--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was also her nature that caused her…" description: "\"It was also her nature that caused her letters to avoid emotional pitfalls and confine themselves to relating the events of her daily life in the utili..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_alive_it-was-also-her-nature-that-caused-her-l_1493516.jpg" --- # It was also her nature that caused her letters to avoid… ![“It was also her nature that caused her letters to avoid emotional pitfalls and confine themselves to relating the events of her daily life in the utilitarian style of a ship's log. In reality they were distracted letters, intended to keep the coals alive without putting her hand in the fire, while…” quote by Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_alive_it-was-also-her-nature-that-caused-her-l_1493516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_alive_it-was-also-her-nature-that-caused-her-l_1493516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_alive_it-was-also-her-nature-that-caused-her-l_1493516.jpg) > “It was also her nature that caused her letters to avoid emotional pitfalls and confine themselves to relating the events of her daily life in the utilitarian style of a ship's log. In reality they were distracted letters, intended to keep the coals alive without putting her hand in the fire, while Florentino Ariza burned himself alive in every line.” [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She writes pragmatically, shielding herself from deep feeling, while her lover expresses intense passion in his letters. **In simple terms:** She hides emotion; he shows it. Key Takeaway Balance restraint with honesty. Themes love communication self‑protection passion Mood reflective melancholic introspective Type literary romantic analytical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - creative writing - personal journaling - relationship advice Key Concepts literary style emotional labor unrequited love Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself from emotional pain? - When is vulnerability essential? A Different Perspective Her detached tone may prevent genuine connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Ariza Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ariza-burned-5040214/) [Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burned/) [Caused Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-letters-2703338/) [Coal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coal/) [Daily life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-life/) [Distracted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracted/) [Distracted Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracted-letters-2924133/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Letters Intended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters-intended-2015201/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Pitfalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pitfalls/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Ships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ships/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Utilitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utilitarian/) ## Related quotes > [“In reality they were distracted letters, intended to keep the coals alive without putting her hand in the fire, while Florentino Ariza burned himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/in-reality-they-were-distracted-letters-intended-to-keep-the-coals/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [ “…In reality \[hers\] were distracted letters, intended to keep the coals alive without putting her hand in the fire, while Florentino Ariza burned himself… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/in-reality-hers-were-distracted-letters-intended-to-keep-the-coals/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“When we read Paul, we are reading somebody else’s mail—and unless we know the situation being addressed, his letters can be quite opaque...It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-j-borg/when-we-read-paul-we-are-reading-somebody-else-s-mail-and-unless-we/) [Marcus J. Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-j-borg/) > [Don't you mind," said Puddleglum. "There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan; and he was there when the giant king caused the letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-you-mind-said-puddleglum-there-are-no-accidents-our-guide-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In reality they were distracted letters intendedto keep the coals alive witgout putting her hand in the fire while FA burned himself alive in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/in-reality-they-were-distracted-letters-intendedto-keep-the-coals/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [It was as if they had leapt over the arduous cavalry of conjugal life and gone straight to the heart of love. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-as-if-they-had-leapt-over-the-arduous-cavalry-of-conjugal-life/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He would wake for no reason in the middle of the night, and the memory of the self-absorbed love was revealed to him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-would-wake-for-no-reason-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-the-memory/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“we live in a utilitarian age. Honour is a mediaeval conception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/we-live-in-a-utilitarian-age-honour-is-a-mediaeval-conception/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Somebody who eats twice as much factory-farmed products as he or she needs to is clearly doing twice as much damage to the planet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/somebody-who-eats-twice-as-much-factory-farmed-products-as-he-or-she/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The utilitarian behaves sensibly in all that is required for preservation but never takes account of the fact that he must die...His whole life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/the-utilitarian-behaves-sensibly-in-all-that-is-required-for/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [Now that practical skills have developed enough to provide adequately for material needs, one of these sciences which are not devoted to utilitarian ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/now-that-practical-skills-have-developed-enough-to-provide-adequately/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“In the temple of science are many mansions, and various indeed are they that dwell therein and the motives that have led them thither.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-the-temple-of-science-are-many-mansions-and-various-indeed-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-the-essay-is-a-lot-more/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Modern anthropology ... opposes the utilitarian assumption that the primitive chants as he sows seed because he believes that otherwise it will not grow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carroll/modern-anthropology-opposes-the-utilitarian-assumption-that-the/) [John Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carroll/) > [For the utilitarian, there is a fact of the matter about the good (the general happiness, or whatever conception of the good the utilitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/for-the-utilitarian-there-is-a-fact-of-the-matter-about-the-good-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## More by Gabriel Garcia Marquez > [“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. Then he looked at Florentino Ariza, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/the-captain-looked-at-fermina-daza-and-saw-on-her-eyelashes-the-first/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Courage did not come from the need to survive, or from a brute indifference inherited from someone else, but from a driving need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/courage-did-not-come-from-the-need-to-survive-or-from-a-brute/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-aprendido-que-un-hombre-s-lo-tiene-derecho-a-mirar-a-otro-hacia/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [From the moment I wrote 'Leaf Storm' I realized I wanted to be a writer and that nobody could stop me and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/from-the-moment-i-wrote-leaf-storm-i-realized-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Berhentilah sepi, hidup ini pendek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/berhentilah-sepi-hidup-ini-pendek/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He thought about his people without sentimentalily, with a strick closing of his accounts with life, beginning to understand how much he really loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-thought-about-his-people-without-sentimentalily-with-a-strick/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Why were you so old when we met? I answered with the truth: Age isn't how old you are but how old you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/why-were-you-so-old-when-we-met-i-answered-with-the-truth-age-isn-t/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Between the covers of the books that no one had ever read again, in the old parchments damaged by dampness, a livid flower had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/between-the-covers-of-the-books-that-no-one-had-ever-read-again-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Fear had absorbed her completely and remained there, fixed, tenacious, almost corporeal, as if it were some invisible person who had made up his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/fear-had-absorbed-her-completely-and-remained-there-fixed-tenacious/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Today I know I was right. The adolescents of my generation, greedy for life, forgot in body and soul about their hopes for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/today-i-know-i-was-right-the-adolescents-of-my-generation-greedy-for/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“...It was then, for the first time, that she understood above all her virtues what was in command was the vanity of a metaphysical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-then-for-the-first-time-that-she-understood-above-all-her/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel Garcia Marquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was also her nature that caused her letters to avoid emotional pitfalls and confine themselves to relating the events of her daily life in the utilitarian style of a ship's log. 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