Feminism in the New Age
Elon Shore
MaryAnne Guzman
Daniela Perez
The topic of feminism and women’s rights is a key idea in The New Age magazine. Feminism, as used by the writers of The New Age, focused on women’s suffrage in the late 1900s in Britain and is defined as the struggle to obtain equality of the political and moral rights of women. The New Age printed various viewpoints about this topic from different writers, editors, and readers that spanned many issues. The discussion began with the writings of the suffragette Teresa Billington-Greig, continued with the inflammatory anti-feminist opinions of Belfort Bax combined with the strong reaction they created, and carried on with the many opinions from readers. These views were not just confined in the articles but were also found in the advertisements and manifestos. As a result, The New Age created a discourse with controversial and differing opinions about women’s suffrage that defined feminism in a holistic way.
One writer in particular, Teresa Billington Greig, was a featured writer promoting women's suffrage. In the May 9th issue in 1907, the second issue of the magazine, Teresa Billington-Grieg wrote the article, “Women’s Right to Vote” that highlights the history of women’s rights in Britain and the need for women’s suffrage. She also introduces the idea of protected and unprotected women. Protected women also known as married women are meant to stay inside and take care of the household. Unprotected women are meant to be hostesses and carry on entertainment. Even though there are differences, she argues that “by the law, and in the minds of the mass of men, women are still regarded as a kind of property.” (Vol 1 number 2, pg 24) In order to be seen as more than just property, women must regain the right to vote. This law will protect women and make them part of general society. Billington was forceful in her writing in advocating for a woman's right to vote.
The New Age became a platform for the voices of many suffragists. Teresa Billington Greig in particular, began her fierce and powerful rebellion against anti feminists in the Modernist era in the pages of The New Age. She was featured monthly in the magazine to demand equal political rights for all women. She often used the words “demands” and “rebellion” in much of her early writings. Reforms were seen as sinister, despicable and betraying to the Women’s Suffrage movement. The New Age lends its support to feminists by valuing their political stance, opinion, and manifesto in many issues. This important topic had a place in the New Age from the very beginning of its circulation.
As she continued to publish her writings, her deamnds became attacks on the Socialists in Britain. In the May 23 issue of The New Age titled “Woman’s Right to Vote; Short-sighted Socialists”, Billington-Greig referred to the Socialists as being neglectful and hypocritical to the movement. She states that Socialists “point to their national constitutions, to their bases and statements of principle …, But what practical bearings have these things upon their everyday works and words?” (page 6) Here, Billington has referred to the socialists as being hypocritical to the movement. In addition to her writing, other writers published articles about the philosophy of women's suffrage, the overall political movement, and the public perception of the political movement. In May 23rd issue of 1907, the paper begins with the Political Outlook and the fourth topic is titled “The Future of Woman’s Suffrage”. This brief snippet analyzes the political price politician’s face running purely as “Suffragists”. The paper agrees that the political price is too high for politicians to depend solely on this label. However, the writers do applaud the tactics of public display and protest by the suffragists as a method of beginning public dialogue about the subject. Suffrage is a topic that was the center of many issues in The New Age.
No discussion about feminism in The New Age can be complete without the writings and opinions of Mr. Belfort Bax.His views on feminism and his anti-feminism views spawned many a disparaging response. Mr. Bax's first article in the May 30th issue in 1908 (vol III, number 5) called “Feminism and Female Suffrage” was the highlight of the issue. In the article Mr. Bax criticizes women who, already under the protection of their husbnads, want the right to vote and be protected by the law; “among all the women’s rights advocates I am not aware of one who, in her zeal for equality between the sexes, has ever suggested abolishing the right of maintenance of the wife by the husband.” (page 8) He argues that women are well protected by the law through the binding contract of marriage. He continues that since women have the benefit of this protection, they do not need to have the right to vote. Fully aware of the severity of Mr. Bax's opinions, the editors of The New Age wrote in bold letters that a counter-arguments would be published in the next issue.
Responses to Bax's article came swiftly from Milicent Murby's "Undiluted Masculinism" on June 20th 1908 Vol III No. 8. It is filled with harsh language and metaphors that painted Bax as antiquated as she writes "to quit metaphor, however, and come to the point. Mr. Bax says it is a flagrant and a brazen falsehood that non-enfranchised womanhood is groaning under the oppression of unjust man-made laws, and he alleges that the real facts furnish a powerful argument against what he calls the “ Suffragettes’ propaganda. ” Does he mean to suggest that women are not legally excluded from the franchise (they are not, as a matter of fact, but the contrary is generally assumed)?” (page 8) Her methods of disputing his argument, both coy and clear, are important to how women are viewed in the magazine. She wants to know why the family structure, which is restrictive to women, would be the very reason that they should inhibit women from having the right to vote at all. She continues, “Mr. Bax is like Marie Antoinette when the people were starving for want of bread: “Can’t they eat cake?” he cries.” (page 9) She uses the historical metaphor of the out of touch French Queen beautifully to show the indifference of his argument in the real life world of women.
The writers of The New Age were not the only with up-roaring opinions about feminism. In fact, the readers’ opinions of the writers’ views on feminism were perhaps the most realistic of the modern age, demonstrating how society was dealing with it at the time. In the early World War I issues of The New Age, when feminism seemed to calm down from the views of the writers in the early years of The New Age, the readers demonstrate to up hold their beliefs and when the controversial topic appears to be dying out, revive it. This is demonstrated with readers like Audrey Mary Cameron in the August 1914 article, whose letter to the editor makes feminism and women’s suffrage a hot, debatable topic of the time.
Just when the nation seems to be supporting women voices in magazines like The New Age, the opinions of some women advocating the end to “passing [of] a measure for women’s enfranchisement,” undo some of the progress made by the nation. Cameron suggests terminating the feminist movement, “noisy,” and “dangerous,” because it is a male-dominated government and “man’s league” where women should not be a part of. The New Age publicizes opinions of opponents and proponents of feminism like Cameron and other readers and writers that disagree with her.
The differing opinions found in the articles are also reflected in the advertisements. Advertisements mirrored the contrasting perspective on women’s place in British society. The dichotomy between domestic and feminist lifestyles reverborate throughout each issue. For example, the March 20th 1907 (Vol II, number 22) issue had two contradicting advertisements that reflect the articles. On one side, there is an advertisement for Hudson soap that appeals to the domestic women.
“A WOMAN TALKED.SHE talked about the beauty and cleanliness of her clothes and home -- of the saving of labour, time and money- a-n d of a genial, comforting household brightness. She was a regular user of HUDSON’S SOAP.” P431
This advertisement symbolizes what some people believe a woman should be. Later on in this very issue, an advertisement targets very different type of woman:
A CONFERENCE ON EMPLOYMENT FOR EDUCATED WOMEN will be held at CAXTON HALL, WESTMINSTER, on APRIL 2nd at 2.45 p.m, and APRIL 3rd, at 2.45 p m and 7.45 p.m.
Subjects : The Economic Position of Women. Architecture as a Profession for Women. The Newer Openings for Women. The Communal
Kitchen. Home Economics (King’s College Scheme). Teaching in Trade Schools. Civil Service (New Regulations and Openings). ADMISSIOFNRE E. RESERVED SEATs 1S. each.
Apply to CENTRAL BUREAU FOR EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, 9, Southhampton Street, London
Here, the advertisement is promoting and inviting women to get out of the house and into the work force. This shows an empowering symbol of women rejecting their domestic roles. The fact that these two advertisements stand side by side in one issue shows the continuing dialogue seen throughout the journals.
Modernism is a movement that broke traditions and rejected the Victorian ancestry. It allowed for the new views and opinions to be expressed together. Dissecting The New Age through a feminists lense shows the different dimensions that the Modernists were trying to advocate. The differing views were perceived and embraced by The New Age community to produce a real dialogue that exposes the issue as it unfolded during the era. Across the different mediums within the journal, each side was given the opportunity to express their views. The New Age discussed feminism in a manner that was true to its modernist roots.
