--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we…" description: "\"“Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't you supposed to be saving yourself?\" Shanti asked. \"Yeah,\" Mary Lou answered. \"And then I t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e0/libba-bray-259_christmas-present_weren-t-you-wearing-a-purity-ring-when-w_839299.png" --- # Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't… ![“Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't you supposed to be saving yourself?" Shanti asked. "Yeah," Mary Lou answered. "And then I thought, for what? You save leftovers. My sex is not a leftover, and it is not a Christmas present.” quote by Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e0/libba-bray-259_christmas-present_weren-t-you-wearing-a-purity-ring-when-w_839299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e0/libba-bray-259_christmas-present_weren-t-you-wearing-a-purity-ring-when-w_839299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e0/libba-bray-259_christmas-present_weren-t-you-wearing-a-purity-ring-when-w_839299.png) > ““Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't you supposed to be saving yourself?" Shanti asked. "Yeah," Mary Lou answered. "And then I thought, for what? You save leftovers. My sex is not a leftover, and it is not a Christmas present.”” [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character rejects societal expectations about purity and sexual agency, asserting autonomy over her body and choices. **In simple terms:** Rejecting imposed purity standards to claim personal sexual agency. Key Takeaway Own your body, reject imposed purity. Themes autonomy sexuality rebellion Mood defiant reflective Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - college life - relationship discussions - sexual education - personal boundaries Key Concepts feminist critique personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you define your own sexual autonomy? - What pressures shape your view of purity? A Different Perspective Societal pressure can still influence personal decisions despite resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-present/) [Saving yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving-yourself/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) ## Related quotes > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Travis was going to be a part of that, and if he wouldn’t let me save him, I had to save myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/travis-was-going-to-be-a-part-of-that-and-if-he-wouldn-t-let-me-save/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were responsible for your own ship. You had to look after the engine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/if-there-was-one-thing-i-d-learned-it-was-that-you-were-responsible/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Don't cut your wrists. Don't cut your thighs. Put down that lighter. Pull up your sleeves. Show the world that your still alive. Put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-cut-your-wrists-don-t-cut-your-thighs-put-down-that-lighter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“How can we pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow? One thing is God’s will and another is just cultural differences?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-d-richardson/how-can-we-pick-and-choose-which-parts-of-the-bible-to-follow-one/) [Trevor D. Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-d-richardson/) > [“Why do they even call it that, "saving yourself"? Like we need to be rescued from sex? It's not like virgins spend their whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-schneider/why-do-they-even-call-it-that-saving-yourself-like-we-need-to-be/) [Robyn Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-schneider/) > [Sometimes they threaten you with something - something you can't stand up to, can't even think about. And then you say, Don't do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/sometimes-they-threaten-you-with-something-something-you-can-t-stand/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Nothing more exhilarating (he wrote) than saving yourself by the simple act of waking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/nothing-more-exhilarating-he-wrote-than-saving-yourself-by-the-simple/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The sooner you stop waiting for someone to arrive on a white horse and save you, the sooner you'll be able to focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/the-sooner-you-stop-waiting-for-someone-to-arrive-on-a-white-horse/) Unkown > [If you’re the kind of person who has no guts, you just give up every time life pushes you. If you’re that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-the-kind-of-person-who-has-no-guts-you-just-give-up-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing more exhilarating ... than saving yourself by the simple act of waking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/nothing-more-exhilarating-than-saving-yourself-by-the-simple-act-of/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“SERIOUSLY? Is it because of Jesus? Are you, like, saving yourself for him?” Sex seemed simpler for Kelsey. She had the body of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/seriously-is-it-because-of-jesus-are-you-like-saving-yourself-for-him/) [Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/) > [Being saved means getting made fun of because you're saving yourself for marriage. But knowing that you're making the right choice for God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-saved-means-getting-made-fun-of-because-you-re-saving-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An almost infallible means of saving yourself from the desire of self-destruction is always to have something to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/an-almost-infallible-means-of-saving-yourself-from-the-desire-of-self/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“So? When do you want to be turned?” “I didn’t agree to turn,” Valerie squawked with amazement. “You haven’t, but you will,” he said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/so-when-do-you-want-to-be-turned-i-didn-t-agree-to-turn-valerie/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) ## More by Libba Bray > [“I have never felt more ridiculous. If this is what it means to be a woman I am not the slightest bit interested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/i-have-never-felt-more-ridiculous-if-this-is-what-it-means-to-be-a/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [There are no safe choices. Only other choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-are-no-safe-choices-only-other-choices/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“The King of Crows raked his fingers across the dark until it bled. He licked the blood from his fingers with a forked tongue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/the-king-of-crows-raked-his-fingers-across-the-dark-until-it-bled-he/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [It is how it has always been. 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Make different choices...But the past cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-are-times-when-i-wish-i-could-go-back-and-change-the-course-of/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“Sexuality is not meant to be this way - an honest, consensual expression in which a girl might take an active role when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/sexuality-is-not-meant-to-be-this-way-an-honest-consensual-expression/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [There is no greater power on this earth than story.” Will paced the length of the room. “People think boundaries and borders build nations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-is-no-greater-power-on-this-earth-than-story-will-paced-the/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [Heaven's brightest and best-loved angel, who was cast out for inspiring a rebellion against God. Having lost Heaven, Lucifer and his rebel angels vowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/heaven-s-brightest-and-best-loved-angel-who-was-cast-out-for/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“The light is so bright it hurts my eyes. But I don't dare close them. I won't. Instead, I try to adjust to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/the-light-is-so-bright-it-hurts-my-eyes-but-i-don-t-dare-close-them-i/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“Miss Moore speaks slowly, deliberately. "I know because I read." She pulls back and stands, hands on hips, offering us a challenge. "May I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/miss-moore-speaks-slowly-deliberately-i-know-because-i-read-she-pulls/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“Duff's little moans traveled up her spine, made her head buzz. And another thought grabbed hold: She was doing this. She had the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/duff-s-little-moans-traveled-up-her-spine-made-her-head-buzz-and/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) [Explore all 774 Libba Bray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) ## More Christmas present quotes > [“People do not seem to realise that the planet is FULL of AMAZING people, many of whom would pass out at the opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gala-darling/people-do-not-seem-to-realise-that-the-planet-is-full-of-amazing/) Gala Darling > [“The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-magi-as-you-know-were-wise-men-wonderfully-wise-men-who-brought/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/all-the-christmas-presents-in-the-world-are-worth-nothing-without-the/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“As his life steadily unraveled, he pawned his gold watch and chain for $20 on December 23, 1857, to purchase Christmas presents for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/as-his-life-steadily-unraveled-he-pawned-his-gold-watch-and-chain-for/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [ \[T\]hese last few days where I've moped around damn near depressed for real, because of people who do not exist. Not really. I can… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/t-hese-last-few-days-where-i-ve-moped-around-damn-near-depressed-for/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“I think after Christmas would be better for publication: I am hardly a Christmas present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-think-after-christmas-would-be-better-for-publication-i-am-hardly-a/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“I want your babies, and your anger, and your cold blue eyes … “ I choke on my words and I am the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/i-want-your-babies-and-your-anger-and-your-cold-blue-eyes-i-choke-on/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [Wanna know whats upsetting? My sister crying for her farther.She wants him for christmas.I think it would be a wonderful christmas present.But you cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazzy/wanna-know-whats-upsetting-my-sister-crying-for-her-farther-she-wants/) [Jazzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazzy/) > [My nearest and dearest have always been very careful. I've never had to send Christmas present back yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-nettles/my-nearest-and-dearest-have-always-been-very-careful-i-ve-never-had/) [John Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-nettles/) > [We really couldn't listen to the radio. Never got a Christmas present from my mama a day in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glorilla/we-really-couldn-t-listen-to-the-radio-never-got-a-christmas-present/) [GloRilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glorilla/) > [“Hot damn! Hunter was finally paying off with the hot guy friends. 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