I almost felt as though I was invading the subjects' privacy when reading Daniel Bergner's The Other Side of Desire. This was a look into the lives of people who have sexual desires that are considered "abnormal". I enjoyed reading this book because it was raw and the worries and everyday urges that these people face are real.
I felt sorry when reading about Jacob Miller. The daily struggles that he has, that he has not uttered a word of to his wife, seem unfair. For his case, although I do consider his urges abnormal because he seems to be unable to control them, I do not find it as heinous as a case like Ross whose "sexual release depended on inflicting terror and torture" (22). Bergner writes about the psychiatrist's choice to provide Ross with injections of Depo Lupron, a sort of liquid castration to help Ross get over his addiction. I question how effective the psychiatrist really thinks this is. I question whether the drive, the desire to commit such crimes will still be there post-castration.
It is very difficult in our society to act in sexual eroticism outside of what is considered "normal sexuality", however at what point do we have a right to say that one form of sex is unacceptable? I sympathize Jacob Miller's desire to seek help in controlling his urges, however if he is not harming himself or another person, is it still acceptable for us as a culture to say that his fetish is abnormal or harmful? I think that because there are so many different sexual fetishism, and so many different aspects of the body etc. that one could be aroused by, it is difficult for culture to determine "normalcy" in this aspect of humanity.
No comments:
Post a Comment