How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I mean your extending the enmity to a helpless girl, who has too much sense and goodness to share their narrow prejudices. She has never entered into the family quarrels."
"What does that signify? We don’t ask what a woman does - we ask whom she belongs to." (6.8.25-6)
This is a great conversation about gender between Philip and his father. Wakem expresses the typical political and social view regarding women in Victorian society. Women basically have no existence outside their family, or who they "belong to." But, while Philip encourages Mr. Wakem to see Maggie as an individual and not as a Tulliver, he still casts Maggie as "helpless" and in need of assistance and kindness from men.
Quote #8
And it was clear that he had given way in spite of himself - he had shaken her off as soon as he could: indeed, their having parted so soon looked very black indeed - for her. (7.2.2)
St. Ogg’s gender prejudices come for the forefront here after the scandal between Stephen and Maggie. Maggie takes the blame for the entire affair because the two didn’t get married. This is definitely a bizarre line of reasoning, but if they had been married Maggie would have basically "belonged" to Stephen and wouldn’t have been held accountable for anything as an individual.