--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What has been valued in the West in women…" description: "\"“What has been valued in the West in women has too often been defined only in relation to the masculine: the good, nurturant mother and wife; the sweet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/sylvia-perera-117981_children_what-has-been-valued-in-the-west-in-wome_1009634.jpg" --- # What has been valued in the West in women has too often… ![“What has been valued in the West in women has too often been defined only in relation to the masculine: the good, nurturant mother and wife; the sweet, docile agreeable daughter; the gently supportive of bright achieving partner. This collective model is inadequate for life; we mutilate…” quote by Sylvia Perera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/sylvia-perera-117981_children_what-has-been-valued-in-the-west-in-wome_1009634.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/sylvia-perera-117981_children_what-has-been-valued-in-the-west-in-wome_1009634.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/sylvia-perera-117981_children_what-has-been-valued-in-the-west-in-wome_1009634.jpg) > ““What has been valued in the West in women has too often been defined only in relation to the masculine: the good, nurturant mother and wife; the sweet, docile agreeable daughter; the gently supportive of bright achieving partner. This collective model is inadequate for life; we mutilate, depotentiate, silence and enrage ourselves trying to compress our souls into it just as surely as our grandmothers deformed their fully breathing bodies with corsets for the sake of an ideal.”” [Sylvia Perera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-perera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Western ideals confine women to limited roles, causing self‑suppression and loss of identity. **In simple terms:** Women limited by stereotypes. Key Takeaway Challenge restrictive gender norms. Themes gender identity stereotype freedom history Mood critical empowering Type essay feminist When to use this quote - education - activism - personal reflection Key Concepts Feminist theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural expectations shape you? - What steps reclaim autonomy? A Different Perspective May generalize diverse experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Masculine Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masculine-good-2185338/) [Mother And Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-and-wife/) [Nurturant Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurturant-mother-2185340/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Valued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valued/) [Valued West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valued-west-2185339/) [Women Defined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-defined-1340251/) ## Related quotes > [Liberalism defines government as tyrant father but demands it behave as nurturant mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/liberalism-defines-government-as-tyrant-father-but-demands-it-behave/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I want a guy who is masculine, good with his hands, and able to build stuff and who has survival skills. 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