Precious stones Quote by Josip Novakovich
““How to describe the woman? Silky hair, velvety lips. No, it won’t do, I’m using fabrics, constructing a doll. How about coppery hair, or golden locks of hair, or platinum blonde? No, now I’m doing some kind of industrial metallurgy with precious metals; in addition to everything else, the woman sounds like a commodity. And what’s “locks of hair” supposed to mean? Lock, some kind of bondage? No, strike it out. Ruby lips, pearly white teeth, brilliant smile. No, now I’m making the woman out of precious stones, and out of clichés. Almond-shaped eyes, hazel-colored eyes, pear-shaped waist, apple-red cheeks, lips like the bud of a moist flower, peachy fuzz on her upper lip. Now I’m making up a woman out of fruits, plants. She strode like a gazelle. Her snaky waist coiled and uncoiled. Now I’m demeaning the woman, making her into an animal. On the other hand, you can call a woman a goddess. Aphrodite, Venus, or at least a demi-god, angelic beauty. But these terms were all invariably overused, clichés. In addition, if you call a woman Aphrodite, it might seem like an oblique way of saying that the woman is overweight.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Man Who Loved Women, 1995
The narrator struggles to describe a woman without reducing her to clichés or commodities, oscillating between objectification and idealization.
In simple terms: He finds language inadequate for describing women.
Key Takeaway
Seek authentic, respectful description.
Themes
gender
language
objectification
idealization
creativity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- gender studies
- art criticism
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
feminist critique
literary style
identity construction
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we describe people without objectifying?
- What alternatives exist to cliché descriptors?
A Different Perspective
May reinforce stereotypes despite critique.
![“Anaïs, I don't know how to tell you what I feel. I live in perpetual expectancy. You come and the time slips away in a dream. It is only when you go that I realize completely your presence. And then it is too late. You numb me. [...] This is a little drunken, Anaïs. I am saying to myself "here is…” quote by Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/017/henry-miller-179_love_ana-s-i-don-t-know-how-to-tell-you-what_1742439.jpg)
