--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In this couple defects were multiplied…" description: "\"“In this couple defects were multiplied, as if by a dangerous doubling; weakness fed upon itself without a counterstrength and they were trapped, defau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/elizabeth-hardwick-10519_f-scott-fitzgerald_in-this-couple-defects-were-multiplied-a_2940859.jpg" --- # In this couple defects were multiplied, as if by a… ![“In this couple defects were multiplied, as if by a dangerous doubling; weakness fed upon itself without a counterstrength and they were trapped, defaults, mutually committed, left holes everywhere in their lives. When you read their letters to each other it is often necessary to consult the…” quote by Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/elizabeth-hardwick-10519_f-scott-fitzgerald_in-this-couple-defects-were-multiplied-a_2940859.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/elizabeth-hardwick-10519_f-scott-fitzgerald_in-this-couple-defects-were-multiplied-a_2940859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/elizabeth-hardwick-10519_f-scott-fitzgerald_in-this-couple-defects-were-multiplied-a_2940859.jpg) > ““In this couple defects were multiplied, as if by a dangerous doubling; weakness fed upon itself without a counterstrength and they were trapped, defaults, mutually committed, left holes everywhere in their lives. When you read their letters to each other it is often necessary to consult the signature in order to be sure which one has done the writing. Their tone about themselves, their mood, is the fatal one of nostalgia--a passive, consuming, repetitive poetry. Sometimes one feels even its most felicitious and melodious moments are fixed, rigid in experession, and that their feelings have gradually merged with their manner, fallen under the domination of style. Even in their suffering, so deep and beyond relief, their tonal memory controls the words, shaping them into the Fitzgerald tune, always so regretful, regressive, and touched with a careful felicity.”” [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The couple’s relationship is trapped in a self‑reinforcing cycle of weakness, nostalgia, and stylized expression that limits authentic connection. **In simple terms:** Their bond is stuck in a harmful, nostalgic pattern. Key Takeaway Break cycles of self‑destructive nostalgia. Themes relationships nostalgia self‑destruction style Mood somber introspective Type critical analytical When to use this quote - couple counseling - personal writing - creative therapy Key Concepts psychology literary criticism identity Questions to Reflect On - What role does nostalgia play in sustaining unhealthy patterns? - How can one reclaim authentic voice? 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Self-hatred is a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/self-love-is-an-idolatry-self-hatred-is-a-tragedy/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [“The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/the-greatest-gift-is-a-passion-for-reading-it-is-cheap-it-consoles-it/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [Houses of evil similarity appeared like rows of disciplined, humiliated orphans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/houses-of-evil-similarity-appeared-like-rows-of-disciplined/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [Gertrude Stein, all courage and will, is a soldier of minimalism. 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Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 36 F-scott-fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In this couple defects were multiplied, as if by a dangerous doubling; weakness fed upon itself without a counterstrength and they were trapped, defaults, mutually committed, left holes everywhere in their lives. When you read their letters to each other it is often necessary to consult the signature in order to be sure which one has done the writing. Their tone about themselves, their mood, is the fatal one of nostalgia--a passive, consuming, repetitive poetry. Sometimes one feels even its most felicitious and melodious moments are fixed, rigid in experession, and that their feelings have gradually merged with their manner, fallen under the domination of style. 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