How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[…]—but I've seen records; she was Peace Corps enrollee (involuntary), which means what you think: juvenile delinquency female type. As she was in early clan marriage (Stone Gang) and shared six husbands with another woman, identity of maternal grandfather open to question. But was often so and I'm content with grandpappy she picked. (1.15)
Mannie's line marriage has the husband—or in this case, senior husband—as the head of the household, but as we'll see, many family roles traditionally associated with men are claimed by women. In this case, the grandmother decides the family legacy for the children, not the father, suggesting women aren't wards of their husbands per Western tradition. With that said, the surname still comes from the male side.
Quote #2
I shoved her down, with hard left hand. Surprised her, and surprised me—had not touched her in any way save necessary contact. Oh, different today, but was 2075 and touching a fem without her consent—plenty of lonely men to come to rescue and airlock never far away. As kids say, Judge Lynch never sleeps. (4.37)
Okay, so the idea that an entire society won't touch a woman without her consent sounds great. But there's something off about this quote, and it's the word "lonely." It suggests that the only reason they bother in the first place is because they are hoping to receive companionship from her. In other words, she's useful to men for what she is and not who she is (Source).
Quote #3
[The women] did not speak to yellow jackets nor look at them; they simply crossed their line of sight, undulating as only a Loonie gal can. (A female on Terra can't walk that way; she's tied down by six times too much weight.)
Such of course produces a male gallery, from men down to lads not yet pubescent—happy whistles and cheers for her beauty, nasty laughs at yellow boy. First girls to take this duty were slot-machine types but volunteers sprang up so fast that Prof decided we need not spend money. (9.27-28)
Women have a place in the revolution's efforts, but it's not thanks to their skills or intelligence. Rather, women use their bodies to make the enemy sexually frustrated and become objects in the eyes of male revolutionaries rather than compatriots. Clearly Luna is not the place for Rosie the Riveter and her kin.
Quote #4
Then add idea of tanstaafl. When thing is scarce, price goes up. Women are scarce; aren't enough to go around—that makes them most valuable thing in Luna, more precious than ice or air, as men without women don't care whether they stay alive or not. Except a Cyborg, if you regard him as a man, which I don't." (11.116)
Objectification means that you view a person as an object, not a human being. If you need some help deciding whether a passage is objectifying someone, we recommend this passage. Using marketing terms like "scarce" and comparing an entire sex to commodities like "ice" or "lunch" is pretty much the definition of objectification.
Quote #5
Stu, is no rape in Luna. None. Men won't permit. If rape had been involved, they wouldn't have bothered to find a judge and all men in earshot would have scrambled to help. (11.123)
Here's another one of those opinion splitting quotes. On the one hand, a society with no rape certainly deserves two thumbs way up, but on the other hand, notice that it is because men won't permit it. Why don't the women have a say in this? Shouldn't it be women saying they won't permit rape, and men saying that sounds like a good idea?
Quote #6
I signed right under Hazel—child not could write although was still short on book learning. (15.24)
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, and that was in 1981, two hundred years after the country was founded. Luna had women sign its Declaration of Independence, so we guess they are ahead of the game.
Quote #7
"Might have more, might have just one. Or might be complex marriage. But let's take one lady and two men as typical. She decides to divorce one." (18.122)
In Luna society, women have the power of divorce, and it is expected that the husband will accept the decision and make sure it goes through. In terms of marriage, a Luna woman's voice is heard.
Quote #8
Ask Wyoh's opinion? Nobody knew Wyoh's virtues better than I… but she oscillated between fierceness and too-human compassion—and I had learned already that a "head of state," even an acting one, must have neither. (28.64)
Wyoh is easily the strongest and most outspoken women character during the novel's initial chapters. But when it comes to politics and warfare, her opinions are no longer needed. What can she do? Read on.
Quote #9
"I'll work under him. Wyoh, hon, will you get my arms? Want number-six and number-three—better bring number-five, too. And you stick with me and change arms for me." (28.87)
She can give Mannie a hand. Yay. All right, puns aside, it really is too bad that the only major female character in the novel is essentially handing the big, strong man character tools, so he can fix the problems for everyone.