“Lucy had to guard her reputation - her reputation for sanity - the way that a woman a hundred years before would have had to guard her reputation for virtue.”
Analysis of Quote from Nancy Werlin's "Impossible"
In this quote from Nancy Werlin's novel "Impossible," the protagonist Lucy is compared to women from a previous era who had to protect their reputation for virtue. However, in Lucy's case, she must protect her reputation for sanity. This comparison highlights the societal expectations and pressures placed on women throughout history to conform to certain standards, whether they be related to virtue or mental health. The quote underscores the challenges and double standards women face in maintaining their reputation and the importance of societal perceptions in shaping their identities.
The Modern Relevance of Women Guarding Their Reputation
In today's society, women still face the challenge of guarding their reputation, although in different ways than in the past. As Nancy Werlin expressed in her quote, the importance of maintaining a certain reputation, whether it be for sanity, virtue, or any other quality, is something that women have had to navigate throughout history. This continues to hold true in the present day, highlighting the ongoing struggle for women to protect how they are perceived by others.
Guarding Reputation
"Lucy had to guard her reputation - her reputation for sanity - the way that a woman a hundred years before would have had to guard her reputation for virtue." - Nancy Werlin
Reflection Questions:
In Nancy Werlin's quote, she highlights the societal expectations placed upon women in different time periods. Reflect on the following questions to delve deeper into this idea:
- How do societal expectations for women's behavior and reputation differ now compared to a century ago?
- In what ways do contemporary women still feel pressured to uphold certain reputations, whether it be for sanity, virtue, or other traits?
- How does the concept of reputation impact women's freedom to express themselves authentically in today's society?
- Have you personally experienced pressure to maintain a certain reputation or conform to societal expectations? If so, how did you navigate this challenge?
Similar quotes
“The loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable - that one false step involves in her endless ruin - that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful - and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the opposite sex.”
“That loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable-- that one false step involves her in endless ruin-- that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful-- and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the opposite sex." ~Mary Bennett, P&P”
“Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.”
“You're a respectable woman, dearie, and her reputation is a woman's wealth.""Her wealth," Tenar repeated in the same blank way; then she said it again: "Her wealth. Her treasure. Her hoard. Her value...”
“Affronts to her reputation pierced her to the heart, though I couldn’t understand why, since she had very little character left to defend.”