--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't…" description: "\"I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't think it would be like this - shabby clothes, worn-out shoes, circles under your eyes, your hair getting straight..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/jean-rhys-2447_circles_i-hadn-t-bargained-for-this-i-didn-t-thi_519023.png" --- # I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't think it would be… ![“I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't think it would be like this - shabby clothes, worn-out shoes, circles under your eyes, your hair getting straight and lanky, the way people look at you. ... I didn't think it would be like this” quote by Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/jean-rhys-2447_circles_i-hadn-t-bargained-for-this-i-didn-t-thi_519023.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/jean-rhys-2447_circles_i-hadn-t-bargained-for-this-i-didn-t-thi_519023.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/jean-rhys-2447_circles_i-hadn-t-bargained-for-this-i-didn-t-thi_519023.png) > “I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't think it would be like this - shabby clothes, worn-out shoes, circles under your eyes, your hair getting straight and lanky, the way people look at you. ... I didn't think it would be like this” [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes unexpected hardship and physical decline, highlighting disappointment and loss of expectations. **In simple terms:** Unexpected hardship and physical decline. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations and seek support in adversity. Themes disillusionment poverty appearance social judgment Mood somber empathetic Type literary reflective When to use this quote - housing instability - employment loss - health decline - social stigma Key Concepts socioeconomic hardship identity body image Questions to Reflect On - What expectations did you hold? - How can you rebuild hope? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize suffering, ignoring agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes/) [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When I am in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a drawing room full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/when-i-am-in-the-company-of-scientists-i-feel-like-a-shabby-curate/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Wise kings wear shabby clothes, and leave the gold lace to the drum major.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/wise-kings-wear-shabby-clothes-and-leave-the-gold-lace-to-the-drum/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-most-of-us-are-ashamed-of-shabby-clothes-and-shoddy-furniture-let-2/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies… It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-most-of-us-are-ashamed-of-shabby-clothes-and-shoddy-furniture-let/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The danger with hatred is, once you start in on it, you get a hundred times more than you bargained for. Once you start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-danger-with-hatred-is-once-you-start-in-on-it-you-get-a-hundred/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I am more than what you bargained for and nothin less than real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-am-more-than-what-you-bargained-for-and-nothin-less-than-real/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I bargained with Life for a penny, And Life would pay no more, However I begged at evening When I counted my scanty store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-belle-rittenhouse/i-bargained-with-life-for-a-penny-and-life-would-pay-no-more-however/) Jessie Belle Rittenhouse > [Am I more than you bargained for yet I've been dying to tell you anything you want to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fall-out-boy/am-i-more-than-you-bargained-for-yet-i-ve-been-dying-to-tell-you/) [Fall Out Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fall-out-boy/) > [I am more than what you bargained for and nothing less than real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-am-more-than-what-you-bargained-for-and-nothing-less-than-real/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“What made more sense was that the bargain she was bound to was to go on living as she had been doing. The bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/what-made-more-sense-was-that-the-bargain-she-was-bound-to-was-to-go/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“But the world is what it is and won’t be bargained with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/but-the-world-is-what-it-is-and-won-t-be-bargained-with/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [The world is what it is and won't be bargained with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/the-world-is-what-it-is-and-won-t-be-bargained-with/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [There are more and more of us women out there who won't be pushed around and will give back a lot more than was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/there-are-more-and-more-of-us-women-out-there-who-won-t-be-pushed/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [Our life is bargained from our kids..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/our-life-is-bargained-from-our-kids/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Let the free people of the world know that we could have bargained over and sold out our cause in return for a personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muammar-al-gaddafi/let-the-free-people-of-the-world-know-that-we-could-have-bargained/) [Muammar al-Gaddafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muammar-al-gaddafi/) ## More by Jean Rhys > [Of course she had some pathetic illusions about herself or she would not be able to go on living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/of-course-she-had-some-pathetic-illusions-about-herself-or-she-would/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [As soon as I turned the key I saw it hanging, the color of fire and sunset. the colour of flamboyant flowers. ‘If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/as-soon-as-i-turned-the-key-i-saw-it-hanging-the-color-of-fire-and/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [Human beings are struggling, and so they are egoists. But it's wrong to say that they are wholy cruel - it's a deformed view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/human-beings-are-struggling-and-so-they-are-egoists-but-it-s-wrong-to/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“THe room was large and low-ceilinged, the striped wallpaper faded to inoffensiveness. A huge dark wardrobe faced a huge dark bed. The rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/the-room-was-large-and-low-ceilinged-the-striped-wallpaper-faded-to/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [There is no doubt that running away on a fresh, blue morning can be exhilarating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/there-is-no-doubt-that-running-away-on-a-fresh-blue-morning-can-be/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [Blot out the moon, Pull down the stars. Love in the dark, for we're for the dark So soon, so soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/blot-out-the-moon-pull-down-the-stars-love-in-the-dark-for-we-re-for/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“But in the daytime it was all right. And when you'd had a drink you knew it was the best way to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/but-in-the-daytime-it-was-all-right-and-when-you-d-had-a-drink-you/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [She’ll have no lover, for I don’t want her and she’ll see no other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/she-ll-have-no-lover-for-i-don-t-want-her-and-she-ll-see-no-other/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [Everything tender and melancholy - as life is sometimes, just for one moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/everything-tender-and-melancholy-as-life-is-sometimes-just-for-one/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“have spunks and do battle for yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/have-spunks-and-do-battle-for-yourself/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“You are walking along a road peacefully. You trip. You fall into blackness. That's the past - or perhaps the future. And you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/you-are-walking-along-a-road-peacefully-you-trip-you-fall-into/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“She spent the foggy day in endless, aimless walking, for it seemed to her that if she moved quickly enough she would escape the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/she-spent-the-foggy-day-in-endless-aimless-walking-for-it-seemed-to/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [But they never last, the golden days. And it can be sad, the sun in the afternoon, can't it? Yes, it can be sad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/but-they-never-last-the-golden-days-and-it-can-be-sad-the-sun-in-the/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [She could give herself up to the written word as naturally as a good dancer to music or a fine swimmer to water. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/she-could-give-herself-up-to-the-written-word-as-naturally-as-a-good/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“There is no control over memory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/there-is-no-control-over-memory/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) [Explore all 165 Jean Rhys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) ## More Circles quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [Maybe this is a way of gaslighting myself, but I think of it this way: In certain circles, my grandpa was considered to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/maybe-this-is-a-way-of-gaslighting-myself-but-i-think-of-it-this-way/) [Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/) > [All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-my-life-s-a-circle-but-i-can-t-tell-you-why-season-s-spinning/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [There's when a phrase circles in my head in a number of ways for any number of days, weeks, or months, and then that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mangan/there-s-when-a-phrase-circles-in-my-head-in-a-number-of-ways-for-any/) [Dan Mangan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mangan/) > [I have no name for what circles so perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-have-no-name-for-what-circles-so-perfectly/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The fight against syphilis demands a fight against prostitution, against prejudices, old habits, against previous conceptions, general views among them not least the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-fight-against-syphilis-demands-a-fight-against-prostitution/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-into-my-eyes-and-saw-the-shadow/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [ \[Wise men\] have tried to understand our state of being, by grasping at its stars, or its arts, or its economics. But, if there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/wise-men-have-tried-to-understand-our-state-of-being-by-grasping-at/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in ... Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) [Browse all 1,860 Circles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I hadn't bargained for this. I didn't think it would be like this - shabby clothes, worn-out shoes, circles under your eyes, your hair getting straight and lanky, the way people look at you. ... 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