Esther Vilar
Encyclopedia
Esther Vilar, born Esther Margareta Katzen (September 16, 1935 in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
) is a German
-Argentinian writer. She trained and practised as a medical doctor before establishing herself as an author. She is best known for her 1971 book The Manipulated Man and its various follow-ups, which argue that, contrary to common feminist and women's rights
rhetoric, women in industrialized cultures are not oppressed, but rather exploit a well-established system of manipulating men.
on 21 Feb 1973 to discuss the book. Controversy surrounding the book's main tenets led to the author receiving death threats in connection with them. In fact, comparative to Salman Rushdie's experience, she has reported that she has received decades of scorn:
The main idea behind the book is that women are not oppressed by men, but rather control men in a relationship that is to their advantage but which most men are not aware of.
A revised version of the book is currently in print. Her play Speer (1998) is a work of fictional biography about the German architect and has been staged in Berlin and London, directed by and starring Klaus Maria Brandauer
. She has also written many other books and plays, but most have not been translated into English.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-Argentinian writer. She trained and practised as a medical doctor before establishing herself as an author. She is best known for her 1971 book The Manipulated Man and its various follow-ups, which argue that, contrary to common feminist and women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
rhetoric, women in industrialized cultures are not oppressed, but rather exploit a well-established system of manipulating men.
Books
The Manipulated Man was quite popular at the time of its release, in part due to the considerable press coverage it received. The author Esther Vilar also appeared on The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
on 21 Feb 1973 to discuss the book. Controversy surrounding the book's main tenets led to the author receiving death threats in connection with them. In fact, comparative to Salman Rushdie's experience, she has reported that she has received decades of scorn:
- Esther Vilar, August 1998
So I hadn't imagined broadly enough the isolation I would find myself in after writing this book. Nor had I envisaged the consequences which it would have for subsequent writing and even for my private life - violent threats have not ceased to this date.
The main idea behind the book is that women are not oppressed by men, but rather control men in a relationship that is to their advantage but which most men are not aware of.
A revised version of the book is currently in print. Her play Speer (1998) is a work of fictional biography about the German architect and has been staged in Berlin and London, directed by and starring Klaus Maria Brandauer
Klaus Maria Brandauer
Klaus Maria Brandauer is an Austrian actor, film director, and professor at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.-Personal life:...
. She has also written many other books and plays, but most have not been translated into English.
The Manipulated Man (1971)
Some of the strategies described in her books are:- Lure men with sex, using seduction strategies
- Use praise to control men by administering it carefully
- Use emotional blackmailEmotional blackmailEmotional blackmail is a term used to cover a central form of psychological manipulation - 'the use of a system of threats and punishment on a person by someone close to them in an attempt to control their behavior'. "Emotional blackmail.....
as a means of controlling men - Use of love and romance as a guise to mask her real intentions and motives
External links
See also
- HypergamyHypergamyHypergamy is the act or practice of seeking a spouse of higher socioeconomic status, or caste status than oneself....
- Men's movementMen's movementThe men's movement is a social movement that includes a number of philosophies and organizations that seek to support men, change the male gender role and improve men's rights in regard to marriage, child access and victims of domestic violence...