Greek myth Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides
““It was probably true that he objectified women. He thought about them all the time, didn't he? He looked at them a lot. And didn't all this thinking and looking involve their breasts and lips and legs? Female human beings were objects of the most intense interest and scrutiny on Mitchell's part. And yet he didn't think that a word like objectification covered the way these alluring - but intelligent! - creatures made him feel. What Mitchell felt when he saw a beautiful girl was more like something from a Greek myth, like being transformed, by the sight of beauty, into a tree, rooted on the spot, forever, out of pure desire. You couldn't feel about an object the way Mitchell felt about girls.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Marriage Plot, 2011
Mitchell's fascination with women reduces them to objects, yet his desire feels mythic and transformative, revealing tension between objectification and idealization.
In simple terms: He sees women as objects but feels a mythic, transformative desire.
Key Takeaway
Question how desire can both objectify and elevate.
Themes
gender
objectification
desire
mythology
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- artistic inspiration
- personal reflection
- gender studies
Key Concepts
psychology
aesthetic ideal
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- Does idealizing women excuse objectification?
- Can desire be both respectful and objectifying?
A Different Perspective
The analysis may ignore agency of the women described.
