--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t know. How can you know? I…I’m a…" description: "\"“I don’t know. How can you know? I…I’m a monster. When I’m hungry, I might do anything.\" \"Oh no, of course I couldn’t possibly understand you.\" Violet’..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/frances-hardinge-1417_dark-fantasy_i-don-t-know-how-can-you-know-i-i-m-a-mo_329360.png" --- # I don’t know. How can you know? I…I’m a monster. When I’m… ![“I don’t know. How can you know? I…I’m a monster. When I’m hungry, I might do anything." "Oh no, of course I couldn’t possibly understand you." Violet’s shadowed face seemed to be wearing a grim and serious smile. "I know, you woke up one day and found out that you couldn’t be the person you…” quote by Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/frances-hardinge-1417_dark-fantasy_i-don-t-know-how-can-you-know-i-i-m-a-mo_329360.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/frances-hardinge-1417_dark-fantasy_i-don-t-know-how-can-you-know-i-i-m-a-mo_329360.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/frances-hardinge-1417_dark-fantasy_i-don-t-know-how-can-you-know-i-i-m-a-mo_329360.png) > ““I don’t know. How can you know? I…I’m a monster. When I’m hungry, I might do anything." "Oh no, of course I couldn’t possibly understand you." Violet’s shadowed face seemed to be wearing a grim and serious smile. "I know, you woke up one day and found out that you couldn’t be the person you remembered being, the little girl everybody expected you to be. You just weren’t her any more, and there was nothing you could do about it. So your family decided you were a monster and turned on you." Violet sighed, staring out into the darkness. "Believe me, I do understand that. And let me tell you - from one monster to another - that just because somebody tells you you’re a monster, it doesn’t mean you are. "just now you told me what you did because you want me to stop you from eating Pen. If you were a real monster, you wouldn’t have done that, would you?" Trista’s eyes stung, and she wiped strands of cobweb away with her sleeve. "Idiot," added Violet, for good measure.”” [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) ## 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 confronts being labeled a monster, questioning identity and the power of self‑definition. **In simple terms:** Being called a monster doesn’t define you. Key Takeaway Reject harmful labels, define yourself. Themes identity self‑acceptance labeling empathy Mood reflective empathetic Type literary dialogue When to use this quote - family conflict - personal growth - mental health - self‑discovery Key Concepts psychology social stigma agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when others label you? - Can you separate actions from identity? A Different Perspective Labels can be internalized, causing lasting harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-fantasy/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Historical-fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-fantasy/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Little girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-girl/) ## Related quotes > [“Just close your eyes and try to think it over You realize I'm not the man you know, girl I hypotize ya I paralyze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/just-close-your-eyes-and-try-to-think-it-over-you-realize-i-m-not-the/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [“I beg pardon, madam, but are you saying that the Lock-forgive me, that THEY terrify the town with a giant cabbage-eating pantomime horse?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eponymous-clent/i-beg-pardon-madam-but-are-you-saying-that-the-lock-forgive-me-that/) Eponymous Clent > [“The woman tells me I'm a monster, but there's a little beast in her that she unleashes from time to time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/the-woman-tells-me-i-m-a-monster-but-there-s-a-little-beast-in-her/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [I could not have known Colin Campbell would turn out to be the debased, cruel monster he turned out to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-colin-campbell/i-could-not-have-known-colin-campbell-would-turn-out-to-be-the/) [Lady Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-colin-campbell/) > [“We are all measured, good or evil, by the wrong we do to others; I had made a monster and turned it loose upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/we-are-all-measured-good-or-evil-by-the-wrong-we-do-to-others-i-had/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“The sudden, brilliant victory in France, like a Frankenstein monster, had turned against us; we had far outstripped our ability to supply the troops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-merriam/the-sudden-brilliant-victory-in-france-like-a-frankenstein-monster/) Robert E. 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Because if you don't everyone will know you're a monster”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-alender/stay-sunny-we-said-because-if-you-don-t-everyone-will-know-you-re-a/) [Katie Alender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-alender/) > [“Stay sunny, we said to each other. Because if you don't the whole world will know you're a monster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-alender/stay-sunny-we-said-to-each-other-because-if-you-don-t-the-whole-world/) [Katie Alender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-alender/) ## More by Frances Hardinge > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Clent, however, suppressed any sense of pity without the slightest difficulty. His brain was busy with the icy clockwork of calculation. If only this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/clent-however-suppressed-any-sense-of-pity-without-the-slightest/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Before her escort could react, she sprinted out from their little pool of lantern-light into the darkness, her feet pounding the soft, treacherous clods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/before-her-escort-could-react-she-sprinted-out-from-their-little-pool/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“She was not undamaged, however, and she knew it. No food or drink had passed her lips, but she had drunk deep of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/she-was-not-undamaged-however-and-she-knew-it-no-food-or-drink-had/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“All her life, Neverfell had suffered the dull, embarrassed ache of the knowledge that she was always the maddest person in the room. Funnily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/all-her-life-neverfell-had-suffered-the-dull-embarrassed-ache-of-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Well, if you are to help me with my work, you had better get used to stories without endings. True stories seldom have endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/well-if-you-are-to-help-me-with-my-work-you-had-better-get-used-to/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“And you may comfort yourself with the thought that you have been the caltrop under her satin shoe every step of the way. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/and-you-may-comfort-yourself-with-the-thought-that-you-have-been-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“The little pedlar, it seemed, fancied that he had the tools to fix the wheel. 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"I promise I will not interfere in Court business again." "Oh yes, you will." Zouelle looked up to see her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/thank-you-she-whispered-i-promise-i-will-not-interfere-in-court/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“People's personalities took up space, he sometimes thought. When they were trapped in a house or a job or a school together, they rubbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/people-s-personalities-took-up-space-he-sometimes-thought-when-they/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Revenge is a dish best served unexpectedly and from a distance - like a thrown trifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-unexpectedly-and-from-a-distance-like-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Little god, you see the world through such black eyes." "Got no choice. 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