It is thought pretty to say that 'Women have no passion.' If passion is excitement in the daily social intercourse with men, women think about marriage much more than men do; it is the only event of their lives. It ought to be a sacred event, but surely not the only event of a woman's life, as it is now. Many women spend their lives in asking men to marry them, in a refined way. Yet it is true that women are seldom in love. How can they be?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Nightingale argues that women appear to lack passion because their social roles restrict their outlets, making marriage seem like their only significant event. She suggests that women are not naturally unpassionate but are denied meaningful ways to express intellect and moral activity.
- In plain terms
- Women seem passionless only because society limits their opportunities to act on their feelings and talents.
- What can you take from it?
- Restricting women's roles suppresses their natural passions and intellect.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do modern constraints still limit women's expression?
- What outlets for passion exist today?
Another view
The quote reflects 19th-century context and may not fully address individual variations in passion.
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