Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

The need of explaining Erik dragged her back into doubting. For all his ardent reading, and his ardent life, was he anything but a small-town youth bred on an illiberal farm and in cheap tailor shops? He had rough hands. She had been attracted only by hands that were fine and suave, like those of her father. Delicate hands and resolute purpose. But this boy -- powerful seamed hands and flabby will.

"It's not appealing weakness like his, but sane strength that will animate the Gopher Prairies. Only -- Does that mean anything? Or am I echoing Vida? The world has always let ‘strong' statesmen and soldiers -- the men with strong voices -- take control, and what have the thundering boobies done? What is ‘strength'?