--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had never realized a woman could have…" description: "\"I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to keep her hands off a man, but here I was, digging my nails into my palms, staring at the inside ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png" --- # I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to… ![“I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to keep her hands off a man, but here I was, digging my nails into my palms, staring at the inside of my eyelids as though I could maybe see through them if I peered hard enough.” quote by Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png) > “I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to keep her hands off a man, but here I was, digging my nails into my palms, staring at the inside of my eyelids as though I could maybe see through them if I peered hard enough.” [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a desperate, self‑inflicted attempt to avoid sexual assault, highlighting fear and helplessness. **In simple terms:** A woman feels trapped and tries to protect herself from unwanted advances. Key Takeaway Seek help and set boundaries when feeling unsafe. Themes fear sexual violence self‑protection Mood somber urgent Type cautionary realistic When to use this quote - personal safety - support services - mental health awareness Key Concepts trauma psychology gender dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can victims find safe support? - What societal changes reduce such threats? A Different Perspective Self‑harm is not a healthy solution; professional help is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Eyelids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyelids/) [Eyelids Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyelids-maybe-3421954/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Inside Eyelids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inside-eyelids-1836361/) [Lust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lust/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nails/) [Nails Palms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nails-palms-3421953/) [Palms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/palms/) [Palms Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/palms-staring-3421952/) [Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [I fell headfirst into a sinkhole of pretty things, and the world inside your eyelids is just as big as the one outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/i-fell-headfirst-into-a-sinkhole-of-pretty-things-and-the-world/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [“Are you in love with me?" I asked, grinding my nails into my palms. "Yes," he said simply. "But not yet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-alexander/are-you-in-love-with-me-i-asked-grinding-my-nails-into-my-palms-yes/) [Dani Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-alexander/) > [“I wasn't merely remembering, it seemed to be trapped inside my eyelids.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/i-wasn-t-merely-remembering-it-seemed-to-be-trapped-inside-my-eyelids/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [“I don’t like sleeping, but I do like watching the inside of my eyelids. That’s how I drive, and that’s how I make love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-don-t-like-sleeping-but-i-do-like-watching-the-inside-of-my-eyelids/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Eric was holding my hands, and I was digging my nails into him like we were doing something else. He won't mind, I though,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/eric-was-holding-my-hands-and-i-was-digging-my-nails-into-him-like-we/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [There's a certain cruelty to being on a big screen as your eyelids start to sag and your hair falls out and turns gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/there-s-a-certain-cruelty-to-being-on-a-big-screen-as-your-eyelids/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [“Watoto hupenda vitu vinavyong’aa ambavyo havijatulia na vilivyopangiliwa vizuri. Hivyo ndivyo macho ya binadamu yalivyo: yana unyevu na yanaakisi mwanga, hayajatulia, na yana rangi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/watoto-hupenda-vitu-vinavyong-aa-ambavyo-havijatulia-na/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [You'd have thought we planned it," says Peeta, giving me just the hint of a smile. "Didn't you?" asks Portia. Her fingers press her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/you-d-have-thought-we-planned-it-says-peeta-giving-me-just-the-hint/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [And loneliness. I should say something of loneliness. The panic, the sweeping hysteria that comes not when you are without others, but when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/and-loneliness-i-should-say-something-of-loneliness-the-panic-the/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“He also had a condition that was referred to as granulated eyelids and it caused him to blink more than usual, as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hansen/he-also-had-a-condition-that-was-referred-to-as-granulated-eyelids/) [Ron Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hansen/) > [“We have eyelids but not earlids, for the ears are the portals of learning, and Nature wanted to keep them wide open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/we-have-eyelids-but-not-earlids-for-the-ears-are-the-portals-of/) [Baltasar Gracián](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee, 1710. That thou no more will weigh my eyelids down, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nurse-how-have-i-frightened-thee/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Onscreen, Foaly rubbed his eyelids with his index fingers. "Yeah, yeah. Here we go. Captain Short goes rogue once more. Hands up who's surprised.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/onscreen-foaly-rubbed-his-eyelids-with-his-index-fingers-yeah-yeah/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [What e'er you are That in this desert inaccessible, Under the shade of melancholy boughs, Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-e-er-you-are-that-in-this-desert-inaccessible-under-the-shade-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [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/) ## More by Charlaine Harris > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [I like sparkly things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-like-sparkly-things/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [All the pictures on the walls, they all white as lilies and smiling like alligators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/all-the-pictures-on-the-walls-they-all-white-as-lilies-and-smiling/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Te quiero -dijo- Nada de lo que hagas o digas podrá cambiarlo. Si me pidieras que enterrase un cadáver, o que me cargase a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/te-quiero-dijo-nada-de-lo-que-hagas-o-digas-podr-cambiarlo-si-me/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [You think that it’s not magic that keeps you alive? Just ‘cause you understand the mechanics of how something works, doesn’t make it any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/you-think-that-it-s-not-magic-that-keeps-you-alive-just-cause-you/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Suddenly the blood tasted good, salty, the stuff of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/suddenly-the-blood-tasted-good-salty-the-stuff-of-life/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Sookie: "Eric, when I'm back to being myself, I'm going to nail your ass for putting me in this position of being pledged to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/sookie-eric-when-i-m-back-to-being-myself-i-m-going-to-nail-your-ass/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“For a moment they all looked at Dermot incredulously, as if he'd just announced he was going to birth a kangaroo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/for-a-moment-they-all-looked-at-dermot-incredulously-as-if-he-d-just/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [There’s no way you can kill someone and get to the other side of the experience unchanged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/there-s-no-way-you-can-kill-someone-and-get-to-the-other-side-of-the/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [Pam said, "Sookie, I brought you something, too. I never thought I'd want to spend time with a human, but you're more tolerable than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/pam-said-sookie-i-brought-you-something-too-i-never-thought-i-d-want/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [You know I love you more when you're cold and heartless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/you-know-i-love-you-more-when-you-re-cold-and-heartless/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [For any writers at all, read everything you can and then put your butt in the chair and write. That's all there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/for-any-writers-at-all-read-everything-you-can-and-then-put-your-butt/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“There were toes. Those toes wouldn’t be happy piggies. But they didn’t have any right to be in the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/there-were-toes-those-toes-wouldn-t-be-happy-piggies-but-they-didn-t/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [My gran had always told me that a woman--any woman worth her salt--could do whatever she had to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/my-gran-had-always-told-me-that-a-woman-any-woman-worth-her-salt/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [ “\[..\] red high-heeled screw-me shoes.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/red-high-heeled-screw-me-shoes/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) [Explore all 480 Charlaine Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) ## More Digging quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-a-delightful-garden-sowing-planting-or-digging-are-not-hardship/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-thought-i-knew-a-lot-about-music-then-you-start-digging-and-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [From my image of digging around in the mud like a grunt, I preferred fighting the war from ships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/from-my-image-of-digging-around-in-the-mud-like-a-grunt-i-preferred/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [When you consider the sheer magnitude of investable equities to choose from in the world's emerging markets, you realize that finding one that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/when-you-consider-the-sheer-magnitude-of-investable-equities-to/) [Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [ The Ancient One, as you know, is the master, is the Sorcerer Supreme, and \[Doctor\] Strange comes to learn how to heal himself and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/the-ancient-one-as-you-know-is-the-master-is-the-sorcerer-supreme-and/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [I was a manual labourer. I figured out really early on that the value of my life could be determined by my hourly rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-was-a-manual-labourer-i-figured-out-really-early-on-that-the-value/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [Archaeology, I found, comprehended all manner of excitement and achievement. Adventure is coupled with bookish toil. Romantic excursions go hand in hand with scholarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/archaeology-i-found-comprehended-all-manner-of-excitement-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've never met a girl who thinks like you." "A lot of people tell me that," she said, digging at a cuticle. "But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-ve-never-met-a-girl-who-thinks-like-you-a-lot-of-people-tell-me/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you don't break a hole through the brick wall, don't just start digging a new hole. Keep going until you break through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/if-you-don-t-break-a-hole-through-the-brick-wall-don-t-just-start/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Keep digging, Flynn. Six feet makes a grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-monk/keep-digging-flynn-six-feet-makes-a-grave/) [Devon Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-monk/) [Browse all 487 Digging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to keep her hands off a man, but here I was, digging my nails into my palms, staring at the inside of my eyelids as though I could maybe see through them if I peered hard enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlaine Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have-to-struggle-to-keep-her-hands/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Digging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have-to-struggle-to-keep-her-hands/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/charlaine-harris-542_digging_i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have_376265.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had never realized a woman could have to struggle to keep her hands off a man, but here I was, digging my…” — Charlaine Harris", "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": "Charlaine Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had never realized a woman...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have-to-struggle-to-keep-her-hands/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-had-never-realized-a-woman-could-have-to-struggle-to-keep-her-hands/#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 } } ] } ```