--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He desired her and, so far as her…" description: "\"“He desired her and, so far as her virginal emotions went, she contemplated a surrender with equanimity. Yet she knew she would forget him half an hour..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_desire_he-desired-her-and-so-far-as-her-virgina_2991369.jpg" --- # He desired her and, so far as her virginal emotions went… ![“He desired her and, so far as her virginal emotions went, she contemplated a surrender with equanimity. Yet she knew she would forget him half an hour after she left him - like an actor kissed in a picture.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_desire_he-desired-her-and-so-far-as-her-virgina_2991369.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_desire_he-desired-her-and-so-far-as-her-virgina_2991369.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_desire_he-desired-her-and-so-far-as-her-virgina_2991369.jpg) > ““He desired her and, so far as her virginal emotions went, she contemplated a surrender with equanimity. Yet she knew she would forget him half an hour after she left him - like an actor kissed in a picture.”” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fleeting, emotionally detached attraction that quickly fades after a brief encounter. **In simple terms:** Brief attraction fades fast. Key Takeaway Accept impermanence of brief connections. Themes love transience desire Mood melancholic reflective Type literary romantic When to use this quote - short romance - first dates - brief encounters - emotional withdrawal Key Concepts emotional detachment impermanence Questions to Reflect On - How do brief attractions shape our longer‑term feelings? - Can fleeting connections teach us about deeper needs? A Different Perspective Such moments may still leave lingering emotional impact despite their brevity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor Kissed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-kissed-4702162/) [Contemplated Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplated-surrender-4702160/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaze/) [Kissed Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissed-picture-4702163/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Lust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lust/) [Surrender Equanimity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender-equanimity-4702164/) [Tender is the night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tender-is-the-night/) [Virginal Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginal-emotions-4702161/) ## Related quotes > [“Afterwards, he just sat, happy to live in the past. The drink made past happy things contemporary with the present, as if they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/afterwards-he-just-sat-happy-to-live-in-the-past-the-drink-made-past/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [One writes of scars healed, a loose parallel to the pathology of the skin, but there is no such thing in the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/one-writes-of-scars-healed-a-loose-parallel-to-the-pathology-of-the/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Well, you never knew exactly how much space you occupied in people's lives. Yet from this fog his affection emerged--the best contacts are when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/well-you-never-knew-exactly-how-much-space-you-occupied-in-people-s-2/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Daddy's girl. Was it a 'itty-bitty bravekins and did it suffer? Oooooo-tweet, de tweetest thing, wasn't she dest too tweet? Before her tiny fist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/daddy-s-girl-was-it-a-itty-bitty-bravekins-and-did-it-suffer-oooooo/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He cared only about people; he was scarcely conscious of places except for their weather, until they had been invested with color by tangible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-cared-only-about-people-he-was-scarcely-conscious-of-places-except/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Already he felt her absence from these skies: on the beach he could only remember the sun-torn flesh of her shoulder; at Tarmes he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/already-he-felt-her-absence-from-these-skies-on-the-beach-he-could/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-klaussmann/on-f-scott-fitzgerald-s-tender-is-the-night/) [Liza Klaussmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-klaussmann/) > [“That’s going to be your trouble — judgment about yourself. (Tender is the Night)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-fitzgerald/that-s-going-to-be-your-trouble-judgment-about-yourself-tender-is-the/) [Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-fitzgerald/) > [“she wanted to know what American writers I liked. "Hawthorne, Henry James, Emily Dickinson…" "No, living." Ah, well, hmm, let's see: how difficult, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/she-wanted-to-know-what-american-writers-i-liked-hawthorne-henry/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I read a lot of F. Scott Fitzgerald. I love 'Tender is the Night,' and its atmosphere of doomed romance. He was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-read-a-lot-of-f-scott-fitzgerald-i-love-tender-is-the-night-and-its/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“you can't hide from a hurricane under a beach umbrella”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rahv/you-can-t-hide-from-a-hurricane-under-a-beach-umbrella/) [Philip Rahv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rahv/) > [Writers are notoriously unable to know about themselves. Faulkner thought 'The Fable' was his best novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald liked 'Tender Is the Night,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/writers-are-notoriously-unable-to-know-about-themselves-faulkner/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I developed a mania for Fitzgerald - by the time I'd graduated from high school I'd read everything he'd written. I started with 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-scott-berg/i-developed-a-mania-for-fitzgerald-by-the-time-i-d-graduated-from/) [A. Scott Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-scott-berg/) > [I'd like to do Nicole Diver in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Tender Is the Night,' if that ever gets made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamund-pike/i-d-like-to-do-nicole-diver-in-f-scott-fitzgerald-s-tender-is-the/) [Rosamund Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamund-pike/) > [Already with thee! tender is the night. . . But here there is no light. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/already-with-thee-tender-is-the-night-but-here-there-is-no-light/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He desired her and, so far as her virginal emotions went, she contemplated a surrender with equanimity. Yet she knew she would forget him half an hour after she left him - like an actor kissed in a picture.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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