| Posted: 04 May 2016 at 10:00am | IP Logged | 1
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Jill Lepore's recent bestseller, "The Secret History of Wonder Woman" goes into great detail about the lives of Marston, his wife, Olive Byrne, and their family, far more in fact than clearly Olive Byrne ever wanted known. For much of their time together, a fourth woman was also living in the house. The ties to the suffragette and birth control movements are close, as were those with L. Frank Baum, another author whose feminist themes and characters strike close to the heart of American culture.
The book goes into great detail on the various politics and figures of the times, often using Wonder Woman as a mere touchstone to bounce off of and instead talk about what was taking place in the real world at various times in Marston's career. That the man was his own most ardent publicist and public relations firm is a point clearly made, as his career and family were dependent upon his being known for his various theories and works. He was among those conducting early research into blood pressure reaction, He favored the idea of the lie detector being a tool used by a skilled individual professional rather than a simple device just about anyone could plug in and use. Industry went the other direction, leaving him in the dust.
While the point above is true about his ultimatum to his wife, who was the family breadwinner throughout most of their marriage, is true, it should also be noted that she and Olive Byrne became extremely close, named their children after one another, and spent the rest of their lives living together well after the time of Marston's passing.
I found Lepore's book extremely interesting, even during those chapters having little to do with the title heroine. It's true that there is fetishism involved in Marston's Wonder Woman, but it wasn't subversively implanted for illicit giggles or to try to sexualize children. It's text, not subtext. Marston genuinely believed the symbols of late 19th, early 20th century feminism tied with what he believed to be the true nature of men and women's relationship with one another could be used to educate and empower readers and make their lives better, more fair, and more fulfilling.
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