--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is a bribe to make the…" description: "\"Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a householder.\" — Thornton Wilder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg" --- # Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a… ![“Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a householder.” quote by Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg) > “Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a householder.” [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage is portrayed as a transactional arrangement that grants domestic authority to a non‑owner. **In simple terms:** Marriage is a deal giving power to a housekeeper. Key Takeaway Question traditional roles in partnership. Themes marriage power dynamics gender roles society Mood thoughtful critical Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - legal marriage - cohabitation agreements - family negotiations - role discussions Key Concepts feminism social contract identity authority Questions to Reflect On - How do modern couples view domestic authority? - What alternatives exist to traditional marriage contracts? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex relational nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bribe/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [“The marriage is a bribe to make a housekeeper think she is a householder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/the-marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-a-housekeeper-think-she-is-a/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Marriage is a bribe to make a housekeeper think she's a householder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-a-housekeeper-think-she-s-a-householder/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“If a householder is a genuine devotee, he performs his duties without attachment; he surrenders the fruit of his work to God - his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-ramakrishna/if-a-householder-is-a-genuine-devotee-he-performs-his-duties-without/) [Sri Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-ramakrishna/) > [“The Buddha referred to married people as “householders.” He even gave clear instructions as to how one should be a good householder: Be nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-referred-to-married-people-as-householders-he-even-gave/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Sunday is the day I do my laundry and clean. I'm always trying to get rid of stuff. Truthfully? I have a housekeeper that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-yee/sunday-is-the-day-i-do-my-laundry-and-clean-i-m-always-trying-to-get/) [Angela Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-yee/) > [“Routine is the housekeeper of inspiration”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/routine-is-the-housekeeper-of-inspiration/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“And Your modest ambition is to be a good housekeeper, isn't it?" "Well, yes, Papa; but not only that. I was thinking about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-wells/and-your-modest-ambition-is-to-be-a-good-housekeeper-isn-t-it-well/) [Carolyn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-wells/) > [I wasn't put on this earth to be housekeeper to my own child or to anyone else for that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-freed/i-wasn-t-put-on-this-earth-to-be-housekeeper-to-my-own-child-or-to/) [Lynn Freed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-freed/) > [Im an excellent housekeeper..Every time I get divorce I keep the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-an-excellent-housekeeper-every-time-i-get-divorce-i-keep-the-house/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never felt I could give up my life of freedom to become a man's housekeeper. When I was young, if a girl married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/i-never-felt-i-could-give-up-my-life-of-freedom-to-become-a-man-s/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [“Joy is your heart's housekeeper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-wray/joy-is-your-heart-s-housekeeper/) Gayle Wray > [“He called the operator from the phone in the kitchen and then left a message for Mr. Keane at his office. As luck would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-called-the-operator-from-the-phone-in-the-kitchen-and-then-left-a/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [God bless my mother - she's long gone now, but she'd work all day and go to school at night. She started out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/god-bless-my-mother-she-s-long-gone-now-but-she-d-work-all-day-and-go/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I'm an excellent housekeeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zsa-zsa-gabo/i-m-an-excellent-housekeeper-every-time-i-get-a-divorce-i-keep-the/) Zsa Zsa Gabo > [The earth doesn't have a housekeeper to do the dusting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-earth-doesn-t-have-a-housekeeper-to-do-the-dusting/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## More by Thornton Wilder > [“He respected the slight nervous shadow that crossed her face when he came too near her. But there arose out of this denial itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/he-respected-the-slight-nervous-shadow-that-crossed-her-face-when-he/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/when-you-re-safe-at-home-you-wish-you-were-having-an-adventure-when/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Simon Stimson: "...That's what it was to be alive. To move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/simon-stimson-that-s-what-it-was-to-be-alive-to-move-about-in-a-cloud/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Love as education is one of the great powers of the world, but it hangs in a delicate suspension; it achieves its harmony as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/love-as-education-is-one-of-the-great-powers-of-the-world-but-it/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Many great writers have been extraordinarily awkward in daily exchange, but the greatest give the impression that their style was nursed by the closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/many-great-writers-have-been-extraordinarily-awkward-in-daily/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [A man looks pretty small at a wedding, George. All those good women standing shoulder to shoulder, making sure that the knot's tied in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/a-man-looks-pretty-small-at-a-wedding-george-all-those-good-women/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [The knowledge that she would never be loved in return acted upon her ideas as a tide acts upon cliffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/the-knowledge-that-she-would-never-be-loved-in-return-acted-upon-her/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“But while they continued staring into one another’s face waiting for the miracle of science the pain grew worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/but-while-they-continued-staring-into-one-another-s-face-waiting-for/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [I am convinced that, except in a few extraordinary cases, one form or another of an unhappy childhood is essential to the formation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/i-am-convinced-that-except-in-a-few-extraordinary-cases-one-form-or/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less of love than the child that lost a dog yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/many-who-have-spent-a-lifetime-in-it-can-tell-us-less-of-love-than/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Cesar is not a philosophical man. His life has been one long flight from reflection. At least he is clever enough not to expose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/cesar-is-not-a-philosophical-man-his-life-has-been-one-long-flight/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Every person who has ever lived has lived an unbroken succession of unique occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/every-person-who-has-ever-lived-has-lived-an-unbroken-succession-of/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/without-your-wounds-where-would-your-power-be-it-is-your-melancholy/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Ninety-nine per cent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/ninety-nine-per-cent-of-the-people-in-the-world-are-fools-and-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [There's nothing like mixing with woman to bring out all the foolishness in a man of sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/there-s-nothing-like-mixing-with-woman-to-bring-out-all-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) [Explore all 232 Thornton Wilder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## More Bribe quotes > [You can't lose with the Stuff I use!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reverend-ike/you-can-t-lose-with-the-stuff-i-use/) [Reverend Ike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reverend-ike/) > [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [To give money to a sufferer is only a come-off. It is only a postponement of the real payment, a bribe paid for silence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/to-give-money-to-a-sufferer-is-only-a-come-off-it-is-only-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I think if people give you their time and they haven't got any money then they deserve to get something. Not so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-broomfield/i-think-if-people-give-you-their-time-and-they-haven-t-got-any-money/) [Nick Broomfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-broomfield/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The community has no bribe that will tempt a wise man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-community-has-no-bribe-that-will-tempt-a-wise-man/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [How is a magician to exist without books? Let someone explain that to me. It is like asking a politician to achieve high office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/how-is-a-magician-to-exist-without-books-let-someone-explain-that-to/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [The best thing you can do for the planet is to stay home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-snyder/the-best-thing-you-can-do-for-the-planet-is-to-stay-home/) [Gary Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-snyder/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-m-talking-about-is-more-than-recompense-for-past-injustices/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Bribe is such an ugly word. I prefer extortion. The X makes it sound cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bender-the-cartoon-character/bribe-is-such-an-ugly-word-i-prefer-extortion-the-x-makes-it-sound/) [Bender (The Cartoon Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bender-the-cartoon-character/) > [“Bribe cartographers to remove us from the atlas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melancton-hawks/bribe-cartographers-to-remove-us-from-the-atlas/) Melancton Hawks > [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There are not many companies in China that dare to say in public, 'We don't offer bribes', or companies that operate only by market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-jianlin/there-are-not-many-companies-in-china-that-dare-to-say-in-public-we/) [Wang Jianlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-jianlin/) > [The median family of four ... paid $4,722 in federal taxes last year. That's enough to pay for a new curtain for the secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bock/the-median-family-of-four-paid-4-722-in-federal-taxes-last-year-that/) Alan Bock [Browse all 185 Bribe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bribe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a householder.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thornton Wilder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekeeper-think-she-s-a-householder/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bribe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekeeper-think-she-s-a-householder/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/thornton-wilder-1495_bribe_marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekee_1096310.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she's a householder.” — Thornton Wilder", "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": "Thornton Wilder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Marriage is a bribe to make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekeeper-think-she-s-a-householder/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/marriage-is-a-bribe-to-make-the-housekeeper-think-she-s-a-householder/#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 } } ] } ```