Books telling women how to behave have always been written. I'm not judging their intentions or consequences, but your conjecture isn't a remote possibility. M

Books telling women how to behave have always been written. I'm not judging their intentions or consequences, but your conjecture isn't a remote possibility. Men wrote the foundational texts for many religions. Many revered books are rife with discussions of the ideal woman or some such. Some books written by women for women are also essentially written on behalf of men and their expectations. (Disclaimer: I'm not acquainted with bell hooks' work.)