Analysis Of Nietzsche´s Seven Little Sayings On Women

Another of the more offensive and bothersome comments—according to men—made by Nietzsche concerning women is also found in Beyond Good and Evil in the section entitled “Seven Little Sayings on Women.” This section states “men have treated women hitherto like birds… something which has to be caged up so that it shall not fly away” (166). Maudemarie Clark, a feminist writer, upon her first reading of this passage, translated it to mean women were a “possession, as property that can be locked” away by men (189). This is obviously a misogynistic statement and translation as it stands, the reference of a woman as property or belonging to a man is certainly derogatory. Nietzsche does not stop there however. He continues to say “the weak sex has
Now, I am not suggesting that Nietzsche was an open and active feminist. Instead, I find Nietzsche’s works to be full of metaphors and irony that may reveal a discontented member of patriarchal society using his comments on women as a discourse on the issues. This theory of interpretation is not born of nothing, nor is it constructed by feminist groups who desire to use Nietzsche’s works to further their cause. Instead, this theory is born out of Nietzsche’s own words. Nietzsche was “quite taken with theatrical metaphors” and viewed the very act of waking up each day as a metaphor for closing the curtain on the dreams of night (Safranski 38). Since Nietzsche was so taken with metaphors, it is not a leap to assume that metaphors carried over into his philosophical theories. Several theorists and feminists have used this interpretation of Nietzsche to revisit and review Nietzsche works and in doing such, find a new way to interact with Nietzsche. When reading Nietzsche metaphorically, the “role of women is related to that of truth in Nietzsche’s writing” and allows for the passages concerning truth to be read as a positive statement towards the nature of women (Abbey 234). A feminist reading of the statement “woman is truth” can be translated to reveal woman as the virtuous source of truth, not influenced or corrupted by the social sphere. In his work On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral
To approach this theorist with no previous knowledge of his work or his potential meanings can be harmful or hazardous. Such was my experience. I was ready to dismiss Nietzsche without knowing anything more about him or the importance of his work. It took research to find that Nietzsche’s work can be interpreted in various ways and can be used to aid several categories of readers in strengthening their causes or cases. Nietzsche work is universal and while some of his comments against women cannot be excused or dismissed, they can be read in ways that remove the degradation of women. This is important to understand and it is more important to take the time to educate yourself and others on the potential that Nietzsche has to offer. Without understanding the ways in which to read Nietzsche, you may dismiss a brilliant man who may have been revolutionizing the world with his