--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was probably true that he objectified…" description: "\"“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 a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_greek-myth_it-was-probably-true-that-he-objectified_1695332.jpg" --- # It was probably true that he objectified women. He thought… ![“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…” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_greek-myth_it-was-probably-true-that-he-objectified_1695332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_greek-myth_it-was-probably-true-that-he-objectified_1695332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_greek-myth_it-was-probably-true-that-he-objectified_1695332.jpg) > ““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.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feel Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-mitchell-1095520/) [Greek myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-myth/) [Like Objectification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-objectification-1095519/) [Objectification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectification/) [Objectified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectified/) [Objectified Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectified-women-1095521/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The roles I used to be cast for were typically objectified women, so I was always being shown or spoken about through the lens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-eve/the-roles-i-used-to-be-cast-for-were-typically-objectified-women-so-i/) [Alice Eve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-eve/) > [“Instead of making history and electing the first woman President, they now had to face a stinging rebuke and come to terms with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/instead-of-making-history-and-electing-the-first-woman-president-they/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [Walking in the street, particularly in a city like New York, every single day, I am reminded of how objectified women can be. 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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. 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