In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
Women are the most denigrated social group in the Soviet Union. The idea of women's emancipation is only a slogan in - but also, I should say, in many places outside - the Soviet Union. But especially in the militaristic Soviet society, people only thought of life in terms of struggle and the workers' toil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote discusses the ongoing struggle for women's rights and the societal challenges they face, particularly in the context of the Soviet Union.
Svetlana Alexievich reflects on the systemic oppression faced by women in the Soviet Union, emphasizing that women's emancipation is often reduced to mere rhetoric rather than a reality. She highlights the broader societal focus on struggle and labor, suggesting that true gender equality remains elusive, not only in the Soviet context but in many places around the world.
Themes
WomenEmancipationStruggleSocietySoviet Union
In practice
Example use cases
During a women's rights conference, to highlight the importance of genuine emancipation.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes →The subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
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'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
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There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
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I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
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From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
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