To men a man is but a mind. Who cares What face he carries or what form he wears? But woman's body is the woman. O, Stay thou, my sweetheart, and do never go, But heed the warning words the sage hath said: A woman absent is a woman dead.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bierce contrasts how society views men and women, claiming a woman's identity is tied to her physical presence.
- In plain terms
- Men are valued for their minds, but women are defined by their bodies.
- What can you take from it?
- Physical presence is central to traditional views of womanhood.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How is identity defined by body?
- Does absence equal death?
Another view
This view reduces women to their physical form and ignores their individuality.
More from Ambrose Bierce
Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.
Permalink to quote #2 Abstainer, n. A weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure. A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, a…
Permalink to quote #4 Mark how my fame rings out from zone to zone: A thousand critics shouting: 'He's unknown!'
Permalink to quote #1
Related quotes
The woman who is known only through a man is known wrong.
Henry AdamsHenry Adams quote #44 There is no greater misfortune for a man than to be governed by his wife: in such case he is neither himself nor his wife, he is a perfect nonentity.
Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon Bonaparte quote #182 I do not see why I should e'er turn back, Or those should not set forth upon my track To overtake me, who should miss me here And long to know if still I held …
Robert FrostRobert Frost quote #1