Articles Quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook
“Eleanor Roosevelt started off almost every early article she wrote, starting with, "My mother was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." And I think her life was a constant and continual and lifelong contrast with her mother.”
About This Quote
She juxtaposes her mother’s beauty with her own life, highlighting a lifelong contrast.
In simple terms: She compares her life to her mother’s beauty.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how personal narratives shape identity.
Themes
identity
family
contrast
reflection
Mood
reflective
nostalgic
Type
biographical
analytical
When to use this quote
- writing memoirs
- family therapy
- personal branding
- historical biography
Key Concepts
self‑perception
legacy
comparative analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How does comparing oneself to a parent affect self‑esteem?
- What other factors shape personal identity?
A Different Perspective
The contrast may oversimplify complex family dynamics.
![“Her [Eleanor Roosevelt] father was the love of her life. Her father always made her feel wanted, made her feel loved, where her mother made her feel, you know, unloved, judged harshly, never up to par. And she was her father's favorite, and her mother's unfavorite. So her father was the man that…” quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8aa/blanche-wiesen-cook-13340_comfort_her-eleanor-roosevelt-father-was-the-lov_1830090.jpg)
![“But it's also the beginning of another level of liberation for her]Eleanor Roosevelt], because when she returns to New York, she gets very involved in a new level of politics. She meets Esther Lape and Elizabeth Read, and becomes very involved in the women's movement, and then in the peace…” quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b22/blanche-wiesen-cook-13340_despair_but-it-s-also-the-beginning-of-another-l_701343.jpg)
![“And her [Eleanor Roosevelt] Grandmother Hall provided her really with a quite wonderful education, and a freedom that, within the framework of Tivoli (which is a framework of discipline and order) is also a very encouraging and loving one.” quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/307/blanche-wiesen-cook-13340_discipline_and-her-eleanor-roosevelt-grandmother-ha_759497.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
