If I said I was madly in love with you, I'd be lying and what's more, you'd know it.
Margaret MitchellRead
It was this feminine conspiracy which made Southern society so pleasant. Women knew that a land where men were contented, uncontradicted ans safe in possession of unpunctured vanity was likely to be a very pleasant place for women to live. So, from the cradle to the grave, women strove to make men pleased with themselves, and the satisfied men repaid lavishly with gallantry and adoration. In fact, men willingly gave ladies everything in the world except credit for having intelligence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how women in Southern society supported men's egos for a harmonious living, yet were denied acknowledgment for their intelligence.
Margaret Mitchell's quote highlights a social dynamic in Southern society where women worked strategically to keep men content and secure in their self-esteem. This 'feminine conspiracy' ensured that men felt appreciated and valued, which in turn created a pleasant environment for women. However, this social structure came with the downside that men withheld recognition of women's intelligence, limiting their true worth and contributions. This speaks to the complexities of gender roles and societal expectations in relationships.
Themes
SocietyGender RolesIntelligenceRelationshipsWomenMenContentment
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about gender dynamics, one could use this quote to illustrate the historical roles of women in relationships.
More from Margaret Mitchell
All quotes →You're like the thief who isn't the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he's going to jail. - Rhett Butler
Margaret MitchellRead
It's a curse - this not wanting to look on naked realities. Until the war, life was never more real to me than a shadow show on a curtain. And I preferred it so. I do not like the outlines of things to be too sharp. I like them gently blurred, a little hazy.
Margaret MitchellRead
Well, my dear, take heart. Some day, I will kiss you and you will like it. But not now, so I beg you not to be too impatient.
Margaret MitchellRead
men are so conceited they’ll believe anything that flatters them
Margaret MitchellRead
Oh, why was he so handsomely blond, so courteously aloof, so maddeningly boring with his talk about Europe and books and music and poetry and things that interested her not at all - and yet so desirable?
Margaret MitchellRead
Similar quotes
It is at least a small comfort to me, as a gay rights and marriage equality advocate, to know that like any marriage, gay and lesbian couples are subject to the same complications and hardships that afflict marriages between heterosexual couples.
Gene RobinsonRead
I don't think your missing pieces ever fit inside you again once they go missing.
John GreenRead
At my worst, I even resented Nic because an addict, at least when high, has a momentary respite from his suffering. There is no similar relief for parents or children or husbands or wives or others who love them.
David SheffRead
The Complex of color...every colored man feels it sooner or later. It gets in the way of his dreams, of his education, of his marriage, of the rearing of his children.
Jessie Redmon FausetRead
I know that I need honesty from the people I interview. I also know that the truth is more interesting than made up stuff, and also, people don't connect with you if you're not honest.
Neil StraussRead
I'd like to think that, when I explain it, that Mr. Trump will understand marriage is defined by two people who love each other, commit to each other, and will care for each other through thick and thin.
George TakeiRead