--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was as if her own heart had been…" description: "\"“It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed from her body and was being kept at a remote location, still connected to her and pumping blood..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png" --- # It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed… ![“It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed from her body and was being kept at a remote location, still connected to her and pumping blood through her veins, but exposed to dangers she couldn't see: her heart in a box somewhere, in the open air, unprotected.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png) > ““It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed from her body and was being kept at a remote location, still connected to her and pumping blood through her veins, but exposed to dangers she couldn't see: her heart in a box somewhere, in the open air, unprotected.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A metaphor for feeling emotionally detached, as if one's core is isolated and vulnerable to unseen threats. **In simple terms:** Feeling emotionally detached and vulnerable. Key Takeaway Recognize and protect your emotional core. Themes vulnerability identity emotional health Mood reflective melancholic Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - mental health therapy - coping - creative writing Key Concepts psychology metaphor trauma Questions to Reflect On - How do you safeguard your emotional core? - What unseen threats affect your wellbeing? A Different Perspective The metaphor may over‑dramatize emotional pain, risking melodrama. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [“Branches etched a network of veins across the starry night sky. My own veins were exposed and raw from my attraction to Ella—attraction, hell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marie-altom/branches-etched-a-network-of-veins-across-the-starry-night-sky-my-own/) [Laura Marie Altom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marie-altom/) > [His absence will haunt their hallways, and he will be a space they can't fill. And then time will pass, and the hole will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/his-absence-will-haunt-their-hallways-and-he-will-be-a-space-they-can/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I was in good control of my body, and I kept my head still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-eckersley/i-was-in-good-control-of-my-body-and-i-kept-my-head-still/) [Dennis Eckersley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-eckersley/) > [I believe we lose immortality because we have not conquered our opposition to death; we keep insisting on the primary, rudimentary idea: that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-bioy-casares/i-believe-we-lose-immortality-because-we-have-not-conquered-our/) [Adolfo Bioy Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-bioy-casares/) > [When I saw you I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. When you smiled at me I couldn't keep my heart from racing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-saw-you-i-couldn-t-keep-my-eyes-off-of-you-when-you-smiled-at-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Why couldn't my heart have picked him? Life would have been so much easier." "Because hearts are ornery, sneaky little bastards, designed to cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-c-hunter/why-couldn-t-my-heart-have-picked-him-life-would-have-been-so-much/) [C.C. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-c-hunter/) > [“So close no matter how far Couldn't be much more from the heart ... and nothing else matters”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-close-no-matter-how-far-couldn-t-be-much-more-from-the-heart-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Senior Council--" "Couldn't find its heart if it had a copy of Grey's Anatomy , X-ray vision, and a stethoscope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/the-senior-council-couldn-t-find-its-heart-if-it-had-a-copy-of-grey-s/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [I couldn't ever be a ME if you're heart belongs to SHE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zenheaxia-xpryl-khandie/i-couldn-t-ever-be-a-me-if-you-re-heart-belongs-to-she/) Zenheaxia Xpryl Khandie > [“So close no matter how far ,couldn't be much more from the heart,forever trusting who we are and nothing else matters”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metallica/so-close-no-matter-how-far-couldn-t-be-much-more-from-the-heart/) [Metallica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metallica/) > [When I saw you I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. When you smiled at me I couldn't keep my heart from racing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid/when-i-saw-you-i-couldn-t-keep-my-eyes-off-of-you-when-you-smiled-at/) [Sajid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid/) > [“I couldn't see it because you are my heart, damn you! And how can I see my own heart if it's beating in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-long/i-couldn-t-see-it-because-you-are-my-heart-damn-you-and-how-can-i-see/) [Julie Anne Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-long/) > [“Don’t ever feel bad that someone couldn’t give you all of their heart. Be grateful that you can take the least complicated part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-ever-feel-bad-that-someone-couldn-t-give-you-all-of-their-heart/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed from her body and was being kept at a remote location, still connected to her and pumping blood through her veins, but exposed to dangers she couldn't see: her heart in a box somewhere, in the open air, unprotected.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surgically-removed-from-her-body/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surgically-removed-from-her-body/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_heart_it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surg_1570783.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was as if her own heart had been surgically removed from her body and was being kept at a remote…” — Jeffrey Eugenides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It was as if her own...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surgically-removed-from-her-body/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-was-as-if-her-own-heart-had-been-surgically-removed-from-her-body/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```