Marriage Quote by Meg Wolitzer
““Everyone needs a wife; even wives need wives. Wives tend, they hover. Their ears are twin sensitive instruments, satellites picking up the slightest scrape of dissatisfaction. Wives bring broth, we bring paper clips, we bring ourselves and our pliant, warm bodies. We know just what to say to the men who for some reason have a great deal of trouble taking consistent care of themselves or anyone else. “Listen,” we say. “Everything will be okay.” And then, as if our lives depend on it, we make sure it is.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Wife, Meg Wolitzer, 2003
Wives often provide emotional support and reassurance, acting as caretakers who soothe anxieties and help others stay grounded.
In simple terms: Wives offer comfort and practical help.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate and reciprocate support.
Themes
support
relationships
caregiving
Mood
empathetic
warm
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- family caregiving
- friendship support
- workplace mentorship
Key Concepts
emotional labor
gender roles
interpersonal dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can partners share emotional labor?
- What boundaries protect personal well‑being?
A Different Perspective
Support can become one‑sided if unbalanced.
![“Not only do our wives need support, but our children need our deep involvement in their lives. If this period [the early years] ofprimitive needs and primitive caretaking passes without us, it is lost forever. We can be involved in other ways, but never again on this profoundly intimate level.” quote by Augustus Napier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3a2/augustus-napier-54501_caretaking_not-only-do-our-wives-need-support-but-o_2399582.jpg){kind=icon}
![“I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to [when I started my career], because so many things are on the road. I just don't want to be away from my husband, my dogs and my home. I don't sing that much any more because that also takes you on the road.” quote by Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/07c/jane-powell-36243_away-from-home_i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s_278.jpg)
