Character Quote by Sarah Fielding
“I was amongst the virtues like the great Turk in his seraglio of women, and I chose to dwell with that virtue which looked the fairest in my eyes and gave me at that season most pleasure. In short, I made wives of them: I first admired them, then made them my own property, and if they would not submit to my will, I again turned them off and divorced them.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Adventures of the Fair Penelope by Sarah Fielding, 1748
The speaker describes choosing a partner based on personal attraction and treating relationships as possessions, discarding them if they resist his control.
In simple terms: He picks partners he finds attractive, owns them, and discards them if they disobey.
Key Takeaway
Treat people as partners, not property.
Themes
relationships
power
gender
ownership
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marriage negotiations
- dating apps
- consensual relationships
- legal divorce
Key Concepts
patriarchy
objectification
agency
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing partners as property affect trust?
- What alternative models respect both autonomy and desire?
A Different Perspective
May ignore mutual consent and equality, reducing relationships to control.
![“[S]haring in common, without any thought of separate property, had ever been their friendly practice, from their first connection.” quote by Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd3/sarah-fielding-19151_common_s-haring-in-common-without-any-thought-o_353370.jpg)
![“[H]ow do I pity those who (assuming the name of friends) surround themselves with maxims importing the wisdom of doubt and suspicion, 'til they impose on themselves that very hard task of laboring through life without ever knowing a human creature to whom they can make the proper use of language…” quote by Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2d0/sarah-fielding-19151_assuming_h-ow-do-i-pity-those-who-assuming-the-na_687697.jpg)
