Two mismatched floral porcelain cups sharing a shallow saucer

Original artwork, not a still

The General Review of the Sex Situation

Dorothy Parker

Woman wants monogamy; man delights in novelty. Love is woman’s moon and sun; man has other forms of fun. Woman lives but in her lord; Count to ten and man is bored. With this the gist and sum of it, What earthly good can come of it?

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A wry rhyme sums up the sexes in sweeping generalisations: women crave one lasting partner and love, while men enjoy variety and tire quickly. It ends with a rueful question about what good could come of such a mismatch. The tone is mocking and resigned, not earnest.

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