Sitting Quote by Charles Dickens
““There are few things more worrying than sitting up for somebody, especially if that somebody be at a party. You cannot help thinking how quickly the time passes with them, which drags so heavily with you; and the more you think of this, the more your hopes of their speedy arrival decline. Clocks tick so loud, too, when you are sitting up alone, and you seem as if you had an under-garment of cobwebs on. First, something tickles your right knee, and then the same sensation irritates your left. You have no sooner changed your position, than it comes again in the arms; when you have fidgeted your limbs into all sorts of queer shapes, you have a sudden relapse in the nose, which you rub as if to rub it off—as there is no doubt you would, if you could. Eyes, too, are mere personal inconveniences; and the wick of one candle gets an inch and a half long, while you are snuffing the other. These, and various other little nervous annoyances, render sitting up for a length of time after everybody else has gone to bed, anything but a cheerful amusement.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens, 1855
The passage describes the discomfort and anxiety of staying awake after a social event, highlighting how time feels slower and minor physical irritations become magnified when alone.
In simple terms: Staying up after a party feels uncomfortable and makes time drag.
Accept the discomfort and plan rest earlier.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- post‑party solitude
- late‑night work
- waiting for guests
- nighttime anxiety
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does anticipation affect your perception of time?
- What small comforts could ease late‑night waiting?
The vivid description may exaggerate normal restlessness, not everyone experiences it intensely.