The Unvanquished Gender Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)

Quote #10

So Father came out too and we went down to the spring and found Drusilla hiding behind the big beech, crouched down like she was trying to hide the skirt from Father even while he raised her up. "What's a dress?" he said. "It dont matter. Come. Get up, soldier."

But she was beaten, like as soon as she let them put the dress on her she was whipped; like in the dress she could neither fight back nor run away. (6.2.21)

Think about this next time you pick up the first dirty jeans you find on your floor: clothing has the power to define, and defeat, a person. Putting on the dress is, for Dru, the last straw. She loses her freedom when she puts it on; it's like a sign blinking "woman." Clothing is a really important marker in our society, and not just for the people seeing it, but also for the people wearing it.