A Different World
Ginsburg engages a very common metaphor to describe what was a very common reality of the world she grew up in. One day, perhaps—with hard work and hope—that metaphor will become as uncommon as the state of the world:
“There were many closed doors in my growing-up years. There was a time when women were not accepted as members of the bar. There were no women judges. Very few women engineers. No women police officers. No women firefighters. No women pilots of planes.”
Common Metaphor, Uncommon Definition
Another commonly used metaphor of a different era was used as parent advice to young Ruth by her mother. It is a testament to the impact parents have upon their children that this very same metaphor as advice created generations of women who behaved in exactly the opposite way of Ginsburg:
“Two things were important to my mother. One was that I be independent, and the other – she called it – ‘being a lady’. And by that she didn’t mean wearing white gloves…‘being a lady’ meant don’t snap back in anger, take a few deep breaths and respond in a way that helps educate people who don’t understand.”
The Mighty Ruth B.
Over the decade or two of her life, Ruth Ginsburg was perhaps at least as well known for her workout regiment as she was for being a Supreme Court Justice. That was certainly not always the case, as indicated by the metaphorical description which stimulated that workout dedication:
“You look like a survivor of a concentration camp. You need to do something to build up your strength.”
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is the fictional girl detective made famous in a series of books. Those books made quite an impression upon young Ruth who was especially drawn to the unusual fact that it was the girl who was the detective and the boyfriend who was the sidekick. As a result, Nancy becomes a metaphor in several ways: she is an all-encompassing figure of the power of fiction to shape and form attitudes and perspectives, she is symbol of female empowerment, and she represents the kind of self-directed logical mind necessary to pursue a discipline like justice.
The Secret to a Happy Marriage
Mrs. Ginsburg—that is to say, Ruth’s mother-in-law—delivered the secret to maintaining a happy marriage through the use of metaphor just before the ceremony in which her son married the future Supreme Court Justice. The meaning of the metaphor suggests that not every single thought expressed out loud is necessarily worthy of argument or retribution. While intended as advice on sustaining a marital relationship, it is not a bad metaphor to apply to any relationship, really.
“Sometimes it helps to be a little deaf.”
