Like for like Quotes on Womanhood Flashcards
“A woman, I am bound to say, has no business with the notions of crime or punishment. She has only to do with morals” (Tess)
“A man’s heart is a wretched, wretched thing, Mariam. It isn’t like a mother’s womb. It won’t bleed. It won’t stretch to make room for you” (ATSS)
Both of these quotes highlight the gender roles and expectations placed on women in their respective societies. In Tess, Tess is judged more harshly for her actions than a man would be, as her moral purity is seen as her most valuable asset. In ATSS, Mariam’s mother tells her that men are incapable of empathy or understanding, highlighting the patriarchal nature of her society.
“she was fine and handsome girl - not handsomer than some other, possibly - but her mobile peony mouth and large innocent eyes added eloquence to colour and shape” (Tess)
“Rasheed had already said that it was better for them to endure her occasional fits of temper than to have her be a dull, docile wife. Women should be tough, he said, tougher than men. And he was right”. (ATSS)
Both of these quotes show how women are often objectified and judged on their physical appearance, rather than their abilities or character. In Tess, Tess is described in terms of her beauty and innocence, which serves to highlight the tragedy of her eventual downfall. In ATSS, Rasheed values Mariam’s toughness and resilience, recognising that women must be strong to survive in their society.
“Why should you think so ill of me, Durbeyfield?” said she laughing.
“I have never said I think ill of you,” returned he, indignantly.
“I have never said you did. I know your thoughts too well. You think to yourself that I ought to be hanged” (Tess)
“Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam” (ATSS)
Both of these demonstrates the unfairness and injustice that women often face in their societies. In Tess, Tess is judged unfairly and punished for her actions, while the men in her life are held to a different standard. In ATSS, Mariam is told by her mother that men will always blame and accuse women, regardless of the circumstances.
TESS-
“Why it was that upon this beautiful feminine tissue, sensitive as gossamer, and practically blank as snow as yet, there should have been traced such a coarse pattern as it was doomed to receive; why so often the coarse appropriates the finer thus, the wrong man the wrong woman, the wrong woman the wrong man, many thousand years of analytical philosophy have failed to explain to our sense of order”.
“And yet to Tess, as she lay there at midnight, a guilty creature, it was overwhelmingly evident that the interest he had lately taken in her welfare had due less to her than to his own satisfaction at the sight of her. He had discovered her helpless-ness, and it gratified him; that was all”.
The two novels present different but equally powerful depictions of womanhood. In Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Hardy portrays Tess as a victim of the patriarchal society in which she lives. The first quotation reflects Hardy’s commentary on how society often imposes unfair and coarse expectations on women, leading to their subjugation and oppression. Tess’s story, in particular, highlights the vulnerability and powerlessness of women in a male-dominated world. The second quotation illustrates how Tess’s vulnerability is exploited by men, who see her as an object for their own gratification rather than as a person with her own desires and agency.
ATSS-
“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam”
“Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. Do you understand? Besides. They’ll eventually kill me, in some way or another. They always do”.
In ATSS, Hosseini portrays the struggles of women living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The first quotation reflects the pervasive sexism and misogyny in Afghan society, which always blames women for men’s actions. The second quotation reflects the resilience and determination of women in the face of extreme adversity. Despite the constant threat of violence and oppression, women like Mariam and Laila endure and perservere, refusing to be defeated by a society that seeks to destroy them.
