--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the…" description: "\"“Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak woman, exposed to all evil and capable of none?”\" — Nathaniel Hawthorne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg" --- # Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak… ![“Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak woman, exposed to all evil and capable of none?” quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg) > ““Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak woman, exposed to all evil and capable of none?”” [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He questions whether a weak woman, lacking agency, is preferable to a vulnerable state. **In simple terms:** Weakness vs. vulnerability. Key Takeaway Empower women, avoid weakness. Themes gender power agency Mood critical thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - education - policy reform - activism Key Concepts feminist critique social norms Questions to Reflect On - What defines strength for women? - How can society protect the vulnerable? A Different Perspective Historical context may differ today. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Boys get to do what they want in this world, and girls do not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-meyer/boys-get-to-do-what-they-want-in-this-world-and-girls-do-not/) [L.A. 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Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-meyer/) Browse all 2 Sexisim quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak woman, exposed to all evil and capable of none?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nathaniel Hawthorne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-condition-of-a-weak-woman/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Sexisim" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-condition-of-a-weak-woman/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74c/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_sexisim_wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-con_2691623.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the condition of a weak woman, exposed to all evil and capable of none?” — Nathaniel Hawthorne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nathaniel Hawthorne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Wouldst thou, then, have preferred the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-condition-of-a-weak-woman/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/wouldst-thou-then-have-preferred-the-condition-of-a-weak-woman/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```