--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To them an unmarried woman is an…" description: "\"“To them an unmarried woman is an irresponsible one, a failure, a whore, a sex worker most especially when she is not a nun.”\" — S. A. David" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/s-a-david-6726_failure_to-them-an-unmarried-woman-is-an-irrespo_87021.jpg" --- # To them an unmarried woman is an irresponsible one, a… ![“To them an unmarried woman is an irresponsible one, a failure, a whore, a sex worker most especially when she is not a nun.” quote by S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/s-a-david-6726_failure_to-them-an-unmarried-woman-is-an-irrespo_87021.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/s-a-david-6726_failure_to-them-an-unmarried-woman-is-an-irrespo_87021.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/s-a-david-6726_failure_to-them-an-unmarried-woman-is-an-irrespo_87021.jpg) > ““To them an unmarried woman is an irresponsible one, a failure, a whore, a sex worker most especially when she is not a nun.”” [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the harsh moral double standards imposed on women who remain single, equating them with moral failure and sexual exploitation. **In simple terms:** Single women face stigmatizing labels. Key Takeaway Societal judgments punish non‑conformity. Themes gender bias moral policing stigma feminist critique social norms Mood defiant critical Type polemic social commentary When to use this quote - online forums about dating - women's rights rallies - college gender studies classes - media analysis panels Key Concepts gender roles sexual morality Practical Applications - advocacy campaigns - educational workshops Questions to Reflect On - What historical forces shape these stereotypes? - How can language be reclaimed? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ## Related quotes > [“Why is being an unmarried woman something that we should be ashamed of, as if we’ve failed? Men don’t feel this way. When they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/why-is-being-an-unmarried-woman-something-that-we-should-be-ashamed/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“I suppose an unmarried woman just over thirty, who lives alone and has no apparent ties, must expect to find herself involved or interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-suppose-an-unmarried-woman-just-over-thirty-who-lives-alone-and-has/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [As an unmarried woman, I was thought to be a danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-kelly/as-an-unmarried-woman-i-was-thought-to-be-a-danger/) [Grace Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-kelly/) > [My mind is pretty made up that life for Cathy Freeman will be as an unmarried woman from now on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-freeman/my-mind-is-pretty-made-up-that-life-for-cathy-freeman-will-be-as-an/) [Cathy Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-freeman/) > [The unmarried woman seldom escapes a widowhood of the spirit. There is sure to be some one, parent, brother, sister, friend, more comfortable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mary-yonge/the-unmarried-woman-seldom-escapes-a-widowhood-of-the-spirit-there-is/) [Charlotte Mary Yonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mary-yonge/) > [Whenever I see an unmarried woman carrying a child, my first response is one of respect. I know she could have taken the quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/whenever-i-see-an-unmarried-woman-carrying-a-child-my-first-response/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [A married woman has the same right to control her own body as does an unmarried woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-wachtler/a-married-woman-has-the-same-right-to-control-her-own-body-as-does-an/) [Sol Wachtler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-wachtler/) > [I would much rather have watched Jill Clayburgh in 'An Unmarried Woman' than 'Star Wars.' Even though I saw that movie when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/i-would-much-rather-have-watched-jill-clayburgh-in-an-unmarried-woman/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [I can't forgive a woman who is irresponsible and dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-taemin/i-can-t-forgive-a-woman-who-is-irresponsible-and-dishonest/) [Lee Taemin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-taemin/) > [There is no amount of jewelry that can replace an unmarried woman's virginity, that is a priceless pearl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/there-is-no-amount-of-jewelry-that-can-replace-an-unmarried-woman-s/) Unkown > [I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in- and I am sure my dinners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-know-of-nobody-that-is-coming-i-am-sure-unless-charlotte-lucas/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [If you're an average married couple, you're going to lie to your spouse in one out of every 10 interactions. Now, you may think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/if-you-re-an-average-married-couple-you-re-going-to-lie-to-your/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) > [I do not think that marriage is one of my talents. I've been much happier unmarried than married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-do-not-think-that-marriage-is-one-of-my-talents-i-ve-been-much/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [It's like the riddle of the Sphinx... why are there so many great unmarried women, and no great unmarried men?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/it-s-like-the-riddle-of-the-sphinx-why-are-there-so-many-great/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting ## More by S. A. David > [“My nephew. He was a law student. A good Christian. He never kept girlfriends. He never missed a ceremonial meal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/my-nephew-he-was-a-law-student-a-good-christian-he-never-kept/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“A two–hour length motion picture doesn’t do justice to a book of over four hundred pages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/a-two-hour-length-motion-picture-doesn-t-do-justice-to-a-book-of-over/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“My life had become a helluva plot that could give Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie another New York Times bestseller.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/my-life-had-become-a-helluva-plot-that-could-give-chimamanda-ngozi/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“You want a man to come back to you; you don’t go saying squalid nonsense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/you-want-a-man-to-come-back-to-you-you-don-t-go-saying-squalid/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“Keep being a good boy and divorce Katherine. We should be grateful to King Henry the Eighth for that privilege.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/keep-being-a-good-boy-and-divorce-katherine-we-should-be-grateful-to/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“...colonialism in Africa was inevitable since the fittest and most creative person was the one that would be destined to lead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/colonialism-in-africa-was-inevitable-since-the-fittest-and-most/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“I was convinced that if one prayed hard enough, God gave one the tools to one's salvation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/i-was-convinced-that-if-one-prayed-hard-enough-god-gave-one-the-tools/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“There’s always pain behind the fame. Fame which I never asked for. Being in the spotlight has its fair share of disadvantages. I leaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/there-s-always-pain-behind-the-fame-fame-which-i-never-asked-for/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“If you don’t mind I came for an interrogation. You’re not under arrest, at least not yet; and you do not have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/if-you-don-t-mind-i-came-for-an-interrogation-you-re-not-under-arrest/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“The polygrapher is not one’s friend even if he or she tries to convince one he or she is on one’s side. Outright deception!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/the-polygrapher-is-not-one-s-friend-even-if-he-or-she-tries-to/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“We gave you too much education and now you've gained too much knowledge that is blinding your wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/we-gave-you-too-much-education-and-now-you-ve-gained-too-much/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“Please I’d rather you didn’t do any name-calling, and you’re talking this way because you've never been hungry for success. One would do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/please-i-d-rather-you-didn-t-do-any-name-calling-and-you-re-talking/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“You are an Igbo woman and Igbo women are stronger than any form of pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/you-are-an-igbo-woman-and-igbo-women-are-stronger-than-any-form-of/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“He was enraged and bitter and hoped for a personal meeting with Sarkozy where he would recount to him France's colonial history in Africa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/he-was-enraged-and-bitter-and-hoped-for-a-personal-meeting-with/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“...a husband cannot be guilty of the rape of his wife because the wife hath given up herself in this kind to her husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/a-husband-cannot-be-guilty-of-the-rape-of-his-wife-because-the-wife/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) [Explore all 98 S. A. David quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To them an unmarried woman is an irresponsible one, a failure, a whore, a sex worker most especially when she is not a nun.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S. 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