When ladies as young, and good, and beautiful as you are,"…
““When ladies as young, and good, and beautiful as you are," replied the girl steadily, "give away your hearts, love will carry you all lengths--even such as you, who have home, friends, other admireres, everything to fill them. When such as I, who have no certain roof but the coffin-lid, and no friend in sickness or death but the hospital nurse, set our rotten hearts on any man, and let him fill the place that has been a blank through all our wretched lives, who can hope to cure us? Pity us, lady--pity us for having only one feeling of the woman left, and for having that turned, by a heavy judgment, from a comfort and a pride, into a new means of violence and suffering.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A woman, isolated and judged, seeks love but fears it brings pain and loss.
In simple terms: A lonely woman worries love will hurt her.
Key Takeaway
Seek genuine connection, not fear.
Themes
love
isolation
judgment
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- mental health support
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
gender roles
emotional vulnerability
social stigma
Questions to Reflect On
- Do modern readers see similar fears?
- How does society shape love expectations?
A Different Perspective
The passage reflects a specific 19th‑century perspective on gender.