--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She thrust out her arms wide, in strange…" description: "\"“She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of triumph, as Mimi Brissard had in Paris. She was a black, ominous death-cross against the starlight ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png" --- # She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of… ![“She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of triumph, as Mimi Brissard had in Paris. She was a black, ominous death-cross against the starlight for a moment. Then she turned slowly, her eyes two green phosphorescent pools, toward where the helpless secret service man lay. ("I'm Dangerous…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png) > ““She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of triumph, as Mimi Brissard had in Paris. She was a black, ominous death-cross against the starlight for a moment. Then she turned slowly, her eyes two green phosphorescent pools, toward where the helpless secret service man lay. ("I'm Dangerous Tonight")”” [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character displays a dramatic, almost supernatural confidence, confronting danger with a bold, ritualistic gesture. **In simple terms:** Bold confidence in the face of danger. Key Takeaway Embrace boldness when confronting fear. Themes confidence ritual confrontation dramatic supernatural Mood intense defiant dramatic Type literary character When to use this quote - crime investigation - personal confrontation - high‑stakes moments Key Concepts psychology heroism symbolism Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever use ritual to empower yourself? - How does dramatic confidence affect others? A Different Perspective Such theatrical confidence may mask vulnerability or lead to reckless actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cross Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-starlight-5244252/) [Dangerous Tonight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-tonight-891258/) [Femme fatale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/femme-fatale/) [Ominous Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ominous-death-5244254/) [Ritual Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual-triumph-5244251/) [Secret service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-service/) [Triumph Mimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph-mimi-5244253/) ## Related quotes > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Fisher just stood there lost in thought, without saying anything. There is always a rational explanation for everything in this world - whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/fisher-just-stood-there-lost-in-thought-without-saying-anything-there/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“The thing, whatever it was - and no one was ever sure afterwards whether it was a dream or a fit or what -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/the-thing-whatever-it-was-and-no-one-was-ever-sure-afterwards-whether/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“The sightseers would have been disappointed, as the real thing always makes a poorer show than the fake. ("I'm Dangerous Tonight")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/the-sightseers-would-have-been-disappointed-as-the-real-thing-always/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Go to Zillicks down the block. It has three booths at the back. Go in the middle one and wait. When you lamp me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/go-to-zillicks-down-the-block-it-has-three-booths-at-the-back-go-in/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“...all a guy can do is die once. The big difference is whether he dies clean - or dirty... ("I'm Dangerous Tonight")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/all-a-guy-can-do-is-die-once-the-big-difference-is-whether-he-dies/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Maldonado's face was ghastly. 'That' she said, pointing below the bed where the cat lurked, 'and that' - pointing to what lay on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/maldonado-s-face-was-ghastly-that-she-said-pointing-below-the-bed/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“The shears found his throat this time. He fell down on top of them and was silent. Something dark like mucilage glistened where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/the-shears-found-his-throat-this-time-he-fell-down-on-top-of-them-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Men's loyalty to their women dies hard - and almost always too late. ("I'm Dangerous Tonight")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/men-s-loyalty-to-their-women-dies-hard-and-almost-always-too-late-i-m/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“First, all I could see was this beautiful face, this beautiful girl's face; like a white, slightly luminous mask, swimming detachedly against enfolding darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/first-all-i-could-see-was-this-beautiful-face-this-beautiful-girl-s/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“When she comes down to supper I don't like her any better; in fact, a hell of a lot less. She's put on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/when-she-comes-down-to-supper-i-don-t-like-her-any-better-in-fact-a/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“I ripped all her clothes off. She twisted and turned, slow, so they would slip out from under her. Then she closed her eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-ripped-all-her-clothes-off-she-twisted-and-turned-slow-so-they/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“…my new name, Buffalo Zeta Brown. General Zeta was the hero of an old movie classic…A combination of Zapata and Villa and Maria Felix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-zeta-acosta/my-new-name-buffalo-zeta-brown-general-zeta-was-the-hero-of-an-old/) [Oscar Zeta Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-zeta-acosta/) > [I don't think we're the screaming femme fatale running away from danger as much as we used to be. I think people are seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-crampton/i-don-t-think-we-re-the-screaming-femme-fatale-running-away-from/) [Barbara Crampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-crampton/) ## More by Cornell Woolrich > [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) [Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## More Femme fatale quotes > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [I don't think we're the screaming femme fatale running away from danger as much as we used to be. I think people are seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-crampton/i-don-t-think-we-re-the-screaming-femme-fatale-running-away-from/) [Barbara Crampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-crampton/) > [“…my new name, Buffalo Zeta Brown. General Zeta was the hero of an old movie classic…A combination of Zapata and Villa and Maria Felix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-zeta-acosta/my-new-name-buffalo-zeta-brown-general-zeta-was-the-hero-of-an-old/) [Oscar Zeta Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-zeta-acosta/) > [“I ripped all her clothes off. She twisted and turned, slow, so they would slip out from under her. Then she closed her eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-ripped-all-her-clothes-off-she-twisted-and-turned-slow-so-they/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“Pandora opened the box with the new high-heels, put them on and went out to town.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/pandora-opened-the-box-with-the-new-high-heels-put-them-on-and-went/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [“Don't make a career out of underestimating me." — Claire de Haven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/don-t-make-a-career-out-of-underestimating-me-claire-de-haven/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Whenever I get dumped, I nail the door shut so that no one can come inside, get a towel and clip it around my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/whenever-i-get-dumped-i-nail-the-door-shut-so-that-no-one-can-come/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [My dream role would be to play a femme fatale in a Quentin Tarantino movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meaghan-rath/my-dream-role-would-be-to-play-a-femme-fatale-in-a-quentin-tarantino/) [Meaghan Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meaghan-rath/) > [Feminism has tried to dismiss the femme fatale as a misogynist libel, a hoary cliche. But the femme fatale expresses woman's ancient and eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/feminism-has-tried-to-dismiss-the-femme-fatale-as-a-misogynist-libel/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'd love to play a femme fatale in a film noir. I'm thinking of one of those roles that Lauren Bacall or Bette Davis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-quick/i-d-love-to-play-a-femme-fatale-in-a-film-noir-i-m-thinking-of-one-of/) [Diana Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-quick/) > [“What we talk about less often, because it is harder to explain, is the way a perfume can give breath and body to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-harad/what-we-talk-about-less-often-because-it-is-harder-to-explain-is-the/) [Alyssa Harad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-harad/) > [Let's call a spade a spade: when people look at me, they say, 'Oh, she's the androgynous one.' I'll tell you what type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/let-s-call-a-spade-a-spade-when-people-look-at-me-they-say-oh-she-s/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [I feel a strong affinity to Ke$ha and Katy Perry and a lot of these women who are really pushing the girl power femme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-miller/i-feel-a-strong-affinity-to-ke-ha-and-katy-perry-and-a-lot-of-these/) [T. J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-miller/) > [“Siri, what’s a femme fatale?” Chloe asked her phone. “It’s a dishonest woman who uses feminine wiles to manipulate men,” Emily responded just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-brogan/siri-what-s-a-femme-fatale-chloe-asked-her-phone-it-s-a-dishonest/) [Tracy Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-brogan/) [Browse all 64 Femme fatale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/femme-fatale/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of triumph, as Mimi Brissard had in Paris. She was a black, ominous death-cross against the starlight for a moment. Then she turned slowly, her eyes two green phosphorescent pools, toward where the helpless secret service man lay. (\"I'm Dangerous Tonight\")”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornell Woolrich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange-ritual-of-triumph-as-mimi/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Femme fatale" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange-ritual-of-triumph-as-mimi/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/cornell-woolrich-2734_femme-fatale_she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange_657353.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She thrust out her arms wide, in strange ritual of triumph, as Mimi Brissard had in Paris. She was a black…” — Cornell Woolrich", "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": "Cornell Woolrich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She thrust out her arms wide,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange-ritual-of-triumph-as-mimi/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-thrust-out-her-arms-wide-in-strange-ritual-of-triumph-as-mimi/#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 } } ] } ```