--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was this power, this insidious…" description: "\"“What was this power, this insidious threat, this invisible gun to her head that controlled her life . . . this terror of being called names? She had s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/fannie-flagg-3065_feminism_what-was-this-power-this-insidious-threa_2556571.jpg" --- # What was this power, this insidious threat, this invisible… ![“What was this power, this insidious threat, this invisible gun to her head that controlled her life . . . this terror of being called names? She had stayed a virgin so she wouldn't be called a tramp or a slut; had married so she wouldn't be called an old maid; faked orgasms so she wouldn't be…” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/fannie-flagg-3065_feminism_what-was-this-power-this-insidious-threa_2556571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/fannie-flagg-3065_feminism_what-was-this-power-this-insidious-threa_2556571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/fannie-flagg-3065_feminism_what-was-this-power-this-insidious-threa_2556571.jpg) > ““What was this power, this insidious threat, this invisible gun to her head that controlled her life . . . this terror of being called names? She had stayed a virgin so she wouldn't be called a tramp or a slut; had married so she wouldn't be called an old maid; faked orgasms so she wouldn't be called frigid; had children so she wouldn't be called barren; had not been a feminist because she didn't want to be called queer and a man hater; never nagged or raised her voice so she wouldn't be called a bitch . . . She had done all that and yet, still, this stranger had dragged her into the gutter with the names that men call women when they are angry.”” [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal pressure forces women to conform to restrictive labels, causing internal conflict and loss of authentic self. **In simple terms:** Women are trapped by harmful stereotypes. Key Takeaway Resist labeling; embrace authenticity. Themes identity gender stereotypes self‑esteem social pressure Mood frustrated reflective Type critical social commentary When to use this quote - dating - career decisions - family planning - personal expression Key Concepts feminism psychology culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself beyond others’ expectations? - What steps can you take to reject harmful labels? A Different Perspective Labels can be internalized, limiting personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Name calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name-calling/) ## Related quotes > [I stayed a virgin until I was 23. 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I used to put myself down for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-werbowy/i-suppose-it-s-the-feminist-in-me-but-i-didn-t-always-associate/) [Daria Werbowy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daria-werbowy/) > [I'd rather be called a bitch then 'your girlfriend.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-wright/i-d-rather-be-called-a-bitch-then-your-girlfriend/) Shelby Wright > [“Yet there was something gratifyingly real about being called a bitch, a whore, a blond tramp. Where so much was a dreamy haze, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/yet-there-was-something-gratifyingly-real-about-being-called-a-bitch/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Sorry I offended you when I called you a bitch. I had no idea you thought it was a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-i-offended-you-when-i-called-you-a-bitch-i-had-no-idea-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'd rather be called a bitch than 'your girlfriend.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-wright/i-d-rather-be-called-a-bitch-than-your-girlfriend/) Shelby Wright > [“Whenever anyone has called me a bitch, I have taken it as a compliment. To me, a bitch is assertive, unapologetic, demanding, intimidating, intelligent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/whenever-anyone-has-called-me-a-bitch-i-have-taken-it-as-a-compliment/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“She made a decision and forced out the words. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” he asked coolly, not even looking at her. “You dance as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-beverley/she-made-a-decision-and-forced-out-the-words-i-m-sorry-for-what-he/) [Jo Beverley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-beverley/) > [“The modern term is called “being a bitch” but the Indians call it “being in your power.” I liked the sound of their beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/the-modern-term-is-called-being-a-bitch-but-the-indians-call-it-being/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [“You just called me a bitch! But that's not a bad thing. See what I meant was you're an unapologetic hard ass!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-l-arkadie/you-just-called-me-a-bitch-but-that-s-not-a-bad-thing-see-what-i/) Z.L. Arkadie ## More by Fannie Flagg > [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. 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Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) [Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## 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. 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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 [Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What was this power, this insidious threat, this invisible gun to her head that controlled her life . . . this terror of being called names? She had stayed a virgin so she wouldn't be called a tramp or a slut; had married so she wouldn't be called an old maid; faked orgasms so she wouldn't be called frigid; had children so she wouldn't be called barren; had not been a feminist because she didn't want to be called queer and a man hater; never nagged or raised her voice so she wouldn't be called a bitch . . . 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