The Woman in White Power Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Volume.Part.Chapter.Paragraph

Quote #7

"Human ingenuity, my friend, has hitherto only discovered two ways in which a man can manage a woman. One way is to knock her down—a method largely adopted by the brutal lower orders of the people, but utterly abhorrent to the refined and educated classes above them. The other way […] is never to accept a provocation at a woman's hands. It holds with animals, it holds with children, and it holds with women, who are nothing but children grown up." (2.1.9.46)

Fosco's theory of power is terrifying. This scene probably sheds more light on Fosco's character than any other in the novel. His ego, contempt for others, cruelty, and need for control all come to the forefront here.