"A husband who submits to his wife's yoke is justly held an object of ridicule. A woman's influence ought to be entirely concealed"

This quote by Honore de Balzac suggests that an other half needs to not be submissive to his better half, as it is viewed as a source of ridicule. He implies that a female's influence need to not be seen or heard, and should stay covert. This quote shows the standard gender functions of the time, where guys were viewed as the head of the family and females were expected to be submissive and loyal. It also suggests that a female's viewpoint and influence ought to not be taken into consideration, as it is viewed as inferior to a guy's. This quote is reflective of the patriarchal society of the time, where males were seen as the exceptional gender and females were anticipated to stay in the background. This quote is an example of how gender roles were seen and imposed in the past, and how females were anticipated to stay in the shadows and not be seen or heard.