--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Willow sees her before any of the others…" description: "\"“Willow sees her before any of the others. A walking skeleton, the victim of some terrible wasting disease, like something out of the history books, a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/julia-hoban-19055_anorexia_willow-sees-her-before-any-of-the-others_2412017.jpg" --- # Willow sees her before any of the others. A walking… ![“Willow sees her before any of the others. A walking skeleton, the victim of some terrible wasting disease, like something out of the history books, a death camp survivor. It takes Willow a moment to realize that the girl is none of those things. She's just a girl, a girl like Willow, who's chosen…” quote by Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/julia-hoban-19055_anorexia_willow-sees-her-before-any-of-the-others_2412017.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/julia-hoban-19055_anorexia_willow-sees-her-before-any-of-the-others_2412017.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/julia-hoban-19055_anorexia_willow-sees-her-before-any-of-the-others_2412017.jpg) > ““Willow sees her before any of the others. A walking skeleton, the victim of some terrible wasting disease, like something out of the history books, a death camp survivor. It takes Willow a moment to realize that the girl is none of those things. She's just a girl, a girl like Willow, who's chosen to inflict terrible pain on herself. Only this girl's weapon isn't a razor, it's starvation.”” [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A girl appears as a fragile, emaciated figure, but she is simply a person who chooses self-harm through starvation, highlighting the hidden pain behind outward appearances. **In simple terms:** Self-harm can be hidden behind a fragile exterior. Key Takeaway Notice signs of hidden suffering. Themes mental health self‑harm appearance vs reality pain vulnerability Mood concerned empathetic Type psychological narrative When to use this quote - school counseling - family observation - clinical assessment Key Concepts Psychology Trauma Self‑destruction Questions to Reflect On - What signs might indicate hidden self‑harm? - How can we support someone choosing such pain? A Different Perspective Self‑harm is complex and may require professional help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anorexia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anorexia/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Eating disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-disorder/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-books/) [Self harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-harm/) [Starvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation/) [Willow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willow/) ## Related quotes > [“Every lineament of the girl's wasted body is a testament to her inner turmoil. Willow can only imagine what kind of pain she must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/every-lineament-of-the-girl-s-wasted-body-is-a-testament-to-her-inner/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [What I always say is that Japanese are like willow. We can be bent easily, but once you try to break us, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroko-sakai/what-i-always-say-is-that-japanese-are-like-willow-we-can-be-bent/) [Hiroko Sakai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroko-sakai/) > [Bend like the willow, winds gonna blow you hard and cold tonight. Life as it happens, nobody warns you, willow hold on tight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/bend-like-the-willow-winds-gonna-blow-you-hard-and-cold-tonight-life/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [“Willow chuckled as all up and down Allen Street lights began to glow through every window. Someone in a room down the hall lifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcpherren/willow-chuckled-as-all-up-and-down-allen-street-lights-began-to-glow/) [Charlotte McPherren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcpherren/) > [“When necessary bend like a willow, when necessary stand unbending like an oak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-natwar-singh/when-necessary-bend-like-a-willow-when-necessary-stand-unbending-like/) K. Natwar Singh > [“She didn't look like a Willow Queen. Of course, I'm not sure what exactly I expected - maybe something akin to Glinda the Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/she-didn-t-look-like-a-willow-queen-of-course-i-m-not-sure-what/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Înainte de a combate moartea, trebuie să înveți să trăiești.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nainte-de-a-combate-moartea-trebuie-s-nve-i-s-tr-ie-ti/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“and afterward, after it was done, it was too much, and I felt like I was going to... I don't know… explode, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/and-afterward-after-it-was-done-it-was-too-much-and-i-felt-like-i-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“I hurt myself,” Syren bit out. “I make myself bleed and it feels good. It eases the pressure inside me, but it never lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-ashton/i-hurt-myself-syren-bit-out-i-make-myself-bleed-and-it-feels-good-it/) [Avril Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-ashton/) > [“There’s no magical healing in this. I won’t wake up tomorrow fixed and joyful. I’ll still hurt and grieve. But moments like this, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/there-s-no-magical-healing-in-this-i-won-t-wake-up-tomorrow-fixed-and/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [“She closes her eyes, and I can see the moisture. She’s deep-breathing again, and I notice her hands are clutched around the opposing wrists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/she-closes-her-eyes-and-i-can-see-the-moisture-she-s-deep-breathing/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [“It's hard to keep something a secret when it's written all over you body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/it-s-hard-to-keep-something-a-secret-when-it-s-written-all-over-you/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“You might imagine that a person would resort to self-mutilation only under extremes of duress, but once I'd crossed that line the first time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kettlewell/you-might-imagine-that-a-person-would-resort-to-self-mutilation-only/) [Caroline Kettlewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kettlewell/) > [“...her hand closes on smooth metal. Her fingers test the sharpness of the edge. Perfect. It's a fresh blade. The girls' voices rustle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/her-hand-closes-on-smooth-metal-her-fingers-test-the-sharpness-of-the/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“That's when I wanted to cut. I cut to quiet the cacophony. I cut to end this abstracted agony, to reel my selves back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kettlewell/that-s-when-i-wanted-to-cut-i-cut-to-quiet-the-cacophony-i-cut-to-end/) [Caroline Kettlewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kettlewell/) ## More by Julia Hoban > [“It's hard to keep something a secret when it's written all over you body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/it-s-hard-to-keep-something-a-secret-when-it-s-written-all-over-you/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“Every lineament of the girl's wasted body is a testament to her inner turmoil. Willow can only imagine what kind of pain she must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/every-lineament-of-the-girl-s-wasted-body-is-a-testament-to-her-inner/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“I just figured out why someone would want to make the first mirror... I think some lover wanted his beloved to see how she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/i-just-figured-out-why-someone-would-want-to-make-the-first-mirror-i/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“It's hard to keep a secret when it's written all over your body... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/it-s-hard-to-keep-a-secret-when-it-s-written-all-over-your-body/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“...her hand closes on smooth metal. Her fingers test the sharpness of the edge. Perfect. It's a fresh blade. The girls' voices rustle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/her-hand-closes-on-smooth-metal-her-fingers-test-the-sharpness-of-the/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“And she knows then that she was right about her brother, that it takes an unbelievable strength to feel this kind of grief, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/and-she-knows-then-that-she-was-right-about-her-brother-that-it-takes/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“And yet, as she sits there with him on the window seat, with his strong arms around her, she knows that if she can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/and-yet-as-she-sits-there-with-him-on-the-window-seat-with-his-strong/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“She watches as the blood springs from the cut she's making, but it doesn't change anything. Not this time. She swipes again, deeper. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/she-watches-as-the-blood-springs-from-the-cut-she-s-making-but-it/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“Well, sometimes I worry that my whole life will be based about what's comfortable and easy. I'll care too much about what makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/well-sometimes-i-worry-that-my-whole-life-will-be-based-about-what-s/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/i-guess-what-scares-me-the-most-now-is-the-thought-that-i-won-t-be/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“If someone were to look carefully, the angry red marks underneath the fine cotton of her blouse would be clearly visible. But nobody ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/if-someone-were-to-look-carefully-the-angry-red-marks-underneath-the/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“I bought you something" Willows blurts out. "You bought...What?" Willow closes her eyes for a second. She's a little surprised she's going to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/i-bought-you-something-willows-blurts-out-you-bought-what-willow/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“But...Well, have you ever done this with anyone else?" "Never." He pulls her down so that she is lying on the window seat. "Good."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/but-well-have-you-ever-done-this-with-anyone-else-never-he-pulls-her/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“You couldn't really say that something that hurts so badly feels good exactly. It's more that it just feels right. And something that feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/you-couldn-t-really-say-that-something-that-hurts-so-badly-feels-good/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [“Her brother is crying, he is wretched and broken. Though his sobs are barely audible, he is weeping with absolute and total abandon. Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/her-brother-is-crying-he-is-wretched-and-broken-though-his-sobs-are/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) [Explore all 30 Julia Hoban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) ## More Anorexia quotes > [“Anorexia is, without doubt, a serious eating disorder, but there is a hell of a lot of mainstream disordered eating going on out there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/anorexia-is-without-doubt-a-serious-eating-disorder-but-there-is-a/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) > [If we are ready to tear down the walls that confine us, break the cage that imprisons us, we will discover what our wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-elmore-meegan/if-we-are-ready-to-tear-down-the-walls-that-confine-us-break-the-cage/) Michael Elmore-Meegan > [“Being constantly hungry is no life at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/being-constantly-hungry-is-no-life-at-all/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) > [“I’ve never had anorexia, but I know it well. I see it on the street, in the gaunt and sunken face, the boney chest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/i-ve-never-had-anorexia-but-i-know-it-well-i-see-it-on-the-street-in/) Harriet Brown > [“Between 10 and 20 percent of people with anorexia die from heart attacks, other complications and suicide; the disease has the highest mortality rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/between-10-and-20-percent-of-people-with-anorexia-die-from-heart/) Harriet Brown > [ “Emma cites the structure of the \[Eating Disorder\] Unit as being important to her decision to disengage from her illness, and the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-lee/emma-cites-the-structure-of-the-eating-disorder-unit-as-being/) [Carol Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-lee/) > [I was struggling with anorexia, and one of the biggest problems with an eating disorder is you don't realize you have it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-stirling/i-was-struggling-with-anorexia-and-one-of-the-biggest-problems-with/) [Lindsey Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-stirling/) > [Finding a cure for anorexia should be a piece of cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-elba/finding-a-cure-for-anorexia-should-be-a-piece-of-cake/) [Charles Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-elba/) > [“I know what you're thinking. ‘How the hell does this broke ass piece of trailer trash know words like caveat,’ right? Well guess what?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isobel-irons/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-how-the-hell-does-this-broke-ass-piece-of/) [Isobel Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isobel-irons/) > [I wanted to kill the me underneath. That fact haunted my days and nights. When you realize you hate yourself so much, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wanted-to-kill-the-me-underneath-that-fact-haunted-my-days-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Even with friends, I had difficulty giving or receiving physical affection, although I secretly craved it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-m-taylor/even-with-friends-i-had-difficulty-giving-or-receiving-physical/) Kate M. Taylor > [Man is never alone. Acknowledged or unacknowledged, that which dreams through him is always there to support him from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/man-is-never-alone-acknowledged-or-unacknowledged-that-which-dreams/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [Anorexia was my attempt to have control over my body and manipulate my body and starve my body and shape my body. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/anorexia-was-my-attempt-to-have-control-over-my-body-and-manipulate/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [I am forever engaged in a silent battle in my head over whether or not to lift the fork to my mouth, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jena-morrow/i-am-forever-engaged-in-a-silent-battle-in-my-head-over-whether-or/) Jena Morrow > [“Fooling the body into thinking it's full on only a thousand calories can be difficult. The trick is to chew the food until it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-matthew-nespoli/fooling-the-body-into-thinking-it-s-full-on-only-a-thousand-calories/) [J. Matthew Nespoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-matthew-nespoli/) [Browse all 197 Anorexia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anorexia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Willow sees her before any of the others. 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