The Double Standard in The Secret Woman

In class, we created a poll in which both males and females would vote if they would ever join in on a sex party like the one in "The Secret Woman" by Colette. Due to the anonymity of the poll, more females were comfortable disclosing that they would in fact participate in such a party. I feel that anonymity is they key to understanding the incredible double standard that exists between the genders. If a female is openly sexual, she is considered tainted and slutty. If a male is openly sexual, he is, more often than not, applauded. This double standard exists as much in today's society as it did in Colette's.

In the story, Colette, through the husband's narration, described the wife as dainty and ladylike. She is often referred to using adjectives such as delicate, or white. However, as the husband continues to discover more and more about her sexual appetite, her descriptions turn dark. At the end of the story she is now described as having, "little satanic hands, which were entirely black..." (331). The husband now views her as tainted and dirty, and doesn't hold her in as high of esteem as before. He never considered her to be a sexual being, nor did he think he would ever be caught going to one of those "balls."

I believe that Colette realized the double standard implicit in the MALE/female binary and chose stand up for women. She also explored the effects of anonymity on women's behavior, and although the husband saw through the mask, the wife acted like a completely different person. The true question is: did the mask hide her true identity, or reveal it?