Love Quote by Erica Jong
““Somehow the idea of bearing his baby angers me. Let him bear his own baby! If I have a baby I want it to be all mine. A girl like me, but better. A girl who'll also be able to have her own babies. It is not having babies in itself which seems unfair, but having babies for men. Babies who get their names. Babies who lock you by means of love to a man you have to please and serve on pain of abandonment. And love, after all, is the strongest lock. The one that chafes hardest and wears longest. And then I would be trapped for good. The hostage of my own feelings and my own child.””
About This Quote
The speaker fears losing autonomy and becoming trapped by love and motherhood, viewing reproductive expectations as a form of imprisonment.
In simple terms: Fear of love and motherhood as imprisonment.
Key Takeaway
Examine expectations of gender roles.
Themes
gender
love
motherhood
Mood
anxious
defiant
Type
personal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- feminist workshops
- parenting support groups
- creative writing
Key Concepts
autonomy
power dynamics
emotional labor
Questions to Reflect On
- How do societal expectations shape personal freedom?
- What alternatives exist to traditional motherhood narratives?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize conflict.
