Blind Quote by Curtis Sittenfeld
““Since I was a small girl, I have lived inside this cottage, shelted by its roof and walls. I have known of people suffering—I have not been blind to them in the way that privilege allows, the way my own husband and now my daughter are blind. It is a statement of fact and not a judgement to say Charlie and Ella’s minds aren’t oriented in that direction; in a way, it absolves them, whereas the unlucky have knocked on the door of my consciousness, they have emerged from the forest and knocked many times over the course of my life, and I have only occasionally allowed them entry. I’ve done more than nothing and much less than I could have. I have laid inside, beneath a quilt on a comfortable couch, in a kind of reverie, and when I heard the unlucky outside my cottage, sometimes I passed them coins or scraps of food, and sometimes I ignored them altogether; if I ignored them, they had no choice but to walk back into the woods, and when they grew weak or got lost or were circled by wolves, I pretended I couldn’t hear them calling my name.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld, 2018
The narrator reflects on selective empathy, helping only when convenient, and feeling guilt for ignoring those in need.
In simple terms: She helps sometimes, often ignores the suffering around her.
Recognize and act on all calls for help, not just the easy ones.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- daily interactions
- community service
- charitable giving
- advocacy
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you do if you heard someone in need?
- How does privilege shape who we help?
The narrator may be rationalizing her inaction rather than confronting systemic inequality.