--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his…" description: "\"“Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his thumb against the pricks of the rose. 'Women. They say you got all the freedom. Then you give them their freedom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/john-crowley-7544_divorce_divorced-separated-he-tested-his-thumb-a_946287.jpg" --- # Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his thumb against the… ![“Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his thumb against the pricks of the rose. 'Women. They say you got all the freedom. Then you give them their freedom, and they don't want it.' ("Novelty")” quote by John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/john-crowley-7544_divorce_divorced-separated-he-tested-his-thumb-a_946287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/john-crowley-7544_divorce_divorced-separated-he-tested-his-thumb-a_946287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/john-crowley-7544_divorce_divorced-separated-he-tested-his-thumb-a_946287.jpg) > ““Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his thumb against the pricks of the rose. 'Women. They say you got all the freedom. Then you give them their freedom, and they don't want it.' ("Novelty")”” [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man reflects on how granting freedom to women can backfire when they reject it, highlighting paradoxes in gender expectations. **In simple terms:** Giving freedom can lead to rejection. Key Takeaway Consider expectations before granting freedom. Themes gender relations freedom expectations Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - gender discussions - personal boundaries Key Concepts paradox social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Do you assume others want what you offer? - How can you gauge true desire? A Different Perspective Freedom may not be desired if not accompanied by mutual respect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) [Divorced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorced/) [Divorced Separated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorced-separated-1654859/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Got Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-freedom-1654860/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Separated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separated/) [Separated Tested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separated-tested-1654861/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [Got freedom? Thank a man, or rather, thank all the men willing to die so the rest of us can go fetal in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/got-freedom-thank-a-man-or-rather-thank-all-the-men-willing-to-die-so/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [The highest pleasure to be got out of freedom, and having nothing to do, is labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-highest-pleasure-to-be-got-out-of-freedom-and-having-nothing-to/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“That’s what I was meaning. Ye’ve got to have freedom first. It’s no use believing what other folks say; the only thing is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/that-s-what-i-was-meaning-ye-ve-got-to-have-freedom-first-it-s-no-use/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [Got freedom? Thank a soldier!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/got-freedom-thank-a-soldier/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [I can almost see what Gabriel meant when he asked, 'What has the free world got that you can’t get here?' Almost. Freedom, Gabriel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-can-almost-see-what-gabriel-meant-when-he-asked-what-has-the-free/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/it-took-me-a-long-time-and-most-of-the-world-to-learn-what-i-know-2/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“You've got the freedom to walk out if you drag you down. 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Enough said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/married-in-1983-separated-in-1987-and-divorced-in-1988-enough-said/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [“You can get married for a few hundred dollars and divorced for the bulk of your assets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-can-get-married-for-a-few-hundred-dollars-and-divorced-for-the/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I can't get divorced because I'm a Catholic. Catholics don't get divorced. They stay together through anger and hatred and festering misery, just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-clarke/i-can-t-get-divorced-because-i-m-a-catholic-catholics-don-t-get/) [Lenny Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-clarke/) > [I often say that if you want to really want to understand the contract of marriage, just ask anyone who has been divorced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-often-say-that-if-you-want-to-really-want-to-understand-the/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [It's a really weird thing, modern divorce. I found out I was getting divorced on television. That was kind of weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/it-s-a-really-weird-thing-modern-divorce-i-found-out-i-was-getting/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [I always worry that people are going to be very confused; sometimes timelines get confused with how movies get made. 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Like most New York bartenders, he was really an actor, or was it the reverse? 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"Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) [Browse all 2,051 Divorce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Divorced?' 'Separated.' He tested his thumb against the pricks of the rose. 'Women. They say you got all the freedom. Then you give them their freedom, and they don't want it.' 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