Gustave FlaubertHe had carefully avoided her out of the natural cowardice that characterizes the stronger sex.
About This Quote
Obfuscation is a form of communication in which one party intentionally misleads another so as to mislead him or her. In this quote from The Importance of Being Earnest, the word obfuscate means “to make unclear.” The explanation in the quote is in adjectival form; it spells out the next word (avoid) in the sentence, “the natural cowardice that characterizes the stronger sex.” This gives us two possible meanings for this phrase: What does "the stronger sex" mean? Does it refer to men or women? If there is a gender bias in who is “cowardly,” then this might be an example of that bias.
Source: Madame Bovary
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More Quotes By Gustave Flaubert
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