24 October, 2009

What Do Women Want?


“‘What,’ men have asked distractedly from the beginning of time, ‘what on earth do women want?’ I do not know that women, as women, want anything in particular, but as human beings they want, my good men, exactly what you want yourselves: interesting occupation, reasonable freedom for their pleasures, and a sufficient emotional outlet. What form the occupation, the pleasures and the emotion may take, depends entirely upon the individual.”

Sayers, Dorothy, Are Women Human? Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1971, p. 44

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

And if we dare to say that women are treated as sub-human by patriarchy, they claim they don't teach this at all. No matter that with every book, every article, every comment, they chant "men over women", it somehow still isn't what they teach.

Femaleness is an aspect of being, an intrinsic quality, so any teaching that is based upon that fact is a teaching about essence. And there is no doubt whatsoever that patriarchy is founded on biological factors. So there is no escaping the conclusion they make: women are a sub-species of human.

Sonnet said...

We want to be loved, valued, and respected! Oh, and not bossed around like permanently indentured servants to our husbands, or treated like immature children all of our lives.

Kay said...

One of my favorite Sayer's quotes! And I luv the title of the book - says it all, doesn't it?