We see it in the body, that if you just give the body enough rest and comfort, it has remarkable self-healing capacities. Well, so does the spirit.
Gail SheehyRead
I was devastated when I got the review for my first book. The book came out a couple years before the women's movement broke through, and people were putting it down, asking, 'Why does the woman in this book need to get a divorce? Why can't she just shut up and be happy?'
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the struggle for women's rights and the societal expectations placed on women during a specific time period.
Gail Sheehy's quote highlights the resistance faced by women who sought independence and self-expression in a time when societal norms dictated that they should be content with traditional roles. It emphasizes the backlash against women's desires for autonomy, illustrating a broader commentary on the social climate surrounding gender equality and personal fulfillment.
Themes
WomenDivorceHappinessIndependenceSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion, to highlight the themes of gender and societal expectations.
More from Gail Sheehy
All quotes →No sooner do we think we have assembled a comfortable life than we find a piece of ourselves that has no place to fit in.
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A seasoned woman is spicy. She has been marinated in life experiences. Like a complex wine, she can be alternately sweet, tart, sparkling, mellow. She is both maternal and playful. Assured, alluring, and resourceful.
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This is something caregivers have to understand: You have to ask for help. You have to realize that you deserve to ask for help. Because you need to keep on working on your own life.
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I found that female pathfinders generally integrate characteristics commonly associated with being women - like the capacity to be intimate - with 'male' ones like ambition and courage.
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Being a pathfinder is to be willing to risk failure and still go on.
Gail SheehyRead
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