Laura, I have frequently expressed the similar thought that feminism derives its emotional juice from women who succeeded in school under its rules, and are ticked off when those rules turn out to be only half the rules of the real world. The rug is pulled. There is real unfairness and sexism in the world, but it is put into sharper relief by an educational system that creates false expectations. Women have the impression they have done better than others according to the important measurables, such as grades, and thus deserve better.
Women should first wonder why girls take 75% of high honors slots G5-12 to begin with; only second why the girls with high honors don’t similarly dominate after schooling is done.
Senator Clinton is an odd recipient of sororal sympathy in this light, as she is an excellent example of someone who doesn’t have stellar credentials but has gotten where she is via the unwritten rules.
Men learn earlier that life isn’t fair. They learn it from other males who discover earlier how to adapt to the unwritten rules, and from female teachers who prefer the behavior of young women. Boys learn that fixing things, selling things, and building things are just as remunerative or more than what schools stress. Knowing that is an advantage often denied girls.
