What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.
Vivian GornickRead
Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession... The choice to serve and be protected and plan towards being a family-maker is a choice that shouldn't be. The heart of radical feminism is to change that
Interpretation
The quote challenges the perception of housewifery as a legitimate profession and advocates for women's autonomy in choosing their roles.
Vivian Gornick's quote critiques traditional gender roles that label housewives’ work as illegitimate, highlighting the need for societal change regarding women’s choices. It emphasizes that the identity of a woman should not be confined to familial roles, but rather that women should have the freedom to choose how they contribute to society, including their role as family-makers.
In practice
During a women's conference, to highlight the importance of recognizing women's choices in career and family.
What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.
Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.
No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party who ignores her sex.
Long before I became a feminist in any explicit way, I had turned from writing love stories about women in which women were losers, and adventure stories about men in which the men were winners, to writing adventure stories about a woman in which the woman won. It was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life.
It's because I'm a feminist that I can't stand women limiting other women's imaginations. It really makes me angry.
Feminists are asking the practical questions about how you want to live your life.
I would much rather be the obnoxious feminist girl than be complicit in my own dehumanization.
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