“ Every man imprisons his wife to a certain degree; the world would be in a pretty condition if women were allowed to quit home and return to it whenever they had a mind. ”
William Makepeace Thackeray, The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844). copy citation
| Author | William Makepeace Thackeray |
|---|---|
| Source | The Luck of Barry Lyndon |
| Topic | home women |
| Date | 1844 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4558/pg4558-images.html |
Context
“The fact is, that, knowing her levity, and seeing the insane dislike to me and mine which had now begun to supersede what, perhaps, had been an equally insane fondness for me, I was bound to be on my guard that she should not give me the slip. Had she left me, I was ruined the next day. This (which my mother knew) compelled us to keep a tight watch over her; but as for imprisoning her, I repel the imputation with scorn. Every man imprisons his wife to a certain degree; the world would be in a pretty condition if women were allowed to quit home and return to it whenever they had a mind. In watching over my wife, Lady Lyndon, I did no more than exercise the legitimate authority which awards honour and obedience to every husband.
Such, however, is female artifice, that, in spite of all my watchfulness in guarding her, it is probable my Lady would have given me the slip, had I not had quite as acute a person as herself as my ally:”
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