As to the family, I have never understood how that fits in with the other ideals --or, indeed, why it should be an ideal at all. A group of closely related persons living under one roof; it is a convenience, often a necessity, sometimes a pleasure, sometimes the reverse; but who first exalted it as admirable, an almost religious ideal?

Summary

This quote questions the societal notion of idealizing the family structure. The author expresses confusion about how the concept of family fits into other ideals and why it is elevated to the status of an ideal at all. They view family as merely a practical arrangement, sometimes enjoyable but occasionally unpleasant. The quote challenges the perception of family as something inherently admirable and suggests that it might be a subjective construct that has been culturally exalted without questioning its true essence.

Topics