Vanda (as Dunayev): I am a pagan. I am a Greek. I love the…
““Vanda (as Dunayev): I am a pagan. I am a Greek. I love the ancients not for their pediments or their poetry, but becausein their world Venus could love Paris one day and Anchises the next. Because they're not the moderns, who live in their mind, and because they're the opposite of Christians, who live on a cross. I don't live in my mind, or on a cross. I live on this divan. In this dress. In these stockings and these shoes. I want to live the way Helen and Aspasia lived, not the twisted women of today, who are never happy and never give happiness. Who won't admit that they want love without limit. Why should I forgo any possible pleasure, abstain from any sensual experience? I'm young, I'm rich, and I'm beautiful and I shall make the most of that. I shall deny myself nothing. Thomas (as Kushemski): I certainly respect your devotion to principle. Vanda (as Dunayev): I don't need your respect, excuse me. I'll take happiness. My happiness, not society's happiness. I will love a man who pleases me, and please a man who makes me happy--but only as long as he makes me happy, not a moment longer.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker rejects societal and religious constraints, embracing sensual pleasure and personal happiness over imposed morals.
In simple terms: Choosing personal joy over traditional expectations.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize authentic happiness.
Themes
individualism
hedonism
rebellion
Mood
provocative
defiant
Type
philosophical
dramatic
When to use this quote
- relationships
- self‑expression
- modern gender roles
Key Concepts
existentialism
sexual freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you value personal pleasure over societal norms?
- What boundaries protect healthy freedom?
A Different Perspective
Unchecked hedonism can lead to emptiness or harm.