--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A wretched woman is more unfortunate than…" description: "\"“A wretched woman is more unfortunate than a wretched man, because she is an instrument of pleasure.”\" — Victor Hugo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/victor-hugo-32_women_a-wretched-woman-is-more-unfortunate-tha_397571.jpg" --- # A wretched woman is more unfortunate than a wretched man… ![“A wretched woman is more unfortunate than a wretched man, because she is an instrument of pleasure.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/victor-hugo-32_women_a-wretched-woman-is-more-unfortunate-tha_397571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/victor-hugo-32_women_a-wretched-woman-is-more-unfortunate-tha_397571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/victor-hugo-32_women_a-wretched-woman-is-more-unfortunate-tha_397571.jpg) > ““A wretched woman is more unfortunate than a wretched man, because she is an instrument of pleasure.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women suffer more because society uses them for pleasure, highlighting gender oppression and exploitation. **In simple terms:** Women are more oppressed as objects of pleasure. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge gendered exploitation. Themes gender inequality exploitation social critique Mood critical thought‑provoking Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - legal reform - education campaigns - activism - support services Key Concepts feminist theory human rights power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does this view apply to today’s gender debates? - What steps can reduce objectification? A Different Perspective Historical context differs from modern gender issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Unfortunate Wretched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate-wretched-3571989/) [Woman Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-unfortunate-3571988/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [Wretched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wretched/) [Wretched Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wretched-man-557853/) [Wretched Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wretched-woman-3284185/) ## Related quotes > [A wretched woman is more unfortunate than a wretched man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/a-wretched-woman-is-more-unfortunate-than-a-wretched-man/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [What's a wretched man? A man whom no man pleases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/what-s-a-wretched-man-a-man-whom-no-man-pleases/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [O foolish anxiety of wretched man, how inconclusive are the arguments which make thee beat thy wings below!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/o-foolish-anxiety-of-wretched-man-how-inconclusive-are-the-arguments/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Man, wretched man, whene'er he stoops to sin, Feels, with the act, a strong remorse within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/man-wretched-man-whene-er-he-stoops-to-sin-feels-with-the-act-a/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [“If a wretched man has a vice, it shows itself in the lines of his mouth, the droop of his eyelids, the moulding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-a-wretched-man-has-a-vice-it-shows-itself-in-the-lines-of-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Oall the creatures that creep and breathe on earth, there is none more wretched than man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/oall-the-creatures-that-creep-and-breathe-on-earth-there-is-none-more/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Indeed, wretched the man whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-accius/indeed-wretched-the-man-whose-fame-makes-his-misfortunes-famous/) [Lucius Accius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-accius/) > [O wretched man, wretched not just because of what you are, but also because you do not know how wretched you are!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/o-wretched-man-wretched-not-just-because-of-what-you-are-but-also/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Is demum miser est, cuius nobilitas miserias nobilitat. Indeed, wretched the man whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publius-attius-varus/is-demum-miser-est-cuius-nobilitas-miserias-nobilitat-indeed-wretched/) [Publius Attius Varus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publius-attius-varus/) > [Unfortunate and wretched are those who have respected a book they did not love and hated those they did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milorad-pavi/unfortunate-and-wretched-are-those-who-have-respected-a-book-they-did/) [Milorad Pavić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milorad-pavi/) > [“God, I hate her!” Kelly shouts as soon as Connor and his mom are out of the store. “How did that wretched, wretched woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/god-i-hate-her-kelly-shouts-as-soon-as-connor-and-his-mom-are-out-of/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [We are on the side of religion as opposed to religions, and we are among those who believe in the wretched inadequacy of sermons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/we-are-on-the-side-of-religion-as-opposed-to-religions-and-we-are/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Do you hear the people sing Lost in the valley of the night? It is the music of a people Who are climbing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/do-you-hear-the-people-sing-lost-in-the-valley-of-the-night-it-is-the/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nietzsche's ideas and plans: for example, the idea of giving up the whole wretched academic world to form a secular monastic community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/nietzsche-s-ideas-and-plans-for-example-the-idea-of-giving-up-the/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [There are but three ways for the populace to escape its wretched lot. The first two are by the routes of the wine-shop or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/there-are-but-three-ways-for-the-populace-to-escape-its-wretched-lot/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/have-courage-for-the-great-sorrows-of-life-and-patience-for-the-small/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For love is like a tree; it grows of itself; it send its roots deep into our being, and often continues to grow green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/for-love-is-like-a-tree-it-grows-of-itself-it-send-its-roots-deep/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Blacheville smiles with the self-satisfied smugness of a man whose vanity is tickled”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/blacheville-smiles-with-the-self-satisfied-smugness-of-a-man-whose/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Loving in ignorance, she loved with all the more passion. She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Women quotes > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/at-the-drop-of-a-hat-people-will-say-there-are-no-roles-for-women/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I found out about Sister Song through Poppy Liu, who's on the show 'Hacks.' Reproductive rights are human rights, and I wanted to shine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-found-out-about-sister-song-through-poppy-liu-who-s-on-the-show/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [Women have seen that they have locked themselves up with feminist writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/women-have-seen-that-they-have-locked-themselves-up-with-feminist/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. You can have leading women powering through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/you-can-have-asians-being-leading-men-that-are-sex-symbols-you-can/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. 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