I don't think the world will destroy itself in a nuclear cataclysm. On the contrary, we have the capacity to save ourselves and save the planet, and we will use it.
Isabel AllendeRead
It bothers them that instead of taking on the role of abandoned lover, I have become a happy wife. They relish seeing strong women like you and me humiliated. They cannot forgive us that we triumphed where so many others fail...Courage is a virtue appreciated in a male but considered a defect in our gender. Bold women are a threat to a world that is out of balance, in favor of men. That is why they work so hard to mistreat and destroy us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the difficulties faced by strong women in a patriarchal society and emphasizes the importance of resilience.
In this quote, Isabel Allende expresses the societal discomfort with strong women who refuse to fit traditional roles. She points out that instead of being seen as victims, women who embrace their happiness and strength disturb a status quo that prefers to see them humiliated. Allende suggests that courage in women is often viewed negatively, posing a threat to a male-dominated world, and this fear drives efforts to undermine women's success.
Themes
CourageStrong WomenPatriarchyResilienceEmpowerment
In practice
Example use cases
In a women's empowerment event, to inspire attendees that true strength comes from self-acceptance.
More from Isabel Allende
All quotes →My mother is a great artist, but she always treated her paintings like minor postcards. Had she pursued it, she would have been a great artist. Instead, she looked down on her art.
Isabel AllendeRead
I never try to convey a message, I just want to tell a story. Why that story in particular? I have no idea, but I have learned to surrender to the muse. I become obsessed with a theme or with certain stories; they haunt me for years, and finally, I write them.
Isabel AllendeRead
My life is about ups and downs, great joys and great losses.
Isabel AllendeRead
I'm interested in people who have to overcome obstacles, people who are not sheltered by the umbrella of the establishment, marginals.
Isabel AllendeRead
I'm a writer. In Latin America, they say I'm a Latin-American writer because I also write in Spanish and my books are translated, but I am an American citizen and my books are published here, so I'm also an American writer.
Isabel AllendeRead
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