--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a dumb misery about him that…" description: "\"“There was a dumb misery about him that irritated her; there was a manly staying of his hand that made her heart beat faster. She felt her agitation ri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/henry-james-417_angry_there-was-a-dumb-misery-about-him-that-i_445348.png" --- # There was a dumb misery about him that irritated her… ![“There was a dumb misery about him that irritated her; there was a manly staying of his hand that made her heart beat faster. She felt her agitation rising, and she said to herself that she was angry in the way a woman is angry when she has been in the wrong.” quote by Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/henry-james-417_angry_there-was-a-dumb-misery-about-him-that-i_445348.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/henry-james-417_angry_there-was-a-dumb-misery-about-him-that-i_445348.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/henry-james-417_angry_there-was-a-dumb-misery-about-him-that-i_445348.png) > ““There was a dumb misery about him that irritated her; there was a manly staying of his hand that made her heart beat faster. She felt her agitation rising, and she said to herself that she was angry in the way a woman is angry when she has been in the wrong.”” [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman feels anger when she recognizes her own fault, showing self‑directed emotional conflict. **In simple terms:** She is angry at herself. Key Takeaway Reflect on personal responsibility. Themes emotion self‑awareness conflict Mood reflective empathetic Type literary psychological When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle self‑criticism? - What steps turn anger into growth? A Different Perspective Self‑blame may hinder constructive change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Heart beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-beat/) [Irritated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irritated/) [Irritated Manly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irritated-manly-3896890/) [Said Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-angry-1316053/) [Woman Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-angry-1728480/) ## Related quotes > [Wow. What would you do if I said I was angry?' 'I would make fire rain from the heavens to smite your enemies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/wow-what-would-you-do-if-i-said-i-was-angry-i-would-make-fire-rain/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [She's awfully fond of Wendy,' he said to himself. 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Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shoales/never-ask-a-woman-why-she-s-angry-at-you-she-will-either-get-angrier/) [Ian Shoales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-shoales/) > [Anyway, these books I love, they’re all books by men—every last one of them. Because if it’s unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/anyway-these-books-i-love-they-re-all-books-by-men-every-last-one-of/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [She writhes under her life. A woman more angry, passionate, reckless, and revengeful never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/she-writhes-under-her-life-a-woman-more-angry-passionate-reckless-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [My friend, there is nothing so sexy as a woman who is angry. Perhaps when she is even throwing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marat-safin/my-friend-there-is-nothing-so-sexy-as-a-woman-who-is-angry-perhaps/) [Marat Safin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marat-safin/) > [You should make a woman angry if you wish her to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/you-should-make-a-woman-angry-if-you-wish-her-to-love/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) ## More by Henry James > [Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/though-there-are-some-disagreeable-things-in-venice-there-is-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“In literature we move through a blest world in which we know nothing except by style, but in which everything is saved by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/in-literature-we-move-through-a-blest-world-in-which-we-know-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I shall stay here as long as I may, I don't want to think — I needn't think. 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He has never done a thing in his life exept play games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-no-wonder-he-wins-every-game-he-has-never-done-a-thing-in-his/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Make (the reader) think the evil, make him think it for himself, and you are released from weak specifications. My values are positively all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/make-the-reader-think-the-evil-make-him-think-it-for-himself-and-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“It was the air she wanted and the world she would now exclusively choose; the quiet chambers, nobly overwhelming, rich but slightly veiled, opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-was-the-air-she-wanted-and-the-world-she-would-now-exclusively/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The time-honored bread-sauce of the happy ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-time-honored-bread-sauce-of-the-happy-ending/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) [Explore all 571 Henry James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## More Angry quotes > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. 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Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) [Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was a dumb misery about him that irritated her; there was a manly staying of his hand that made her heart beat faster. 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