It cannot be too strongly asserted that the insistence on blind, unreasoning faith is due mainly to the maintenance of a subject-matter upon which there was no knowledge, namely the 'other world'; and that this basis was assumed because of early man's preoccupation with death. It is, unfortunately, quite possible to believe a thing which is contradicted by facts, especially if the facts are not generally known; but if the whole position on which we rested our religions had been visibly opposed by what we did know, even the unthinking masses would, in time, have noticed it.
Charlotte Perkins GilmanA family unity which is only bound together with a table-cloth is of questionable value.
Charlotte Perkins GilmanAs to ethics, unfortunately, we are still at sea. We never did have any popular base for what little ethics we knew, except the religious theories, and now that our faith is shaken in those theories we cannot account for ethics at all. It is no wonder we behave badly, we are literally ignorant of the laws of ethics, which is the simplest of sciences, the most necessary, the most continuously needed. The childish misconduct of our 'revolted youth' is quite equaled by that of older people, and neither young nor old seem to have any understanding of the reasons why conduct is 'good' or 'bad.
Charlotte Perkins GilmanThe best proof of man's dissatisfaction with the home is found in his universal absence from it.
Charlotte Perkins GilmanIts time we woke up,โ pursued Gerald, still inwardly urged to unfamiliar speech. โWomen are pretty much people, seems to me. I know they dress like fools - but whoโs to blame for that? We invent all those idiotic hats of theirs, and design their crazy fashions, and whatโs more, if a woman is courageous enough to wear common-sense clothes - and shoes - which of us wants to dance with her?
Charlotte Perkins Gilman