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Oh, my dear, this is worse than I expected! A strange girl…

“Oh, my dear, this is worse than I expected! A strange girl is always a bore among good friends, but one can generally manage her. But a girl who writes books - why, it isn't respectable! And you can't snub that sort of people; they're unsnubbable.” quote by Elizabeth von Arnim
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““Oh, my dear, this is worse than I expected! A strange girl is always a bore among good friends, but one can generally manage her. But a girl who writes books - why, it isn't respectable! And you can't snub that sort of people; they're unsnubbable.””

Elizabeth von Arnim

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker laments that a girl who writes books is socially awkward and hard to ignore, suggesting that intellectual women are difficult to accommodate in social circles.

In simple terms: Writing women are seen as socially problematic.

Key Takeaway

Accept and respect intellectual women.

Themes

social norms gender expectations intellectualism

Mood

reflective critical

Type

observational analytical

When to use this quote

  • friend groups
  • literary circles
  • academic settings

Key Concepts

literary criticism social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do we value intellectual contributions regardless of gender?
  • What social pressures shape our perceptions of writers?
A Different Perspective

The view may reflect personal bias rather than universal truth.

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