Bad temper Quote by Joanna Russ
““The little blue book was rattling around in my purse. I took it out and turned to the last thing he had said ("You stupid broad et cetera). Underneath was written Girl backs down--cries--manhood vindicated. Under "Real Fight With Girl" was written Don't hurt (except whores) . I took out my own pink book, for we all carry them, and turning to the instructions under "Brutality" found: Man's bad temper is the woman's fault. It is also the woman's responsibility to patch things up afterwards. There were sub-rubrics, one (reinforcing) under "Management" and one (exceptional) under "Martyrdom." Everything in my book begins with an M.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Gender and Power in Fiction, 1975
The passage satirically lists misogynistic “rules” from a fictional manual, exposing how patriarchal narratives blame women for men’s aggression and demand women’s repair work.
In simple terms: A fake guide blames women for men’s anger and forces women to fix problems.
Key Takeaway
Critique and reject patriarchal logic.
Themes
gender oppression
misogyny
satire
power dynamics
social critique
Mood
critical
reflective
challenging
Type
literary
social
educational
When to use this quote
- reading groups
- educational curricula
- activist workshops
- media analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
patriarchal narratives
toxic masculinity
feminist theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How do such “rules” reinforce real‑world sexism?
- What strategies can dismantle these narratives?
A Different Perspective
Satire may be misunderstood without context; some may dismiss it as humor.
![“The trouble with men is that they have limited minds. That's the trouble with women, too." [ "Existence" (1975)]” quote by Joanna Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/056/joanna-russ-7942_imagination_the-trouble-with-men-is-that-they-have-l_202328.jpg)
