The Battles of the Kates: Sexual Politics and The Plumed Serpent

Abstract

Kate Millett’s well-known book Sexual Politics (1970) proved a powerful weapon for women who were battling against domination by men. In it, Millett sought to establish the political aspects of sex and to show how patriarchy is a political institution. Furthermore, in seeking to illuminate the inherent misogyny of the literary tradition, she singled out four authors for particular condemnation. One of these was D.H. Lawrence. But what made Millett’s attack on Lawrence even more damning was th...