---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is something indefinably keen and…"
description: "\"“There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of the corners of her eyes without turning he..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg"
---

#  There is something indefinably keen and wan about her…

![“There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of the corners of her eyes without turning her head which could be pleasantly dispensed with, especially when she is in ill humor and near knives.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg)

> ““There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of the corners of her eyes without turning her head which could be pleasantly dispensed with, especially when she is in ill humor and near knives.””

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## About This Quote

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

The description highlights a woman's sharp, watchful demeanor, especially when she is irritable and near danger, suggesting tension and intrigue.

**In simple terms:** A woman appears keen and watchful, especially when angry and near knives.

Key Takeaway

Notice how tension reveals character.

Themes

character tension danger observation

Mood

analytical critical

Type

literary descriptive

When to use this quote

- conflict scenes
- dangerous settings
- character introductions

Key Concepts

sharpness watchfulness irritability

Questions to Reflect On

- How does this description affect your perception of her?
- What does the setting reveal about her?

A Different Perspective

The portrayal may rely on gendered stereotypes of female emotion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anatomy Watchful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anatomy-watchful-1863384/) [Corners Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners-eyes-1863387/) [Eyes Turning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-turning-1863385/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Watchful Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watchful-way-1863386/) [Way Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-looking-612430/)

## Related quotes

> [There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of the corners of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and-wan-about-her-anatomy-and-she-2/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [When I see you, Eyes will turn blue, When I see you, A thousand eyes turning blue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gnarls-barkley/when-i-see-you-eyes-will-turn-blue-when-i-see-you-a-thousand-eyes/)

[Gnarls Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gnarls-barkley/)

> [“She’d got her hair scooped back from her face this time, in some kind of rather fetching clip arrangement, but wayward tendrils kept escaping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosy-thornton/she-d-got-her-hair-scooped-back-from-her-face-this-time-in-some-kind/)

[Rosy Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosy-thornton/)

> [“the appearance of wrinkles — tiny ones, on the corners of my eyes. They are a reminder of my youth, and of the hourglass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-appearance-of-wrinkles-tiny-ones-on-the-corners-of-my-eyes-they/)

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

> [“Rivers of wrinkles flowing down from the corners of this eyes and mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/rivers-of-wrinkles-flowing-down-from-the-corners-of-this-eyes-and/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [If you spend too much time looking over your shoulder, you're bound to get stuck that way. Always be looking forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-timbre/if-you-spend-too-much-time-looking-over-your-shoulder-you-re-bound-to/)

[Jamie Timbre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-timbre/)

> [Art points to things. It's a way of giving people not the standard way of looking at the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/art-points-to-things-it-s-a-way-of-giving-people-not-the-standard-way/)

[Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/)

> [My way of looking at life has always been just to try and keep it level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-dickinson/my-way-of-looking-at-life-has-always-been-just-to-try-and-keep-it/)

[Harris Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-dickinson/)

> [Directing is a way of looking at something and then communicating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-may/directing-is-a-way-of-looking-at-something-and-then-communicating-it/)

[Elaine May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-may/)

> [“Art is not an object, but a way of looking at an object.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-equi/art-is-not-an-object-but-a-way-of-looking-at-an-object/)

[Elaine Equi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-equi/)

> [“I am your own way of looking at things," she said. "When you allow me to live with you, every glance at the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-am-your-own-way-of-looking-at-things-she-said-when-you-allow-me-to/)

[William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/)

> [The good thing about being an artist, is it's a legitimate way of looking at things cross-eyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-chamberlain/the-good-thing-about-being-an-artist-is-it-s-a-legitimate-way-of/)

[John Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-chamberlain/)

> [I would say that he has a rather limited and uncreative way of looking at the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/i-would-say-that-he-has-a-rather-limited-and-uncreative-way-of/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

> [Poetry is a way of looking at the world for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/poetry-is-a-way-of-looking-at-the-world-for-the-first-time/)

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

> [It's so strange that God has had his way of looking after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neena-gupta/it-s-so-strange-that-god-has-had-his-way-of-looking-after-me/)

[Neena Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neena-gupta/)

## More by Charles Dickens

> [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

[Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## More Humor quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/)

[Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/)

> [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/)

[S.K. Munt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-k-munt/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/)

[Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

[TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/)

> [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/)

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

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

[Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of the corners of her eyes without turning her head which could be pleasantly dispensed with, especially when she is in ill humor and near knives.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Dickens"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and-wan-about-her-anatomy-and-she/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Humor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and-wan-about-her-anatomy-and-she/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/132/charles-dickens-34_humor_there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and_1781034.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is something indefinably keen and wan about her anatomy, and she has a watchful way of looking out of…” — Charles Dickens",
                "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": "Charles Dickens",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There is something indefinably keen and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and-wan-about-her-anatomy-and-she/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-is-something-indefinably-keen-and-wan-about-her-anatomy-and-she/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
