--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, whenever women make imaginary…" description: "\"You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/doris-lessing-501_books_you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-f_22565.jpg" --- # You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in… ![“You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous and self-indulgent, like the relationships between women when there are no men around. They make each other presents, and they have little feasts…” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/doris-lessing-501_books_you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-f_22565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/doris-lessing-501_books_you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-f_22565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/doris-lessing-501_books_you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-f_22565.jpg) > “You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous and self-indulgent, like the relationships between women when there are no men around. They make each other presents, and they have little feasts, and nobody punishes anyone else. This is the female way of going along when there are no men about or when men are not in the ascendant.” [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how fictional female societies are idealized as harmonious and indulgent, suggesting this reflects a gendered expectation that women thrive only in the absence of men. **In simple terms:** Idealized female utopias are gendered fantasies. Key Takeaway Female spaces are portrayed as inherently peaceful. Themes gender roles utopia literary critique power dynamics female solidarity Mood thoughtful critical analytical Type observation critique analysis When to use this quote - writing feminist fiction - analyzing gendered narratives - teaching literature - discussing societal expectations - examining power vacuums Key Concepts female agency men's influence social structure narrative tropes Practical Applications - critical literary analysis - gender studies coursework Questions to Reflect On - How does the absence of men shape the depicted dynamics? - What does this say about our expectations of gendered leadership? A Different Perspective Some argue that such portrayals can reinforce stereotypes by implying women need men to create conflict or drive progress, which may oversimplify women's capacities for complex societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Female Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female-kingdoms-401825/) [Female Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female-way-401826/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Jargon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jargon/) [Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdoms/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Permissive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-permissive-401827/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Relationships Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships-women-401828/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self indulgent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-indulgent/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I'm more proud of my upper body. 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I've been much happier unmarried than married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-do-not-think-that-marriage-is-one-of-my-talents-i-ve-been-much/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I haven't got the energy to write now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-haven-t-got-the-energy-to-write-now/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What really fascinates me is this need that is so strong now that if you read a work of the imagination you instantly have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-really-fascinates-me-is-this-need-that-is-so-strong-now-that-if/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“The charge that the United Nations are using bacteriological warfare in Korea cannot be dismissed merely because it would be insane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-charge-that-the-united-nations-are-using-bacteriological-warfare/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What I did have, which others perhaps didn't, was a capacity for sticking at it, which really is the point, not the talent at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-i-did-have-which-others-perhaps-didn-t-was-a-capacity-for/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The human community is evolving... . 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