The Privilege of Men, a novella by Judith Mazzucco, is a thriller about the use and abuse of women and animals and the reflection on a culture of men that condones both. When money is involved, men will use anything and anybody for their privilege.
Interspecies relationships are heartwarming and heartbreaking. Intraspecies relationships are even more complicated. The relationships between men, women, and animals can be reprehensible, especially when the mistreatment of women and animals coincides with ego and money.
An important story that needs to be told, The Privilege of Men is an international tale of greed and horrific inhumanity toward girls, women, and animals. It is an allegory where women are a metaphor for animals. It is a searing indictment of the international status quo and the inability of weak institutions and individuals, unable and unwilling to change mind-sets that propagate these crimes and injustices.
The insensitivity shown toward animals is a direct reflection of a culture in its treatment of women. The underlying message is universal, resonating across borders and species.