Feminism Unmodified: Discourses on Life and Law is a book by Catharine A. MacKinnon that explores law and politics under the frame of feminism. It’s made up of speeches that have been systematically arranged to read like a book but still have the same impact that those speeches had individually. MacKinnon dissects and explains legislation on abortion, sexual harassment, pornography, rape, and inequality at places of work and everyday situations. She calls for a transformation and swift change into how these laws are passed and implemented in society.
Feminism must be tackled with an original view as opposed to the politics of gender equality that is purposefully designed to retain the patriarchal system that has been preserved throughout history. Women in places of power are reduced to a survival level that prevents them from exercising their power. The patriarchal system puts a muzzle on them and limits how far their power can reach.
The traditional systems of power have unequivocally given men the supreme power while women are forced to subject to that same power that abuses and objectifies them. Through this system of suppression, a woman, no matter how much power she possesses is looked at as weak and incapable of progress.
Feminism Unmodified covers the feminism aspect throughout the speeches, but they all take different approaches in how they reach their consensus. While some of her conclusions are dated and speak to a different era of feminism, some stand the test of time depending on how certain issues remain prevalent in our society. MacKinnon concludes that despite the massive progress that the justice system has made in tackling crimes against women, there’s still more to be done in regard to the social, political, and economic standing of women.
