---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not romantic,\" she disagreed. \"To me it…"
description: "\"“Not romantic,\" she disagreed. \"To me it would be romantic if Antony properly fell on his sword and kicked the bucket and Cleopatra escaped and lived a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/187/jack-gantos-14183_antony_not-romantic-she-disagreed-to-me-it-woul_497516.png"
---

#  Not romantic," she disagreed. "To me it would be romantic…

![“Not romantic,&quot; she disagreed. &quot;To me it would be romantic if Antony properly fell on his sword and kicked the bucket and Cleopatra escaped and lived a lovely life sailing along the Nile without him and his big ideas ruining her kingdom.” quote by Jack Gantos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/187/jack-gantos-14183_antony_not-romantic-she-disagreed-to-me-it-woul_497516.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/187/jack-gantos-14183_antony_not-romantic-she-disagreed-to-me-it-woul_497516.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/187/jack-gantos-14183_antony_not-romantic-she-disagreed-to-me-it-woul_497516.png)

> ““Not romantic," she disagreed. "To me it would be romantic if Antony properly fell on his sword and kicked the bucket and Cleopatra escaped and lived a lovely life sailing along the Nile without him and his big ideas ruining her kingdom.””

[Jack Gantos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gantos/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A sarcastic rejection of traditional romance, preferring a tragic, heroic death over a constrained love that limits freedom.

**In simple terms:** Rejects romance that traps, preferring freedom even in death.

Key Takeaway

Value autonomy over oppressive love.

Themes

freedom romance heroism tragedy

Mood

wry thought‑provoking

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- relationship choices
- personal agency
- literary analysis

Key Concepts

autonomy sacrifice gender roles

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prioritize freedom over love?
- When does love become confinement?

A Different Perspective

Romantic ideals can be restrictive.

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## More by Jack Gantos

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> [Don't ever go to war. Even if you win, the battle is never over inside you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/don-t-ever-go-to-war-even-if-you-win-the-battle-is-never-over-inside/)

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> [Don't ever forget your history," she sang, "or any wicked soul can lie to you and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/don-t-ever-forget-your-history-she-sang-or-any-wicked-soul-can-lie-to/)

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> [“My youthful dream of becoming a writer has been realized. I am so pleased I did not let my young self down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/my-youthful-dream-of-becoming-a-writer-has-been-realized-i-am-so/)

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> [“chair wouldn’t rock. So I heaved myself from side to side. It still didn’t move. I gripped the arms and jerked myself around and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/chair-wouldn-t-rock-so-i-heaved-myself-from-side-to-side-it-still/)

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> [“Granny was right,' I said. 'When you forgive someone it does make you stronger. It makes your heart bigger than your hate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/granny-was-right-i-said-when-you-forgive-someone-it-does-make-you/)

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> [If you have an orderly mind, you'll be a winner no matter where you end up. If your mind is a jumble of junk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/if-you-have-an-orderly-mind-you-ll-be-a-winner-no-matter-where-you/)

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## More Antony quotes

> [The theme of the dance was "Great Romances," or some such nonsense. There were projections of supposedly great couples from the past on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/the-theme-of-the-dance-was-great-romances-or-some-such-nonsense-there/)

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> [ Her seductive power, however, did not lie in her looks \[...\]. In reality, Cleopatra was physically unexceptional and had no political power, yet both… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/her-seductive-power-however-did-not-lie-in-her-looks-in-reality/)

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> [In praising Antony I have dispraised Caesar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleopatra-egypt/in-praising-antony-i-have-dispraised-caesar/)

Cleopatra Egypt

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