Jack and Jill: A Feminist Perspective
Dr. Anna Liszt
There has been a great deal of speculation lately as to the true
meaning of "Jack and Jill." To one unfamiliar with the idioms of the
day, the meaning is completely muddled to the point of irrelevance.
However, a careful study of the language and customs of the time in
which it was written reveals that it is truly a timeless message.
Jack and Jill may have ascended the hill, but water had little to do
with it. In those days, wells were always in low geographical
locations very near the village center. It is unlikely that the
phrase "to fetch a pail of water" was intended literally.
Turning to the idioms of the time, we discover that it was quite
common for parents to tell their children to fetch water whenever they
wanted the little tykes out of the way. It fell into standard use as
a term for "go perform a meaningless task and get away from me." Now,
studies show that most women consider intimate relations with men to
be a "meaningless task," and that most men are incapable of true
intimacy in this area anyway. This was the message of the work. In
essence, Jack and Jill went to fool around.
The truth of this is shown in the next line. Jack, as many men do in
such situations, "fell down." He fell down on the job. He failed.
It is unclear if he was truly impotent or if he simply failed to
perform satisfactorily, but considering the track record of the male
sex in this area, the distinction is hardly important.
Jack's "crown," of course, is his reputation. He would have lost his
Neanderthal, ape-like bragging rights about "fetching water" with
Jill. His "crown" would have been broken.
Jill, however, being the strong, independent kind of woman so common
in those days, took it upon herself to complete the task. She came by
"tumbling" after Jack's typically dismal performance. "Tumbling,"
obviously, is a misnomer. The popular term of the day was "thumbing,"
but the men who dominated the publishing arena would never have
allowed the term to be used, because it threatened their long-held
belief that they were necessary to women's fulfillment. Among
friends, the term "tumbling" was often used in women's culture so that
they could converse without fear of being overheard. It served to
shield the fragile male ego and preventing the speaker from suffering
further retaliatory oppression.
I am pleased to have been able to clear this up.
Dr. Anna Liszt
Director,
Manheim Educational Nexus for Studies of Universal Knowledge (MENSUK)
Gene Royer
Dr. Anna Liszt <theg...@m4.interserv.com> wrote in article
<351f8419...@news.newsguy.com>...
Pretty funny, whoever you are. And telling, too.
--Geno<who once went to Manheim and can verify every word>Royer
