"No slave is a slave to the same lengths, and in so full a sense of the word, as a wife is"
- John Stuart Mill
About this Quote
John Stuart Mill's quote talks to the unequal power characteristics between couples in a marital relationship. He suggests that a wife is a slave to her other half in a way that no other slave is to their master. This implies that a better half is anticipated to follow her partner's orders and is not offered the very same rights or autonomy as her hubby. This quote reflects the patriarchal society of the time, in which women were seen as inferior to males and were anticipated to be subservient to their hubbies. Mill's quote highlights the unequal power dynamics between husbands and wives, and the lack of autonomy and liberty that ladies had in marital relationship. It is a reminder of the significance of acknowledging the rights of women and ensuring that they are given the exact same respect and autonomy as males.
"The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it"