Marriage Quote by George Eliot
““Society never made the preposterous demand that a man should think as much about his own qualifications for making a charming girl happy as he thinks of hers for making himself happy. As if a man could choose not only his wife but his wife's husband! Or as if he were bound to provide charms for his posterity in his own person!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: "Middlemarch", 1871
Society imposes unreasonable expectations that men must prioritize a woman's happiness over their own, conflating personal fulfillment with marital duty.
In simple terms: Men are pressured to value a woman's happiness above their own, creating unrealistic marital expectations.
Key Takeaway
Question traditional gender roles in relationships.
Themes
gender roles
marriage
societal expectations
self-fulfillment
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- modern relationships
- gender equality debates
Key Concepts
Victorian society
marital dynamics
personal autonomy
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you feel societal expectations shape your relationship choices?
- How can couples balance mutual happiness with personal goals?
A Different Perspective
The view assumes all men share these pressures, ignoring individual agency.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
![“I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to [when I started my career], because so many things are on the road. I just don't want to be away from my husband, my dogs and my home. I don't sing that much any more because that also takes you on the road.” quote by Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/07c/jane-powell-36243_away-from-home_i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s_278.jpg)
