Male supremacy is fused into the language, so that every sentence both heralds and affirms it.

Childbearing is glorified in part because women die from it.

To be rapeable, a position that is social, not biological, defines what a woman is.

The hurting of women is . . . basic to the sexual pleasure of men.

I have spent 20 years writing these books. Had I wanted to say men are beasts and scream, that takes 30 seconds.

Under patriarchy, no woman is safe to live her life, or to love, or to mother children. Under patriarchy, every woman is a victim, past, present, and future. Under patriarchy, every woman's daughter is a victim, past, present, and future. Under patriarchy, every woman's son is her potential betrayer and also the inevitable rapist or exploiter of another woman.

Truth is harder to bear than ignorance, and so ignorance is valued more--also because the status quo depends on it; but love depends on self-knowledge and self-knowledge depends on being able to bear the truth.