During class, we discussed Powel’s Confessions of a Recovering Misogynist in which the author discusses his struggles with misogyny. We mentioned how, though his declaration of such a negative trait willingly exposes himself to the ridicule, his tone remains haughty throughout. As if the author expects some praise for common decency. While reading over the passage again I saw that, while he admits his problems and acknowledges his faults, he still blames his mother. He states his continuous fear of her, of her beatings, and I think back to what started that conflict. It dawns on me that the cause of that conflict just also happens to be the one person who escaped Powel’s blame: his father. According to him, his bad behavior and his subsequent beatings began after his father walked out on them. It was his father who left “Per his socialization--and to the next mating call” (56-57). His fight was never with women. The women and he were all trying to survive in the wake of, pardon my French, male bullshit. His mother dealt (poorly) with his father dumping the family and took it out on him. His fellow student was struggling to be heard and he responded by pulling a knife. It took court ordered therapy before he realized his problem. His mind somehow twisted these events and placed the blame on all women. His environment and further BS twisted his perception of women and turned him into a misogynist. What he really failed to realize was that women were never to blame for his problems. The domino of horrible events that led to his hatred was, in fact, started by another man.
What got me was the "I'm no hero" bit in the impact font as though he were announcing that -- like Count Olaf would about allowing those orphans into his home.
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