--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a matter of fact she does not know to…" description: "\"As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those words were spoken, or if he only caught her, wound his arms around her, held her so tightly,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg" --- # As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those… ![“As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those words were spoken, or if he only caught her, wound his arms around her, held her so tightly, with such continual, changing pressures that it seemed more than two arms were needed, that she was surrounded by him, his body strong and light…” quote by Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg) > “As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those words were spoken, or if he only caught her, wound his arms around her, held her so tightly, with such continual, changing pressures that it seemed more than two arms were needed, that she was surrounded by him, his body strong and light, demanding and renouncing all at once, as if he was telling her she was wrong to give up on him, everything was possible, but then again that she was not wrong, he meant to stam himself on her and go.” [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A complex, intimate encounter is described with shifting emotions, power dynamics, and ambiguous consent, reflecting deep psychological entanglement. **In simple terms:** A tangled, intense relationship is portrayed. Key Takeaway Examine power and consent in relationships. Themes love power consent identity ambiguity Mood conflicted intense Type literary psychological When to use this quote - intimate relationships - literary analysis - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology interpersonal dynamics emotional intensity Questions to Reflect On - What boundaries are crossed? - How does power affect love? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize coercive behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounds/) ## Related quotes > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Love will die if held too tightly; love will fly if held too lightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-will-die-if-held-too-tightly-love-will-fly-if-held-too-lightly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He found what he'd hoped to see, the reason why she'd left so quickly. Just outsidee the tent, Lan held her tightly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/he-found-what-he-d-hoped-to-see-the-reason-why-she-d-left-so-quickly/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [My greatest fear in life is standing before the Lord and hearing Him say, ‘I had so much more for you, but you held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-burkett/my-greatest-fear-in-life-is-standing-before-the-lord-and-hearing-him/) [Larry Burkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-burkett/) > [“Calmly, slowly, she reached behind with her left hand and came up against — yes, fabric. Fine linen, to be precise. So far, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-s-lee/calmly-slowly-she-reached-behind-with-her-left-hand-and-came-up/) [Y.S. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-s-lee/) > [“But doesn't everyone want to be held just the right way, and for just long enough? If we don't have it, we're sad, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-lico-albanese/but-doesn-t-everyone-want-to-be-held-just-the-right-way-and-for-just/) Laurie Lico Albanese > [Conor held tightly onto his mother. And by doing so, he could finally let her go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/conor-held-tightly-onto-his-mother-and-by-doing-so-he-could-finally/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [Love will fly if held too lightly Love will die if held too tightly . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/love-will-fly-if-held-too-lightly-love-will-die-if-held-too-tightly/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“No matter what happens," Mark said, "I will stay here. I will always, always stay here." He put his arms around Julian and held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/no-matter-what-happens-mark-said-i-will-stay-here-i-will-always/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He touched me as if I were the curved and delicate handle of a china cup, but he held me tightly just as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-howard-creel/he-touched-me-as-if-i-were-the-curved-and-delicate-handle-of-a-china/) [Ann Howard Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-howard-creel/) > [“She watched him a while longer and then shut her eyes again. And even though she knew her hand was tucked beneath her cheek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/she-watched-him-a-while-longer-and-then-shut-her-eyes-again-and-even/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [I held on to him tightly. Guess it was too tight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreeraj/i-held-on-to-him-tightly-guess-it-was-too-tight/) Sreeraj > [“She’d found that holding on to him was the easiest and simplest thing to do, not thinking about the bomb, not thinking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jettie-necole/she-d-found-that-holding-on-to-him-was-the-easiest-and-simplest-thing/) [Jettie Necole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jettie-necole/) > [“A hand held tightly, never to really let go. Fills up life around you, for the comforts within our soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-smith/a-hand-held-tightly-never-to-really-let-go-fills-up-life-around-you/) [Patty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-smith/) > [“As we held tightly to one another, like two lost ships on a sea of confusion, I breathed in the guy I've grown to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-grey/as-we-held-tightly-to-one-another-like-two-lost-ships-on-a-sea-of/) [S.R. Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-r-grey/) ## More by Alice Munro > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“Not very long ago I was driving with my husband on the back roads of Grey County, which is to the north and east…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/not-very-long-ago-i-was-driving-with-my-husband-on-the-back-roads-of/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“Her silent singing wrapped around the story she was telling herself, which she extended further every night on the deck. (Averill often told herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/her-silent-singing-wrapped-around-the-story-she-was-telling-herself/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“Something happened here. In your life there are a few places, or maybe only the one place, were something happened, and then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/something-happened-here-in-your-life-there-are-a-few-places-or-maybe/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [My head was a magpie's nest lined with such bright scraps of information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/my-head-was-a-magpie-s-nest-lined-with-such-bright-scraps-of/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [The thing is to be happy, no matter what. Just try that. You can. It gets to be easier and easier. It's nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/the-thing-is-to-be-happy-no-matter-what-just-try-that-you-can-it-gets/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [What she wants to do if she can get the time to do it, is not so much to live in the past as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/what-she-wants-to-do-if-she-can-get-the-time-to-do-it-is-not-so-much/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“Children Katy's age had no problem with monotony. In fact they embraced it, diving into it and wrapping the familiar words round their tongues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/children-katy-s-age-had-no-problem-with-monotony-in-fact-they/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“This is what happens. You put it away for a little while, and now and again you look in the closet for something else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/this-is-what-happens-you-put-it-away-for-a-little-while-and-now-and/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [She sits in her usual ample armchair, with piles of books and unopened magazines around her. She sips cautiously from the mug of weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/she-sits-in-her-usual-ample-armchair-with-piles-of-books-and-unopened/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [The images, the language, of pornography, and romance are alike; monotonous and mechanically seductive, quickly leading to despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/the-images-the-language-of-pornography-and-romance-are-alike/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I was a grade B housewife, maybe a B minus. But when I got time to write, I would be unable to finish a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/i-was-a-grade-b-housewife-maybe-a-b-minus-but-when-i-got-time-to/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [She would live now, not read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/she-would-live-now-not-read/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“You would think as you get older your mind would fill up with what they call the spiritual side of things, but mine just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/you-would-think-as-you-get-older-your-mind-would-fill-up-with-what/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [Peoples lives, in Jubilee as elsewhere, were dull, simple, amazing, unfathomable-deep caves paved with kitchen linoleum. . . . What I wanted \[to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/peoples-lives-in-jubilee-as-elsewhere-were-dull-simple-amazing/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) [Explore all 261 Alice Munro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those words were spoken, or if he only caught her, wound his arms around her, held her so tightly, with such continual, changing pressures that it seemed more than two arms were needed, that she was surrounded by him, his body strong and light, demanding and renouncing all at once, as if he was telling her she was wrong to give up on him, everything was possible, but then again that she was not wrong, he meant to stam himself on her and go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Munro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to-this-day-if-those-words-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arms" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to-this-day-if-those-words-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88f/alice-munro-1231_arms_as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to_314383.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a matter of fact she does not know to this day if those words were spoken, or if he only caught her…” — Alice Munro", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alice Munro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a matter of fact she...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to-this-day-if-those-words-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/as-a-matter-of-fact-she-does-not-know-to-this-day-if-those-words-were/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```