---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was a large, disordered woman, like a…"
description: "\"She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing that didn't stay within the lines.\" — Jeffrey Eugenides"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png"
---

#  She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing…

![“She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing that didn't stay within the lines.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png)

> “She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing that didn't stay within the lines.”

[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 chaotic, unrefined presence is likened to a child's uncontrolled drawing, emphasizing disorder.

**In simple terms:** Disorder likened to child art.

Key Takeaway

Embrace imperfections in self-image.

Themes

identity body image chaos

Mood

introspective empathetic

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- health counseling
- art therapy
- self-acceptance

Key Concepts

literary metaphor self perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How does societal pressure shape body perception?
- What steps foster self-compassion?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on flaws can harm self-esteem.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Child Drawing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-drawing-1755523/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Disordered Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disordered-woman-1755521/) [Drawing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing/) [Drawing Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing-didn-620867/) [Large Disordered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-disordered-1755522/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/)

## Related quotes

> [The things that I do today are the things I did as a child. When I was a child, either I was drawing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/the-things-that-i-do-today-are-the-things-i-did-as-a-child-when-i-was/)

[Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/)

> [I did a dozen superhero pinups. I signed them "Kirby/Royer" because it was Kirby's drawing. I didn't think I was committing some sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royer/i-did-a-dozen-superhero-pinups-i-signed-them-kirby-royer-because-it/)

[Mike Royer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royer/)

> [But we did see the process develop. I remember going to the Rocket Pictures base and they had something like 40 people there, drawing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/but-we-did-see-the-process-develop-i-remember-going-to-the-rocket/)

[Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/)

> [“... I think I intuitively suspected that perspective would put me outside the painting. I didn't want that. I wanted to get close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-think-i-intuitively-suspected-that-perspective-would-put-me-outside/)

[Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/)

> [The best works do not necessarily get to auction. I like to draw, so maybe I give you a little drawing. And then eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dumas/the-best-works-do-not-necessarily-get-to-auction-i-like-to-draw-so/)

[Marlene Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dumas/)

> [Historical fact: People stopped being people in 1913. That was the year Henry Ford put his cars on rollers and made his workers adopt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/historical-fact-people-stopped-being-people-in-1913-that-was-the-year/)

[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/)

> [Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr/vigorous-writing-is-concise-a-sentence-should-contain-no-unnecessary/)

[William Strunk, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr/)

> [There is no civilization that did not begin with art, Whether it was drawing a line in the sand, painting a cave or dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-civilization-that-did-not-begin-with-art-whether-it-was/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [There are instances where lines in my work are borrowed or stolen from sources, mainly from books, or they become my own versions. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-pettibon/there-are-instances-where-lines-in-my-work-are-borrowed-or-stolen/)

[Raymond Pettibon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-pettibon/)

> [Unfortunately when I start to talk or when someone watches over my shoulders my pencil either stops or I draw meaningless lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-hughes/unfortunately-when-i-start-to-talk-or-when-someone-watches-over-my/)

[E. J. Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-hughes/)

> [Until I saw my drawings replayed on the iPad, I'd never seen myself draw. Someone watching me would be concentrating on the exact moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the-ipad-i-d-never-seen-myself/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [The new album is a childhood dream come true. Got to sing with Ronnie Spector, got to cover a bunch of songs that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-new-album-is-a-childhood-dream-come-true-got-to-sing-with-ronnie/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [With pencil there is a tendency to be timid, either using very faint lines or erasing bad lines... Line sketching tends to emphasize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laseau/with-pencil-there-is-a-tendency-to-be-timid-either-using-very-faint/)

[Paul Laseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laseau/)

> [Drawing is one of those things which sit on the uneasy bending line between instinct and instruction, where seeming perversity eventually trumps pleasure as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/drawing-is-one-of-those-things-which-sit-on-the-uneasy-bending-line/)

[Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/)

## 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 Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing that didn't stay within the lines.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a-child-s-drawing-that-didn-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a-child-s-drawing-that-didn-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/jeffrey-eugenides-462_children_she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a_958349.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She was a large, disordered woman, like a child's drawing that didn't stay within the lines.” — 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": "She was a large, disordered woman,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a-child-s-drawing-that-didn-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-was-a-large-disordered-woman-like-a-child-s-drawing-that-didn-t/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
