Cat Lady on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat Lady on a Hot Tin Doll's House

Chapter Four

THE SECOND LECTURE -- Faulkner's "Sanctuary" - Part 1 January 27, 2066

In her second lecture at Old South University in Yoknapatawpha, Professor Emily Fuchs gave an extensive introduction to the life and work of William Faulkner which took up much of the lecture hour. Before turning to the subject of Faulkner's Sanctuary, she reminded the lecture attendees that the course had been described as being for mature adults and that it was "not too late to drop the course if you do not wish to address themes involving sex and violence."

"Sanctuary" is violent by the standards of about any time, involving two murders, three hangings and at least one rape, Professor Fuchs stated. The first movie based on it, which was much less graphic than the book, led to movie censorship at Hollywood.

Professor Fuchs noted that all the male characters are deeply flawed people, alcoholics, criminals and weaklings, and that Popeye is a psycho killer. "I don't know what it says about Faulkner that there is not a male in the book who is a half-way decent human being."

Professor Fuchs said that she wanted to focus on the women and what Faulkner thought and wrote about women in southern society of the 1920s.

Fuchs lectured that Ruby Lamar is the lower-class typical "stand by your man" southern woman who lives with a criminal and the child that she had with him. Miss Reba who runs a Memphis brothel is the most sane, kind and strong of the women in the book.

"At the center of the story is Temple Drake, the irresponsible society babe, daughter of a judge, who flirts around, takes the horrible risk of playing hokey with a caddish preppy young drunkard, and pays for her imprudence by becoming the victim of a grotesque sexual assault and sex slavery.

"We are going to focus today on the period before the assault; that is the recklessness that got Temple in the farm with bootlegger Godwin, Ruby and Popeye. Much of this contains suspense of the best of the damsel in distress tradition. Next week we will deal with Temple Drake's amazing transformation into a wanton woman seemingly at home in a Memphis brothel."

Professor Fuchs went on to discuss in detail Temple Drake's place in southern society before the assault, her frivolous decision to get in the car with a drunken dandy, the contrast between her and Ruby Lamar, the hard long-suffering lower class woman, and the creepy pursuit of Drake by Popeye leading to the murder of Tommy and the rape.

THE SECOND SEMINAR SESSION

"I trust we can all agree that Temple should not have violated university rules and accepted a ride from Gowan Stevens," Professor Fuchs began the seminar.

All the women did agree. A discussion followed of women taking risks and the extent of the need for women to be protected even when they did not want protection.

Nora brought up that women still risk their bodies for fun and adventure. She admitted that she liked to play roulette on the boats occasionally even though she realizes that it is not very smart to do so. "We risk our money and our bodies to get more money and pleasure."

Christine Lind mentioned that historically what women were expected to do placed their persons at considerable risk. "I don't think we know exactly but it seems that until fairly recently in evolutionary terms every pregnancy placed the woman at somewhere between a 5% and a 10% risk of dying, often in a very painful fashion. That is perhaps why so much attention is paid in traditional societies to getting women to be fertile. It seems that in traditional societies, women who did what the tribe wanted started having children as soon as they could. A woman who died as a result of her twelfth pregnancy at age 35 having six surviving children was a big success as a human being in Darwinian terms."

"The safe thing for a woman to do if she wanted to live a long and comfortable life was to become a nun or vestal virgin. Some children are the children of rape, of course, but in the main, we are all descended from women who risked their lives by having sex. What is foolish for an individual may be indispensable for the species."

"Well yes," Madison said, "but Temple Drake engaged in risky behavior that was not likely to lead to useful reproductive sex. Faulkner does not condemn Ruby Lamar for opening her womb to a murderous bootlegger and seems to sympathize with her. Temple ran off with a drunken guy of her social class who was obviously a poor example of his species. That is the scandal."

Virginia said that what Loretta Alt did seems very safe in comparison. Several women laughed. Emma looked at Virginia as though she remembered Virginia acting boldly in her youth and said, "Virginia, you sure took some chances and still do I think."

Virginia gave out a smile somewhere between pride and embarrassment.

Donna suggested that she can understand Temple taking wild risks and she can understand women like Loretta Alt doing so. "One can get so bored doing what one is supposed to do."

"I can second that," Codie said. "Perhaps, Christine can tell us that female risk taking like what Temple did is the result of hard-wired evolutionary inclinations necessary to get women to spread their thighs to receive sperm."

"I did not quite say that. Women who take really stupid risks don't survive. But it is clear that women that are too prudent with their persons don't pass on their genes," Christine said.

"I think girls who take stupid risks and are raped should just get over it instead of making a big deal about it," Emma said. Blake gasp but Nora and Crimson agreed.

"What are we to say of the women who risk becoming free use sex objects in the auctions we have going on in Memphis either because they need money or just as a lark because they are bored?" Virginia Talmadge asked without thinking over much as to whether this had anything much to do with Temple Drake's bad choice.

"That seems to be entirely different to me, mother," Nora said. "Women taking the risk of becoming free use indentured servants are risking losing some things but, even if they do become FUSOs, they are not risking their lives and they are not taking themselves out of the gene pool. In fact, they are almost guaranteeing that their genes will survive at least another generation as they all get pregnant from constant sex even though the boats try to limit the number of pregnancies."

"That's true," Crimson sort of giggled out. "Maybe becoming a comfortable sex slave under modern medical conditions is the best thing you can do from Darwin's point of view."

"Yes, becoming whores on the boats is the best thing some of you girls can do," Emma blurted out in a tone that said she wasn't joking.

"Emma, control yourself," Virginia Talmadge said in cheerfull way that seemed to make clear that Talmadge did not really care what Emma blurted out.

"Rather than become a breeding toy on a boat, it might be still safer to be committed to an insane asylum and donate eggs," Blake said sarcastically. "That way, one could propagate one's genetic material but not have to subject oneself to sex at all. More than ever, a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle."

"I think we have gotten pretty far from Faulkner," Professor Fuchs said. "But that's alright as it is time to go to dinner."

The talk over dinner was more diverse than the seminar discussion. Madison and Kimmy talked about how they were having trouble covering school expenses and wished there was some sort of student loan programs like what had been abolished 40 years before. They did not know what they were going to do.

Avery Gelt said that one of her children was going to require a lot of surgery. She was very thankful that Robert earned such a good salary at Servant Services Inc. that they did not have to worry about money and the lack of any national health insurance in the south did not matter to them.

Crimson talked about parties she was going to that weekend at two different frats including XYY. XYY was sort of famous around campus for the general horniness and sexual aggressiveness of its members, but she thought that made their parties more fun. "As some old actress said, 'let men be men.'"

Madison and Kimmy admitted going to a XYY party and barely escaping with any dignity intact. "I'm ashamed to say, though," Kimmy said, "that I hooked up a few times with a few of those guys. They are very aggressive, one might say 'sex-crazed.' They are the most notorious frat on the campus."

"They are very near being closed down," Codi said.

Madison was about to confess something too when Donna said she was going scuba diving in Florida to see a bunch of motels and houses that had gone underwater in the last twenty years. "Underwater archeology has gotten to be quite a tourist attraction in Florida these days."

THE PETTING ZOO

Virginia Talmadge was still on a campaign to get Emily out of the house and about town, but the trip for this Saturday was something Virginia wanted to do for herself. Virginia had worked out a perfect evening in which Emily, Robert Gelt, Randall Calhoun, Judge Skip O'Hara, a close friend of hers, and she would have dinner about 20:30 in Holly Springs in the restaurant with the young men wearing little. After dinner, she, Emily and the judge would go as guests of Robert Gelt and Randall Calhoun to the Petting Zoo on the third floor of the building that the restaurant was in.

Although Virginia knew she would probably be disgusted at what was happening in the Petting Zoo, Virginia had always wanted to visit there out of curiosity.

Emily Fuchs was coming along just because Virginia said she should. Emily could not afford to offend Virginia, her host in Yoknapatawpha.

The dinner in the steak house featured beef and beefcake was as it had during Emily's first visit. This time, though, after a couple Old Fashions on a Saturday night, Virginia was making less of an effort to conceal her appreciation of the almost naked male bodies. This amused Judge O'Hara who used Virginia's interest in the men to suggest that maybe an older man might be able to help Virginia later.

Randall and Robert whispered vulgar jokes when the waiters inevitably accidentally brushed their genitals against a table, chair, another waiter or a patron who got up to use a restroom. As young men, the waiters also got erections for no obvious reason which caused Virginia to make suggestive remarks and to offer her opinion that size did matter to a point but that after that, added size did not matter and eventually became a negative.

Emily, wearing the same dress she'd worn to the Gelt party, focused on her lobster. She was trying to avoid beef of any sort. She held her drinking to one glass of white wine although Messrs. Gelt and Calhoun often suggested she have more.

About 23:00, the party went up to the Petting Zoo Club where Randall Calhoun had made reservations for a table near the center of the redlight lit room. There was a dance floor where some people were dancing, including several naked women dancing with club members wearing suits. But that was not what shocked Virginia and Emily.

On small platforms spaced around the room were attractive women wearing nothing. The women were of a variety of ethnic origins and seemed to be aged between 19 and 40. They were posing as obscene statues.

Emily was stunned to recognize one of the girls from the ice cream shop on a little platform kneeling with her legs spread enough to expose her neatly shaved pudenda with her arms tightly behind her back to throw her attractive busts out as far as possible. The young woman's eyes were not focused, and her expression was blank. From time to time patrons of the lounge would casually squeeze or stroke the woman's breasts and there was a vibrator on the platform next to her if anyone wanted to use it.

That young woman was in a comparatively dignified position. Other women were seated silently with a stripper pole pushing against their genitals. Two others of the naked women on little platforms in the lounge were seated on vibrators that seemed to have vibrating dildos. These women were clearly not expected to maintain a straight face and from time to time one of them would giggle uncontrollably, groan softly, or become rigid and then relax again.

Emily thought of how quiet the new vibrators were in 2066, but still found it unnerving to be trying to drink a glass of wine in a bar and carry on a halfway normal conversation in a room with a half dozen women being fondled and stimulated in various ways.

Emily said nothing of the display, but Virginia Talmadge looked shocked and let out "Oh my God," when she realized what was happening with the women on vibrators. "I would be mortified, mortified, even if I was in ecstasy much of the time, particularly if I was in ecstasy much of the time."

"You guys come here just to have drinks and look at the sex slaves," Virginia said after she calmed down.

"You know they are not slaves, they are indentured servants," Randall said, "and, yes, although more services are available, I just come here to drink and chat with friends like I am doing now. I find it more interesting and relaxing than being in a bar filled with T.V. screens and football games."

About when "other services" were mentioned, Emily observed one of the waitresses, they were all topless, pass a note to the ice cream shop girl. She promptly got up and went to a door in the back of the room. She was followed by a rather tall, stout man who looked like he came from the golf course. Virginia saw this also.

"Are they going back to do what I think they are," Virginia asked.

"Assuming you are not thinking that they are going to one of the bedrooms to play Parcheesi, yes, I think they are doing exactly what you think they are doing. They are almost certainly going to fuck," Robert said.

"OH my god," Virginia said again. After a pause, she asked, "Does the Club charge for that?"

"Of course," Robert replied. "It shows up on the check separate from the entries for drinks. One is not expected to tip the waitress on that portion of the check."

"Oh my god," Virginia said yet again while yet again making a shocked face. "Somehow I did not realize that a place like this existed so close to Yoknapatawpha. Memphis and New Orleans, yes, but not here."

"Behind the closed doors of the most conservative homes and establishments, things often go on that would make the liberals up north blush," Randall stated.

"Do you do business here? This would be considered an extremely hostile work environment in Northern Ohio," Emily said.

"Business meetings are generally held in boring office buildings in Memphis. There are too many distractions here," Robert answered.

"Are all the women indentured servants" Emily asked.

"No, the waitresses generally are not. Of the women on the little stages, some are just working as decorations for the night. They often don't have sex and just stay on the little platforms, but they are free to have sex with men who ask if they want," Randall answered.

"Virginia and I are not the only clothed women here. Do normal women come here for drinks?"

"A minority of the patrons are women, but some women seem to enjoy coming here."

"They probably enjoy watching other women be humiliated." Virginia offered. "There is just no denying that there are some women who take a perverse pleasure in watching other women be humiliated. It's probably a small minority of women but I know a few."

"Also, from books I've read, I think there are men who enjoy taking dates to places where women are humiliated and subordinated. I think it sends a message to the dates as to what is expected of them," Emily said.

"That doesn't explain why the most of women who were taken here look like they are enjoying themselves," Virginia said.

"Perhaps they are imagining that the men they are with will be more enthusiastic in bed the night after watching such a spectacle?" Judge O'Hara offered smiling at Virginia.

"Maybe they are imagining themselves naked, being forced to have an orgasm in front of a room full of people or being used as whores?" Virginia said. "Are you, Emily."

"Absolutely not," Emily said sharply without thinking about whether that answer was true or false.

What was happening to a kneeling woman about Emily's age caught her eye. She had a great figure, of course, all the women in the club had great figures, and chestnut colored hair. She had pierced nipples with golden rings in the piercings. One man began running ice cubes over her nipples while another man held a vibrator up to her shaven pussy. The woman closed her eyes and began to breath more and more rapidly before making a little moan but no other sound as she seemed to tremble from head to toe.

Observing Emily's observation of the woman, Judge O'Hara said, "They are making a public show of Suzanne Roth today. It will be interesting to see what she does when she gets done with her servitude in a couple years in 2068.

"It's been about seven years since her programing firm went bust. She was a child prodigy at 18 and with her partner, Ted Campbell, built up one of the major consulting firms in Atlanta but ran into big problems during the 2058 crash. Given the new bankruptcy laws that count one's body and personal abilities as among one's assets, both she and Ted had to go into indentured servitude to pay off personal debts they had contracted to try to save the firm.

"Ted will be working as an unpaid consultant and general step-and-fetch-it for Melus Knox's social media firm for the foreseeable future. He basically lives at the job although I don't think any of the people at the firm, other than Knox himself, has any malice against Ted. His sex life is probably over and he may live long enough to get out of debtor's servitude.

"Because she was an attractive woman, however, Roth was able to raise enough to pay off her debts in a mere eight years by selling herself as both a programing expert and a free-use sex object for that period.

Roth elected to get as much out of her sex servitude as she could. Roth had some enemies who said they'd pay much more if there were no restrictions in her servitude other than the legally required ones. This pleased the bankers who just wanted to get everything back on her personal guarantees as soon as position. Consequently, Roth offered herself for eight years after determining that that would be sufficient to clear her debts completely and, as it was, she got to keep a bit of the auction money for herself as more was raised than necessary. She's free use every night after 6:00 after working for Fucker Mountain Inc. for ten hours.

"Roth's enemies have been going out of their way to humiliate her for the last six years. What you are shocked by now is pretty light compared to some of the ways in her first years of servitude that they worked to make her life miserable and try to make it impossible for her to hold her head up after she paid off her debts.

"They work her generally 8 hours a day as a sex worker in addition to her 10 hours programing, 18 hours total, which is as much as the law allows in Tennessee. Just for spite, they've had her used as a free use sex toy in a colonial style punishment goal and at corporate parties and made films of her being used for sex in the most obscene manner.

"Many people believe that her former competitors and other Roth haters have gone too far in exploiting a woman who didn't do anything more than try to save her company by giving personal guarantees on some loans. But in a free market, that's the way the cookie can crumble.

"I've even heard of people threatening to boycott Fucker Mountain because of the corporation's mistreatment of Roth and a number of other people, but the corporation has a monopoly in several areas and agreements with Knox's O Corporation to further limit consumer options. I guess it's too bad that the antitrust laws are not enforced.