"Every man who is high up likes to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go at that"

This quote by James M. Barrie speaks with the idea of male pride and ego. It suggests that men who have achieved success frequently like to believe that they have done it all by themselves, which their wives are content to let them believe that method. This might be analyzed as a commentary on the standard gender functions of the time, where males were anticipated to be the breadwinners and women were expected to remain in the background and support their spouses. It might also be viewed as a criticism of male pride and ego, recommending that men need to be more modest and acknowledge the contributions of their wives. Ultimately, this quote speaks to the idea that males ought to be more aware of the contributions of their other halves and not take all the credit for their success.