Hong Kong Girl Power

I just finished reading James Clavell's novel entitled Noble House, a book set in Hong Kong during the 1960s. It definitely isn't a book for everyone. At times the book was morally depressing, especially when I would encounter descriptions of promiscuity that seemed to saturate society. Yet, the story was enticing enough to motivate me to finish the one thousand odd pages. Plus, my travels in Asia enhanced my reading of the book. At times I could actually visualize the places described in the novel.

Casey, one of the few predominate female characters in the book, truly intrigued me. She represented an almost non-existent fraction of Hong Kong's world at that time. She was educated as well as exquisitely beautiful. She insisted to be treated as an equal in the business world full of chauvinist men who only viewed women as objects of pleasure. She was a career woman, striving to make "drop dead money" just like the big boys. She viewed the "pill" as liberating. According to her, women were finally at the same level as men - pleasure without consequence. But she was alone. Yet, interestingly enough, she still desired what most women dream of: a faithful husband and a family.

Casey struggled throughout the novel. She desired egalitarianism. She tried to use her assertive nature to prove her point. But often she was forced to play the traditional female role. At times she had to resort to classic female manipulation to obtain her rights, a behaviour that she detested in her revivals. As a woman, she seemed misplaced. However, she was admired greatly by men of dignity and integrity who could see past her beauty.

I have been working through a devotional journal off and on over the past month. I use the book mostly for writing whatever I desire to think about. But, I do read the journal prompts and reflect on the thoughts offered by the author Vicki Courtney. The following quote caught my attention:

The radical women's liberation movement that took place in our day has evolved into the domineering and aggressive "girl power" movement of today. Peddled through teen fashion magazines, media, and the education system, the message is clear: It's all about you. You can have it all. You set the rules. Do whatever feels good and gets you what you want. (pg. 10)

Vicki's conclusion got me thinking about Casey's story in the overall plot of Noble House. I believe Clavell does an excellent job of showing that while Casey achieved a level of success that only men were able to attain in the past, she did not have it all. She was very alone in a man's world. While she tried to set the rules of her own personal life, fate or joss (as referred to by the Chinese) had its way of determining her destiny. She attempted to do what felt good, but that didn't guarantee that she would get what she wanted.

On the flip side, while I mostly agree with Vicki's assessment of "girl power", I do not paint the women's liberation movement as completely evil. Yes, in many ways, the movement has given women the permission to sin at the same level as men. Men have been engaging in pleasure without consequences for millennium (though I am sure we understand there are always emotional consequences). Apparently now women can join in! This reality does grieve my heart. However, I am very thankful that my daughter is born in the here and now. Yes, we have serious problems. But, she can do things that her female ancestors were forbidden to do. Because of the women's liberation movement, she can vote. She can be educated in the greatest universities of the world. She can purse the dreams that God places on her heart, even it if means running for prime minister or becoming the lead pastor of a church. And she can marry a man who affirms her for being a woman and serves her as she is called to serve him.

True, my daughter will not have it all, at least not a once. I don't think anyone ever can. Plus, I don't think we were meant to, according to the world's standards anyway. But, we can achieve what God desires for our lives, if we diligently seek Him.