of a movie theater.But she will almost always achieve her reward through male "protection"; it will be men who will reward her victories, give her a share in their money or fame— Husband, lover, suitor.This need to please an individual or a group of people brought "stars" into association with high-class courtesans.They play similar roles in society. I use the term "high-class whore" to identify all those women who use not only their bodies but their whole personalities as capital for employment.Their attitude is quite different from that of the worker in creative labor; the worker transcends himself through the product he produces, and so transcends the given, demanding the freedom that others have, for which he opens the future. aisle.The courtesan does not reveal the world, nor open the way of man's transcendence; Instead, she wants to captivate the world for her own benefit.As she expresses herself for the admiration of her admirers, she does not refuse to accept the passive femininity she offers to men: she imbues it with magic so that she can snare them with her presence and turn them let out; she submerges them with herself in immanence. If a woman embarks on this path, she will indeed successfully obtain a certain independent status.She rented herself out to certain men, that is, clearly belonged to no one; the money she had accumulated, and the fact that she sold her "fame" like a commodity, secured her financial independence.The freest women in ancient Greece were not housewives or ordinary prostitutes, but senior prostitutes.The courtesans of the Renaissance and the geishas of Japan enjoyed far more freedom than any other woman of the time.A French woman who could enjoy an independent position which we think is very similar to the freedom of a man, might be called Ninon de Lanclos, and she was a smart and beautiful woman in the seventeenth century.It is absurd that women who exploit femininity to the extreme create for themselves a situation almost equal to that of men; starting from femininity which surrenders themselves as an object to men, they gradually reach the status of subject.Not only do they earn a living like men, but they appear in almost exclusively male circles; they speak and behave freely, and thus have access to (like Ninon de Lanclos) intellectual knowledge very rare.The best of them are often surrounded by artists and writers who hate "good" women. In the courtesan the myth of man is seductively fulfilled; she surpasses all others, flesh and spirit, idol, inspiration, and poetry; painters and sculptors want her as a model; she satisfies poet's dream From her wisdom, he will develop a treasure of female 'straight hair'. She is easier to become wise than a housewife, because she is less hypocritical. Those who are highly gifted, will not be satisfied with only playing Ugli They will not be content to act as loyal advisors to men; they will feel compelled to prove alone the worth of the admiration of others; they will aspire to turn their passive virtues into action. Entering this world, they write poems, compositions, paintings and music. This is how Imparia gained fame among Italy's high-class courtesans.Perhaps women too can use man as an instrument, and use him as an intermediary to perform the masculine role; the mistresses favored by men in power always participate in ruling the world through their powerful lovers. This type of female emancipation can also be effective sexually.The woman's feminine inferiority may perhaps be compensated by the money and other benefits she receives from the man; money has a purifying effect; it eliminates the struggle between the sexes.If many unemployed women insist on receiving checks and gifts from their lovers, it is not just out of greed, for to make a man pay (and, as we shall see, she pay him too) is to put He becomes a tool. In this way the woman avoids becoming one with him.A man may think that he "possesses" her, but this sexual possession is an illusion; in a more important economic sense, she possesses him, and her self-esteem is satisfied.She can indulge in a lover's embrace without yielding to a will that does not belong to her; her pleasure can never be "imposed" on herself; it is rather an added benefit.She is not "occupied" because she is paid. However, high-class prostitutes are generally considered to be sexually frigid.Usually she is in control of her moods and sexual feelings, because if she is sentimental or carnal, she is in danger of being dominated by a man who will exploit her or monopolize her or cause her pain.在她所接受的拥抱当中，有许多拥抱（特别是在她开始成名时）使她蒙受耻辱；她对男性傲慢的反抗，通过她的性冷淡表现出来。高级妓女和主妇一样，也随时要靠耍些“小花招”，这使得她们的举止行为显得虚伪狡诈。对男人的这种轻蔑，这种厌恶，清楚地表明了这些女人对在这场雇主和雇员的比赛中取胜，根本没有把握。说实在的，对她们大多数人来说，依附仍然是她们的命运。 任何男人都不绝对是她们的主人。但她们对男人的需要却是极其迫切的。如果他对她不再产生欲望，高级妓女便会完全失去了谋生的手段。刚踏入娼门的人都懂得，她的整个未来都掌握在男人的手中；即使是明星，在失去男性支持时，也会发觉她的声望日渐惨淡。就是最美丽的女人，对明天也会没有把握，因为她的武器是有魔力的，而魔力是反复无常的。她就像“好”妻子受丈夫束缚似的，牢牢地受着她的保护人的束缚。她不但有义务作为床上伙伴为他服务，而且还不得不容忍他的存在、他的谈话。他的朋友，尤其要容忍他的虚荣心的要求。在承担她买高跟鞋或绸缎裙的费用时，女孩子的庇护人在进行一种赢利性的投资；实业家、制片商把珍珠、裘皮披戴在情妇身上时，是想以此来证实他的财富和力量；但不论女人成为赚钱的手段，还是成为花钱的借口，其奴役地位都是一样的，挥霍在她身上的礼品都只能是枷锁。她穿戴的这些长袍，这些珠宝，难道真是属于她的吗？有时，男人在关系破裂以后会要求归还这些物品，尽管是以极不失绅士风度的方式提出的。 为了“控制”她的保护人而又不放弃她的快乐，这种女人会用类似败坏婚姻生活的诡计、花招、谎言和虚伪；即使她只是在假装有奴性，这种游戏本身也还是奴性的。只要她仍保持着她自己的美貌和名望，就能够在临时主人变得讨厌时用另一个取而代之。但是美貌是个令人犯愁的东西，它是一种脆弱的宝藏；高级妓女对她的身体十分依赖，而她的身体随着时间的推移，又在毫不留情地贬值；在她身上，同衰老做斗争表现出最富有戏剧性的形式。她要是有很高的名望，便能够经得住衰老的容貌与形体带来的影响。但是，保持已成为她最可靠财产的名望，又让她处于最坏的专制——舆论的专制之下。好莱坞明星们的屈从是人所共知的。她们的身体不属于她们自己；制片商在决定着她们的发色，她们的体重，她们的体型，她们的类型；为了改变面颊的曲线，也许要拔掉她们的牙齿。节食、健美操、试衣成了日常的负担。赴宴和调情是为了刊登在“个人风貌”的标题之下；私生活只是公共生活的一面。 在法国虽然没有成文的规定，但精明的女人知道她的“名声”要求她什么。拒绝顺从这些要求的明星，将会残忍地或慢慢地然而又是不可避免地失去她的特权地位。只交出身体的妓女也许不那么受奴役，但以取悦于大众为职业的女人在受奴役却是无疑的。一个女人如果“名成功就”，如果在某种真正的职业当中，如在戏剧、音乐、舞蹈当中被承认是一个天才，便会摆脱高级妓女的地位；她能够懂得真正的独立。但是大多数人一生都处于不安定的地位，她们永远需要重新勾引大众和男人。 这种情妇往往把她的依附性内在化了；她尊重公众舆论，承认它的价值；她羡慕上流社会，沿袭它的生活；她希望根据资产阶级的标准得到评价。她是一个寄生于富有的中产阶级的人，因而她接受该阶级的观念；她有“正义感”；以前她很想把女儿送到修道院去受教育，而她本人则在年老体衰、应有的名望发生变化以后去做弥撒。她站在保守派一边。她对自己能够在世界上占有一席之地十分自豪，以至不希望现状有所改变。由于为“成名”而斗争，她无意接受博爱和人类团结的概念；她为成功所付出的奴隶般的顺从实在是太多了，以至不真心希望有普遍的自由。左拉通过《娜娜》的女主人公清楚地说明了这一特征： 娜娜对书本和剧本的主题，有着非常明确的意见：她喜欢风格柔和典雅的作品，喜欢使她的梦想和灵魂得到升华的那一类作品……她愤怒地反对共和党人。他们要求什么，这些没有人味儿的猪猡？难道人民不幸福吗？难道皇上对他们不仁至义尽吗？猪猡的好运无非是变成这种人。她太了解他们了，能够把他们的一切全盘托出……不，这是真的，这些猪猡想建立的共和国将把一切人都推进水深火热之中。哦，愿上帝全力保佑皇上！ 在战时，没有谁能比水性杨花的女人表现得更爱国的了。通过装出来的高贵情感，她们希望跻身于公爵夫人之列。她们的公开言论充满了平庸、偏见和因循守！目的情感，而且往往完全失去了内心的真诚。她们的讲话忽而谎话连篇，忽而夸夸其谈，完全没有意义。高级妓女的整个一生都在演戏；她的品头评足，她的鹦鹉学舌，都不是为了表达自己的思想，而是为了制造效应。和保护人在一起时，她喜欢表演爱情喜剧，有时甚至很认真。在公众舆论面前，她表演尊严和威望的喜剧，她总是以相信自己是一个有德行的完人、神圣的偶像而告终。无法改变的不诚实，在支配着她的内心生活，这使得她有意把谎话说得跟真的似的；她的生活偶尔也会有某种自发的情感；她对爱并不完全陌生；有时她是“那样地”呆在某人的身边，有时她甚至对某个男人“爱得难以忍受”。但是，她若是过分沉迷于任性，沉迷于多愁善感和快感，不久便会失去自己的“地位”。在这些方面，她通常会表现出通奸妻子的全部谨慎；她必须向她的保护人和公众舆论隐瞒还在发生的事情；因而她不可能完全委身于她的情人；他们对她来说只不过是一种转移，一种喘息。况且，她通常会念念不忘自己的成功，不可能忘我地进行真正的恋爱。 至于对其他的女人，高级妓女则十分经常地和她们保持肉欲的爱情关系；由于对专横地对待她的男人怀有敌意，她常常会在女性的怀抱中，找到终止色情生活和进行报复的方式： 娜娜和她的好友萨坦的情况就是如此。正如她希望在世界上能扮演主动角色，以便积极地运用她的自由，她也很想占有其他的人：年轻的男人——她甚至乐于让他成为“受她保护的人”； 或者年轻的女人——她也很高兴对她进行资助。在这些人面前，她任何时候都会是一个具有支配欲的、男性化的人。无论属不属于同性恋，她和一般女人都会有我所描述过的那种复杂关系；她需要她们成为评判的法官和旁观者，成为知己和同谋，以便创造一个所有受男人压迫的女人都很需要的相反的世界。但是，女性竞争在这里却达到了白热化的程度。以她的女人一般性做交易的妓女，有她自己的竞争对手；但是，只要有足够的工作可以忙乎，她们即使发生了争执，也会有一种团结意识。追求个人名声的高级妓女，却会对任何和她一样觊觎特权地位的女人apriori（先验地)怀有敌意。关于女人对女人施展丑行这一熟悉的主题，在这里找到了真正的范例。 高级妓女的最大不幸，不仅在于她的独立性，实际上是她极度依附的欺骗性反映，还在于这种自由本身就是消极的。像瑞棋（Rachel）那样的演员，像伊莎多拉·邓肯那样的舞蹈家，即便接受了男人的帮助，也还是有一个需要她们的能力并能证明她们生存正当性的职业。 她们在所选择的爱和工作中，获得了具体的积极的自由。但是对于大多数女人来说，一门艺术，一种职业，只不过是一种手段：在其他的时候，她们并没有进行真正的设计。尤其是在电影界，明星往往是导演的附属品，这使得她不可能在创造性的活动中有所发明，有所提高。 别人在决定她要扮演的角色；她什么新东西也没有创造。可是女人变成明星的情况仍然相当少见。在这个风流的领域里，由于有严格的规定，无论什么道路都不可能通往超越。这里无聊仍然在伴随着女人，把她限制在内在性当中。左拉对娜娜的描写，把这一点说得很明白： 娜娜虽然过着这么奢侈的生活，又有这么一大堆求爱者，却依然烦恼得要死。她日日夜夜都有男人陪伴，她的钱连梳妆台的抽屉里都是满满的。但是，这一切已经不能使她满足了；她总觉得不知道在什么地方有点空虚，这个空虚的地方，总是在驱动她去渴望。她的生活，永远是无所事事地拖下去，一天又一天地，接连着所做过的永远是与以往同样单调的日子……这种饮食无虞，使得她终日毫不费力地偃卧着，像个修女那样懒散而服贴地入睡，就仿佛变成妓女这一行当的犯人似的。等待男人感到孤独时，她就用低级娱乐来消磨时光。 美国的文学有许多对这种笼罩着好莱坞并在传染着初来乍到的游客的极度无聊的描写。 男演员和临时演员，与处境相同的女人一样感到厌烦。和在法国一样，正式宴会往往带有令人厌倦的义务性质。掌管小明星生活的保护人，是一个较年长的男人，他有不少同龄的朋友； 他们所关心的事和那个年轻女人无关，他们的谈话是死板的；在20岁的小明星和45岁的银行家之间，虽然他们一起过夜，却有着一道比平常的婚姻更深的鸿沟。 高级妓女为之牺牲了快乐、爱情和自由的莫洛克神（theMoloch），就是她的事业。主妇的理想是在她与丈夫、孩子的关系中形成一种稳定健康的气氛。事业虽在通过时间扩展，但它仍只是一种内在的目标，它集中于名声。在社会等级的阶梯上攀登得越高，在广告牌上和人们口碑中的名声也就会越大。攀登者在推进自己的事业时是谨慎还是鲁莽，这要依她的习性而定。有的女人在她的事业中，将会产生一种犹如在房间里迭漂亮衣服的主妇的满足；有的女人则会陶醉于冒险。有些女人只会限于让不断受到威胁的、有时会崩溃的处境不断地保持平衡；有些女人则会永无止境地建立她们的名望，就像通天塔徒劳地指向天空似的。有些女人将风流韵事结合于她们的其他活动，她们似乎是真正的冒险家：这些人是间谍（如马塔·哈里），或是隐藏着的好细。一般她们并不负责提出她们的计划，宁可说她们是男性手中的工具。 但是整个来说，高级妓女的态度和冒险家的态度有点相似；准确地说，她和他一样，也常常介乎于认真和冒险之间；她的目标是指向一些体面的现成价值的，诸如金钱和名声；但她对它们的实现十分看重，就像十分看重对它们的占有；并且，归根结底对她来说，最高价值就是她的主观成功。她同样以虚无主义来为这种个人主义辩护，这种虚无主义或多或少是推论出来的，但实行时却更使人坚信她对男人是怀有敌意的，对其他女人是视为敌人的。此外，如果她十分聪明地感到需要得到道德上的辩护，她就会或多或少求助于彻底同化了的尼采主义：她将去维护高于普通人的优越者的权利，维护高于平民百姓的精英的权利。她觉得她的人身是一种财富，这种财富的纯粹存在是奉献给人类的礼物，以至她在把它奉献给她自己时，声称是为社会服务。为男人献身的女人，注定要受到爱情的困扰；但利用男性的她，却在自我崇拜中迷惘了。她注重自己的名望，并不纯粹是由于经济上的原因——她在名声中寻求的是对她的自恋的神化。