This fantasy, then, allows a woman to ventilate these deep, and justified resentments. It allows her to be on top, to be dominant, to be the master. This can be thrilling to her. I recall reading a fantasy written by a woman. In it men, not women, were kept in harems, and they were controlled by robots, and female officers, who could destroy them at the slightest sign of disobedience. The women were strong, clear-eyed, powerful. The men were divided, bickering, petty, “feminine.” One may well imagine how the women used such men.1 Such fantasies are not uncommon to women. In a sense they are vengeance fantasies. It is very liberating for a woman to be permitted to enact them. If you love your wife presumably you will want her to have this cathartic, hostility-ventilating experience. She has many scores to settle with “men,” and also, of course, with you personally. Much as you love one another, you will surely, from time to time, get on one another’s nerves. The sweet, open discharge of hostility in the context of fantasy, concluding with mutual exquisite pleasure for both, is a fantastic experience. It is good for getting “it” out of the system of both. (A fantasy particularly good for liberating male hostility, incidentally, is the bitch fantasy. The bitch fantasy is also good for satisfying masochistic needs in women. Some women, of course, are more masochistic than others. No fantasy, of course, should be played unless it is pleasing to both partners.)

In this fantasy, the “Male-Slave-of-the-Imperious-Queen” fantasy, it is the male who occupies the position of slave and must, in all things, obey the will of his mistress. Whatever she wishes, he must do. If she wishes, he must kneel before her and put his head and lips to her feet. If she wishes, he must, commanded, crawl into her bed. Perhaps she would, first, desire him to wash her body, or her hair; perhaps he must comb her hair; perhaps he must bring her certain garments or adorn her, according to her directions; perhaps he is to read her Oriental love poetry; perhaps he is to prepare food for her and feed her; or fetch wine for her and, kneeling, serve it to her. Perhaps she will command him to wear certain garments; perhaps she will even order him to adorn himself with certain jewelry. Women, for example, are forced to be pleasing to men. Let a man feel what it is like to be forced to be pleasing to a woman. Let him learn to smile and to be submissive and ingratiating. It may give him a real insight into what it is to be a woman. It should make him more human.