Valued Quote by Margaret Atwood
““A thing is valued, she says, only if it is rare and hard to get. We want you to be valued, girls. She is rich in pauses, which she savors in her mouth. Think of yourselves as pearls. We, sitting in our rows, eyes down, we make her salivate morally. We are hers to define, we must suffer her adjectives.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, 1985
Explores how rarity and difficulty create value, using metaphor of pearls and moral salivation.
In simple terms: Rare things are valued more.
Key Takeaway
Recognize value in scarcity.
Themes
value perception
gender dynamics
social hierarchy
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
literary
analytical
When to use this quote
- marketing
- fashion industry
- relationship dynamics
Key Concepts
rarity
desire
power structures
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we equate rarity with worth?
- How does scarcity shape desire?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on rarity can foster inequality.
