Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison
             The perceived views of men's and women's sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual "revolution", the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same.
             Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman's sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to "sport us while we may...like amorous birds of prey". The Lady on the other hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator's advances.
             Women are praised highly for their virtue and honor in keeping their virginity for the institution of marriage. Even though it is perfectly acceptable for a man to attempt for and even acquire the sexual favors of a woman it is a social sin and in some areas a crime for a woman to succumb to her sexual desires
             outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Hester Prynne is ostracized by her community for having an extra-marital affair. Her punishment condemns her for her adultery and assures her a lifetime of humiliation. Many societies have gone through great lengths over the centuries to ensure fidelity or virginity in women. In the Middle Ages, women were often forced to wear chastity belts to ensure their virtue was kept intact while men were away at war or some other manly undertaking. In some countries, women are forced to cover every inch of their bodies in an effort to avoid the advances of other men. The narrator in Amy Lowells "Patterns" speaks of her passion that "w
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