What really holds civilization together? Women, according to someone Lawrence Durrell once tussled with. But is this as glorious a role as it sounds?  Hold on, ladies, or let go…?

‘Once we were arguing about the respective rights and roles of men and women in society and Janaki said, ‘The nature of the man is to bring a hammer down hard on a stone, that is his role.’ I said, ‘What about women?’ For a moment the question perplexed him and then his face cleared with relief. ‘Her role is to hold his trousers up,’ he said. ‘If ever she should let go our whole civilization would fall apart.’

Source: Lawrence Durrell, The Greek Islands, Faber & Faber 2002 (1978), p. 143