Fascinating Womanhood / Total Woman / Created to be his Helpmeet

[plaingirly]

Does anyone follow any of these books and guidelines?

I found them in a charity shop - I guess someone had them all and donated them as I have never seen anything similar there before - and have just skimmed through them.

[CryptoFascist]

Absolutely not.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

What the f is a "Helpmeet"?

[CryptoFascist]

A subjugated slave I think, Fuckitt

[plaingirly]

Fascinating Womanhood seems to be the best of the three.

Helpmeet - Christian thing - Eve was created to be Adam's helpmeet. Odd book - just read a bit about the husband chucking rubbish on the floor and the wife picking it up.

Total Woman seems to be like Fascinating Womanhood but with sex.

Fascinating Womanhood seems to be about being feminine and childlike (????) and not being like a man in any way. Maybe a bit manipulative.

These are supposed to be popular books - wondering what it would really be like living by them. Some people must!

[CryptoFascist]

Lots of things are popular, doesn't make them a good idea.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Oh FFS, what century is it again?

[tallwivglasses]

I'd love to know the story behind how they ended up in a charity shop...

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Probably because since "Fahrenheit 451", nobody likes to burn books anymore, regardless of how much they deserve to be incinerated...

[Flobbadobs]

Get rid. Seriously, put them in a bag, don't read them, don't pass them to a charity shop for someone else to pick up, shred them or do whatever to get them into the bin they should have been put in.
Sounds a bit OTT doesn't it? They are, in a nutshell, Christian Fundamentalist tracts designed to convince women they are put on Earth to serve their husbands and to raise their children in the same way. I believe they are based on the book of Proverbs. Think the Duggar Family.
I've seen a good friend destroyed by this, please get rid x

[tallwivglasses]

Oh, you bought them?

I think you should make some cool feminist art out of them

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

"I'd love to know the story behind how they ended up in a charity shop..."

"Darling!" shouted Arthur, as he walked into the house, semi-hidden behind a large bunch of flowers, a plastic bag over one arm. "I'm home!"
Beryl patted the rubber gloves where she'd left them on the draining board, smoothed her hair and swallowed slightly.
"I'm glad you're back early" she called back nervously. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you"
"Had a good day?" said Arthur, breezily walking into the kitchen placing his purchases by the rubber gloves. "All hell's broken loose at work. Martin's been on the warpath. I tell you, if it wasn't for me, that place would have gone tits up years ago. What's for supper? Did you remember to call the dry-cleaners? Hello boy!" he added, happily ruffling the fur of Jackson, their golden retriever.
"I've not cooked anything for supper" said Beryl quietly, not meeting his gaze. Her subsequent "We need to talk" was addressed to the back of his head as he disappeared into the living room with the newspaper.
"No supper?" called back Arthur irritably. "For god's sake Beryl, you only do that silly job of yours part-time. I knew you wouldn't be able to cope. Look." He reappeared at the doorway briefly, his voice kinder. "I thought you'd been looking a bit down lately, not keeping on top of the housework, letting yourself go, that kind of thing. I didn't want to say anything. Know how touchy you can be. So I saw these books as I was passing Waterstones. One of the guys at work, his wife had similar problems to you and he says reading these bucked her up no end. Think of it as an early birthday present. Did you get me some more scotch?" he waggled a glass at her before disappearing again.
Beryl sighed and got the scotch out of the cupboard. After thirty years married to Arthur, she was used to being ignored, taken for granted, taking third place after the scotch, the dog, the newspaper, her re-entry into the job market belittled. Which was why she'd decided today it was all over. Her bags were packed on the landing and she'd arranged to spend the weekend with her sister in Chapel-en-le-Frith. She had a vague idea that if she disappeared for long enough he'd actually notice she'd gone. Only half paying attention, she opened the bag containing the books, turning them over and read the titles. 'Fascinating Womanhood'. Beryl paused. 'Total Woman' Her brow furrowed as she read the sleeve notes. 'Created to be his Helpmeet'.
She straightened. Picking up the whisky bottle, she carried it into the living room where Arthur sat with his back to her in his favourite armchair, reading the newspaper, tumbler on the table by his side, Jackson happily stretched out at his feet. Raising the bottle she brought it down remarkably hard on the back of Arthur's head. A lifetime of resentment in a single fatal blow. She was surprised at her own strength but satisfied that both the bottle and most of Arthur's skull remained intact. Less mess to clear up that way. Jackson idly lifted his head before settling back down. Beryl once again smoothed her hair, poured a measure of scotch, drank it, and refilled the glass. Shortly before calling the police, she rang her sister to cancel the weekend. "I'm so sorry" she explained "Arthur's had a very bad week. Besides, there are some books I've been meaning to take to the charity shop"

[MissHuffy]

Cogito, I think I love you... (It's BelleDameSansMerci btw - in case you'd recognise that name rather than this one).

Couldn't she bury the body in Chapel-en-le-Frith though? All that moorland?

[TheDarkestNight]

The books are appalling. I'd say they're not worth the paper they're written on, but that would be to understate how much damage they can do.
Cogito's, are you a writer?

[TheDarkestNight]

Cogito*

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

There's a lovely short story where the wife brains the husband with a frozen leg of lamb... puts it in the oven, goes out, comes back, feigns horror at the terrible scene, calls the police.... who all end up tucking into the murder weapon with a few roast potatoes on the side. :) In my story Beryl will be convicted of manslaughter with diminished responsibility, escape a custodial sentence & move to Chapel-en-le-Frith where her career takes off and she happily lives out her days with Brian, a well-endowed modern man who never touches scotch.

[Lovingfreedom]

Created to be his Helpmeet? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
...good luck with that one guys! lol...I'm off to the shops to enjoy some 'Fascinating Womanhood'.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I write all the time ... very poor stuff that no publisher in their right mind would entertain. :)

[Lovingfreedom]

As long as Brian takes the bins out Cogito ... like your story... Although not as exciting, I also like the version where Arthur moves out to a rented flat to fend for himself while Beryl keeps the house, goes full time at work and gets promoted, realises how fab she is and rubs her new life-style of shopping, socialising and sex in Arthur's sad little face.

[QueenofWhatever]

Love it cogito, but would love to read lovingfreedom's outline. I'd like Arthur to be made redundant, get a part-time minimum wage job and learn to live on universal credit.

[MaBaya]

Helpmeet? The word alone makes me shudder.

[Dryjuice25]

I am twisted so I'd like Arthur to lose her and start hearing voices and go a bit loopy....poor chap....

5yrs later she has her own business and she receives Businesswoman of the Year award and gives a moving speech about how 5 years ago this seemed like pie in the sky...whilst he's since contracted Aids from his use of prostitutes and is clinically depressed and unemployed and severely diminished. She is now married to his best mate and are expecting their twins ha ha ha

Cogito - I would read your work any day....

[TheDarkestNight]

Cogito, have you tried sending anything to a publisher? Just a thought, Beryl and Arthur's story was really readable. I know nothing about writing except from reading, though.

[OneMoreGo]

I love you, Cogito. You should write for a living, I agree.
I also really liked the Roald Dahl story where the woman kills her husband with the leg of lamb and then has the police eat it. There is also a creepy one by him where a woman whose husband always bullies and hurries her to leave the house on time and is emotionally abusive gets locked in a lift in their home (by her) just before the wife leaves on a months holiday

[MinnieFrittata]

Created?

That word alone would have me chucking the books in the bin.

I'd read your books too Cogito.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

You're all very kind.