Children Quote by Charles Dickens
““But, imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity. If she had ever had the virtue in her, it had quite gone out of her. It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her, that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. To appeal to her, was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself. If she had been laid low in the streets, in any of the many encounters in which she had been engaged, she would not have pitied herself; nor, if she had been ordered to the axe to-morrow, would she have gone to it with any softer feeling than a fierce desire to change places with the man who sent here there.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Great Expectations, 1861
A woman, hardened by hatred and a sense of injustice, shows no compassion, viewing others solely as enemies or prey.
In simple terms: She lacks pity, seeing people only as obstacles or targets.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how hatred blinds empathy.
Themes
hatred
justice
empathy
power
class conflict
Mood
cold
harsh
detached
Type
literary
dramatic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Judicial bias
- personal vendettas
- political oppression
- war crimes
- family feuds
Key Concepts
Moral philosophy
psychology of vengeance
social hierarchy
Questions to Reflect On
- Can hatred ever be justified?
- What would happen if she felt compassion?
A Different Perspective
Her worldview ignores the possibility of redemption or moral growth.
