How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Every man yearns to have a really well-dressed woman before he dies, even if he has to buy her the clothes himself. This binge is probably Joe Cinnadella's lifelong ambition. (9.96)
After all those "all women are like this" comments from Frank and Joe, it's almost nice to get a "all men are like this" comment from Juliana. Those other comments don't seem to be all that accurate. (See the quote just above for an example.) And by the end of the book, we know this is wrong. Joe's lifelong ambition isn't to have a well-dressed woman, but to kill Hawthorne Abendsen. Can you see the slight difference?
Quote #8
As Joe shut the door, Juliana said, "How did you know a new white shirt can't be worn until it's pressed?"
He said nothing; he shrugged.
"I had forgotten," Juliana said. "And a woman ought to know... when you take them out of the cellophane they're all wrinkled." (13.56-8)
"A woman ought to know"? One of the most dangerous things about stereotypes is how they can infect the person being stereotyped. So here, Juliana seems to be saying that she's failed as a woman because she forgot about men's dress shirts. As if she judges herself according to how well she serves men. Yeesh. For another example, see Ed accusing Frank of accepting Nazi ideas about Jews (4.38).
Quote #9
Her smile increased. She had perfect white regular teeth; Irish, Juliana decided. Only Irish blood could give that jawline such femininity. "Let me take your purse and coat. This is a very good time for you; these are a few friends. What a lovely dress... it's House of Cherubini, isn't it?" (15.63)
According to The Man in the High Castle, women don't talk to each other a lot. Or at all. Really, the major scene featuring two women is the final one, when Juliana crashes a Hawthorne party and talks to (and upsets) Caroline. Juliana and Caroline eventually talk about big issues of "fate" and reality, but look at this first meeting, where it's all about how feminine Caroline looks and how she instantly recognizes Juliana's dress. Is this all women are for in this book? (If this interests you, check out the Bechdel Test.)