Ancestor worship Quote by Agatha Christie
““Papa always said that in the beginning men and women roamed the world together, equal in strength - like lions and tigers -" "And giraffes?" interpolated Colonel Race slyly. I laughed. Everyone makes fun of that giraffe. "And giraffes. They were nomadic, you see. It wasn't till they settled down in communities, and women did one kind of thing and men another, that women got weak. And of course, underneath, one is still the same - one feels the same, I mean - and that is why women worship physical strength in men - it's what they once had and have lost." "Almost ancestor worship, in fact?" "Something of the kind." "And you really think that's true? That women worship strength, I mean?" "I think it's quite true - if one's honest. You think you admire moral qualities,but when you fall in love, you revert to the primitive where the physical is all that counts. But I don't think that's the end, if you lived in primitive conditions it would be all right, but you don't - and so, in the end, the other thing wins after all. It's the things that are apparently conquered that always do win, isn't it? They win in the only way that counts. Like what the Bible says about losing your life and finding it.”. “In the end," said Colonel Race thoughtfully, "you fall in love - and you fall out of it, is that what you mean?" "Not exactly, but you can put it that way if you like.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Man Who Knew Too Much by Agatha Christie, 1934
The passage suggests that early human equality eroded into gendered roles, leading women to idealize physical strength in men as a nostalgic echo of ancestral power dynamics.
In simple terms: Early equality turned into gender roles; women now admire men's physical strength as a relic of the past.
Recognize how cultural narratives shape gender expectations.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- social commentary
- gender studies
- evolutionary psychology
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern societies reinforce or challenge these gendered ideals?
- What alternative qualities might women value beyond physical strength?
The view oversimplifies complex motivations and ignores cultural variation.