Men are said to desire women, Severian. Why do they despise the women they obtain?
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the contradictory nature of desire and contempt in human relationships.
Gene Wolfe's quote questions the paradox of human desire, particularly regarding men and women. It suggests that while men may pursue women and identify them as objects of desire, they often harbor disdain for those very women they attain, pointing to deeper issues in how relationships are often navigated and the complexity of emotional responses towards love and attraction.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about gender dynamics in relationships.
That was when I found out that the best way in the world to make yourself feel better when you have hit bottom is to try to get somebody else to feel better. There are certain things in life that are truly worth knowing, and that is one of the big ones.
All novels are fantasies. Some are more honest about it.
When we cast our bread upon the waters we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from the grantor's gift.
All that matters in life is forging deep ties of love and family and friends. Writing and reading come later.
Ever since I could form coherent thoughts, I knew I was a girl trapped inside a boy's body. There was never any confusion in my mind. The confusing part was why no one else could see what was wrong.
I don't think your missing pieces ever fit inside you again once they go missing.
Our society’s failure to recognize and care for the social and emotional well-being of our boys contributes to a nation of young men who navigate adversity and conflict with an incomplete emotional skill set. Whether boys and later men have chosen to resist or conform to this masculine norm, there is loneliness, anxiety, and pain.
Women are books, and men the readers be.
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