---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to…"
description: "\"Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about anything personal was like trying not to startle away a wild animal.\" — Cassandra Clare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg"
---

#  Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about…

![“Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about anything personal was like trying not to startle away a wild animal.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg)

> “Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about anything personal was like trying not to startle away a wild animal.”

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

## About This Quote

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

Talking about personal matters with a sensitive person feels like handling a frightened wild animal.

**In simple terms:** Sensitive topics need careful handling.

Key Takeaway

Approach personal topics gently.

Themes

sensitivity communication trust

Mood

empathetic thoughtful

Type

advice literary

When to use this quote

- friendship
- therapy sessions
- conflict resolution
- teaching

Key Concepts

psychology emotional intelligence

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you gauge someone's comfort level?
- When is frankness more helpful?

A Different Perspective

Some may prefer directness over delicacy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Care Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-talking-802349/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Enormous Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous-care-802350/) [Jem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jem/) [Jem Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jem-spoke-802348/) [Scout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scout/) [Spoke Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoke-enormous-802351/) [Spokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spokes/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-personal-361802/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Wild animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-animal/)

## Related quotes

> [“Will looked down at himself, at the knife at his feet, and remembered the knife he had buried at the base of the tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-looked-down-at-himself-at-the-knife-at-his-feet-and-remembered/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“…In this way that he sought to control the very passage of his life, deftly and without forethought, yet precisely and with enormous care.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/in-this-way-that-he-sought-to-control-the-very-passage-of-his-life/)

[Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/)

> [“I don’t care too much about talking, but I don’t like being alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-l-k-s/i-don-t-care-too-much-about-talking-but-i-don-t-like-being-alone/)

[Ida Løkås](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-l-k-s/)

> [“I lay on my stomach, reached down and poked him. He rolled up. Then, feeling safe, I suppose, he slowly unrolled. He travelled a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-lay-on-my-stomach-reached-down-and-poked-him-he-rolled-up-then/)

[Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/)

> [Everyone has been talking about me. Whether they love me, whether they hate me, whether they love to hate me, I don't really care;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmella/everyone-has-been-talking-about-me-whether-they-love-me-whether-they/)

[Carmella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmella/)

> [“He looked from Will to Tessa and raised his silvery eyebrows. "A miracle," he said. "You got him to speak." "Just to shout at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-looked-from-will-to-tessa-and-raised-his-silvery-eyebrows-a/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Charlotte, Will’s being vexing.' 'And the sun has come up in the east,' said Jem, to no one in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/charlotte-will-s-being-vexing-and-the-sun-has-come-up-in-the-east/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [A great sadness welled up in Magnus at the sight of him. It was human to age and die, and Jem stood outside that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/a-great-sadness-welled-up-in-magnus-at-the-sight-of-him-it-was-human/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Reparations,” said Jem very suddenly, setting down the pen he was holding. Will looked at him in puzzlement. “Is this a game? We just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/reparations-said-jem-very-suddenly-setting-down-the-pen-he-was/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [We spoke of how to say good-bye,” Jem said. “When Jonathan bid farewell to David, he said, ‘Go in peace, for as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/we-spoke-of-how-to-say-good-bye-jem-said-when-jonathan-bid-farewell/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Do you remember when we stood together on Blackfriars Bridge?” he asked softly, and his eyes were like that night had been, all black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/do-you-remember-when-we-stood-together-on-blackfriars-bridge-he-asked/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [He would look so young. They were both so young. Tessa knew it was unusual to marry at seventeen and eighteen, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-would-look-so-young-they-were-both-so-young-tessa-knew-it-was/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [You think she is pretty?' Will was surprised; Jem rarely opined this sort of thing. 'Yes, and you do too.' 'I hadn't noticed, really.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-think-she-is-pretty-will-was-surprised-jem-rarely-opined-this/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [The Brother's hood fell back, and his silvery hair shone out in the dim chamber like starlight. All the air rushed out of Tessa's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-brother-s-hood-fell-back-and-his-silvery-hair-shone-out-in-the/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Will closed his eyes. He could not hear Jem go, not anymore; he did not want to know the moment when he left and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-closed-his-eyes-he-could-not-hear-jem-go-not-anymore-he-did-not/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

## More by Cassandra Clare

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you." "Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. "He's a warlock," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-you-re-texting-magnus-to-say-i-think-u-r-kewl-i-m-going-to-kill/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“We work through this together, remember? No shutting me out. No epic sulks.” “I was figuring I could sulk for Idris in the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/we-work-through-this-together-remember-no-shutting-me-out-no-epic/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“Lex malla, lex nulla,” said Julian with a regretful wave of his hand. It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/lex-malla-lex-nulla-said-julian-with-a-regretful-wave-of-his-hand-it/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I'm memorable, its true." -Magnus, pg.229-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-memorable-its-true-magnus-pg-229/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Love didn't make you weak, it made you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/love-didn-t-make-you-weak-it-made-you-stronger/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“I wasn’t just worried about him; I was worried about you, too. There’s something so . . . reassuring about you. And Jace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-wasn-t-just-worried-about-him-i-was-worried-about-you-too-there-s/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I firmly believe that you can't get a good movie without risking a bad movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-firmly-believe-that-you-can-t-get-a-good-movie-without-risking-a/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

[Explore all 4,049 Cassandra Clare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about anything personal was like trying not to startle away a wild animal.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cassandra Clare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to-will-about-anything-personal/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to-will-about-anything-personal/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/cassandra-clare-9_animal_jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to_2475025.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Jem spoke with enormous care; talking to Will about anything personal was like trying not to startle away a…” — Cassandra Clare",
                "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": "Cassandra Clare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Jem spoke with enormous care; talking...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to-will-about-anything-personal/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jem-spoke-with-enormous-care-talking-to-will-about-anything-personal/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
