--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For them, wives were never the better…" description: "\"“For them, wives were never the better half. They were better and the half merely existed.”\" — Anju Shylaja Kumar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/anju-shylaja-kumar-219659_better-half_for-them-wives-were-never-the-better-hal_806672.jpg" --- # For them, wives were never the better half. They were… ![“For them, wives were never the better half. They were better and the half merely existed.” quote by Anju Shylaja Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/anju-shylaja-kumar-219659_better-half_for-them-wives-were-never-the-better-hal_806672.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/anju-shylaja-kumar-219659_better-half_for-them-wives-were-never-the-better-hal_806672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/anju-shylaja-kumar-219659_better-half_for-them-wives-were-never-the-better-hal_806672.jpg) > ““For them, wives were never the better half. They were better and the half merely existed.”” Anju Shylaja Kumar ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Married women are portrayed not as halves but as complete beings, challenging patriarchal views. **In simple terms:** Women are whole, not halves. Key Takeaway Recognize women as full individuals. Themes gender equality marriage patriarchy religion identity Mood reflective critical empowering Type Better half:0 Indian-fiction:0 Marriage:1 Patriarchy:1 Religion:0 Wives:1 Wives Better:0 Half Better:0 Half Merely:0 When to use this quote - marriage counseling - social activism - religious discourse Key Concepts feminism social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape gender roles? - What steps can shift patriarchal narratives? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-half/) [Indian-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian-fiction/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Wives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wives/) ## Related quotes > [Anything was better than nothing. Half-full was better than empty. Ignorance was the lowest form of humiliation and suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/anything-was-better-than-nothing-half-full-was-better-than-empty/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“The glass is neither half full or half empty but merely too large for the contents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-byrd/the-glass-is-neither-half-full-or-half-empty-but-merely-too-large-for/) Chris Byrd > [“Half is better than none unless it be of a wit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lendroth/half-is-better-than-none-unless-it-be-of-a-wit/) [Susan Lendroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-lendroth/) > [Not only, in strict truth, was marriage instituted for the propagation of the human race, but also that the lives of husbands and wives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/not-only-in-strict-truth-was-marriage-instituted-for-the-propagation-2/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [High people, sir, are the best; take a hundred ladies of quality, you'll find them better wives, better mothers, more willing to sacrifice their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/high-people-sir-are-the-best-take-a-hundred-ladies-of-quality-you-ll/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Not only, in strict truth, was marriage instituted for the propagation of the human race, but also that the lives of husbands and wives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/not-only-in-strict-truth-was-marriage-instituted-for-the-propagation/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [“As high as the fire in me burns, Evie, I will stoke it in you." "Sebastian..."She strained a little, and he pinned her more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/as-high-as-the-fire-in-me-burns-evie-i-will-stoke-it-in-you-sebastian/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Mock you!" repeated he earnestly, "no I revere you! I esteem and I admire you above all human beings! you are the friend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/mock-you-repeated-he-earnestly-no-i-revere-you-i-esteem-and-i-admire/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [For the better half of my early 20s, I was Bubble Girl. When I found out I had leukemia at 22 my world suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/for-the-better-half-of-my-early-20s-i-was-bubble-girl-when-i-found/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [We are biologically designed to both need and want a better half for protection, for procreation, and for community. 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I'd known the angel was lurking in the kitchen, just as Peter had felt me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-rolled-my-eyes-at-the-newcomer-hello-carter-i-d-known-the-angel-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [My better half and i!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-better-half-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Night is the other half of life, and the better half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/night-is-the-other-half-of-life-and-the-better-half/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In spite of the honestest efforts to annihilate my I-ity, or merge it in what the world doubtless considers my better half, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/in-spite-of-the-honestest-efforts-to-annihilate-my-i-ity-or-merge-it/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) ## More Better half quotes > [In spite of the honestest efforts to annihilate my I-ity, or merge it in what the world doubtless considers my better half, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/in-spite-of-the-honestest-efforts-to-annihilate-my-i-ity-or-merge-it/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) > [Night is the other half of life, and the better half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/night-is-the-other-half-of-life-and-the-better-half/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My better half and i!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-better-half-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I rolled my eyes at the newcomer. 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Of course, it would have been impossible for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/my-ability-to-persuade-my-wife-to-marry-me-was-quite-my-most/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) [Browse all 60 Better half quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-half/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For them, wives were never the better half. 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