Beauty Quote by Angela Carter
““Although her father had told her of the nature of the one who waited for her, she could not control an instinctual shudder of fear when she saw him, for a lion is a lion and a man is a man and, though lions are more beautiful by far than we are, yet they belong to a different order of beauty and, besides, they have no respect for us: why should they? Yet wild things have a far more rational fear of us than is ours of them, and some kind of sadness in his agate eyes, that looked almost blind, as if sick of sight, moved her heart.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, 1979
A woman feels instinctive fear toward a powerful man, recognizing both his beauty and his lack of respect for her, while also noting that wild things fear humans more rationally than humans fear them.
In simple terms: She fears a powerful man despite his allure and his indifference.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and question instinctive fears.
Themes
fear
power dynamics
gender
beauty
human-animal relations
Mood
anxious
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- romantic encounter
- personal growth
- overcoming prejudice
- understanding otherness
- narrative tension
Key Concepts
instinct
beauty
respect
rational fear
sadness
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do we make about power and beauty?
- How can we confront fear rooted in instinct?
A Different Perspective
The passage romanticizes fear without addressing systemic power imbalance.
![“I got to a happier point and then started making a record [Wild Things]. I don't mind at all that it sounds like LA, because LA was integral to me feeling better. Seeing the sunshine and all that other sorts of stuff was definitely a huge part in why the album sounds like it sounds.” quote by Ladyhawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a73/ladyhawke-16375_album_i-got-to-a-happier-point-and-then-starte_213101.jpg)
