--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So long as the serpent continues to crawl…" description: "\"So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.\" — Ellen Glasgow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png" --- # So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground… ![“So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.” quote by Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png) > “So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.” [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women’s indirect influence persists as long as they remain confined to traditional roles, limiting their overt power. **In simple terms:** Women influence indirectly when confined. Key Takeaway Recognize and expand women’s agency. Themes gender power society history literature Mood reflective critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - education reform - workplace equality - political representation Key Concepts patriarchy social structures indirect influence Questions to Reflect On - How can women shift from indirect to direct influence? - What structures maintain indirect roles? A Different Perspective Indirect influence may become overt with societal change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Indirect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indirect/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Influence Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence-woman-605832/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Primaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primaries/) [Primary Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-influence-1916547/) [Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent/) [Serpent Continues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent-continues-1916545/) [Woman Indirect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-indirect-1916546/) ## Related quotes > [Hip hop was definitely, far and away, the primary influence for at least 10 years of my life. From about 7 or 8 on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ebert/hip-hop-was-definitely-far-and-away-the-primary-influence-for-at/) [Alex Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ebert/) > [The moral influence of woman over man is almost always salutary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-moral-influence-of-woman-over-man-is-almost-always-salutary/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before every other power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-stone/i-believe-that-the-influence-of-woman-will-save-the-country-before/) [Lucy Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-stone/) > [“The women of the Church are the hope of the world precisely because it is not possible to limit the influence of a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/the-women-of-the-church-are-the-hope-of-the-world-precisely-because/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [The influence of woman will ever be exercised directly in all good or evil. Give her, then, such light as she is capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-lady-morgan/the-influence-of-woman-will-ever-be-exercised-directly-in-all-good-or/) [Sydney, Lady Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-lady-morgan/) > [Thus, the critical dimension in understanding whether a marriage will work or not, becomes the extent to which the male can accept the influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thus-the-critical-dimension-in-understanding-whether-a-marriage-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The influence of a woman can be very great, especially now, in the present order or disorder of society, in which there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/the-influence-of-a-woman-can-be-very-great-especially-now-in-the/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [It's the biggest economic influence in a woman's life whether she can decide when and whether to have children or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/it-s-the-biggest-economic-influence-in-a-woman-s-life-whether-she-can/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Nobody can influence me, nobody. Still less a woman. Women are important in a man's life only if they're beautiful and charming and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/nobody-can-influence-me-nobody-still-less-a-woman-women-are-important/) [Mohammed Reza Pahlavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/) > [The influence of woman is the same everywhere. Her condition influences the morals, manners, and character of the people of all countries. Where she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/the-influence-of-woman-is-the-same-everywhere-her-condition/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [There's something special about the influence a woman has on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masego/there-s-something-special-about-the-influence-a-woman-has-on-me/) [Masego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masego/) > [In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-all-fighting-the-direct-method-may-be-used-for-joining-battle-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky/we-must-always-work-and-a-self-respecting-artist-must-not-fold-his/) [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky/) > [Alfred Nobel believed that social changes are brought about slowly, and sometimes by indirect means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertha-von-suttner/alfred-nobel-believed-that-social-changes-are-brought-about-slowly/) [Bertha von Suttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertha-von-suttner/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) ## More by Ellen Glasgow > [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I have watchedmany literary fashions shoot up and blossom, and then fade and drop… Yet with the many that I have seen comeand go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-have-watchedmany-literary-fashions-shoot-up-and-blossom-and-then/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [After a day of rain the sun came out suddenly at five o'clock and threw a golden bar into the deep Victorian gloom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/after-a-day-of-rain-the-sun-came-out-suddenly-at-five-o-clock-and/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [What I hated even more than the conflict was the lurid spectacle of a world of unreason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/what-i-hated-even-more-than-the-conflict-was-the-lurid-spectacle-of-a/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Preserve, within a wild sanctuary, an inaccessible valley of reverie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/preserve-within-a-wild-sanctuary-an-inaccessible-valley-of-reverie/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [The attraction of horror is a mental, or even an intellectual, excitement, but the fascination of the repulsive, so noticeable incontemporary writing, can spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/the-attraction-of-horror-is-a-mental-or-even-an-intellectual/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I was always a feminist, for I liked intellectual revolt as much as I disliked physical violence. On the whole, I think women havelost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-was-always-a-feminist-for-i-liked-intellectual-revolt-as-much-as-i/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Although the primitive in art may be both interesting and impressive, as portrayed in American fiction it is conspicuous for dullness alone. Drab persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/although-the-primitive-in-art-may-be-both-interesting-and-impressive/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Do you know there is always a barrier between me and any man or woman who does not like dogs?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/do-you-know-there-is-always-a-barrier-between-me-and-any-man-or-woman/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [You look as if you lived on duty and it hadn't;t agreed with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/you-look-as-if-you-lived-on-duty-and-it-hadn-t-t-agreed-with-you/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [there are times when life surprises one, and anything may happen, even what one had hoped for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/there-are-times-when-life-surprises-one-and-anything-may-happen-even/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Life may take away happiness. But it can't take away having had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/life-may-take-away-happiness-but-it-can-t-take-away-having-had-it/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [So long as one is able to pose one has still much to learn about suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-one-is-able-to-pose-one-has-still-much-to-learn-about/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [...I had grown up in a world that was dominated by immature age. Not by vigorous immaturity, but by immaturity that was old and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-had-grown-up-in-a-world-that-was-dominated-by-immature-age-not-by/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I hated the things they believe in, the things they so innocently and charmingly pretended. I hated the sanctimonious piety that let people hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-hated-the-things-they-believe-in-the-things-they-so-innocently-and/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) [Explore all 200 Ellen Glasgow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) ## More Feminism quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) > [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) [Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/) [Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ellen Glasgow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-crawl-on-the-ground-the-primary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feminism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-crawl-on-the-ground-the-primary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/ellen-glasgow-1897_feminism_so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-craw_1787501.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.” — Ellen Glasgow", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ellen Glasgow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "So long as the serpent continues...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-crawl-on-the-ground-the-primary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-the-serpent-continues-to-crawl-on-the-ground-the-primary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```