--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She came quickly over to me and held out…" description: "\"“She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I looked at her full of distrust. Was she doing this freely, with a light heart? Or was she doing i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/knut-hamsun-1203_tenderness_she-came-quickly-over-to-me-and-held-out_3114167.png" --- # She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I… ![“She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I looked at her full of distrust. Was she doing this freely, with a light heart? Or was she doing it just to get rid of me? She put her arm around my neck, tears in her eyes. I just stood and looked at her. She offered me her mouth but I couldn't…” quote by Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/knut-hamsun-1203_tenderness_she-came-quickly-over-to-me-and-held-out_3114167.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/knut-hamsun-1203_tenderness_she-came-quickly-over-to-me-and-held-out_3114167.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/knut-hamsun-1203_tenderness_she-came-quickly-over-to-me-and-held-out_3114167.png) > ““She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I looked at her full of distrust. Was she doing this freely, with a light heart? Or was she doing it just to get rid of me? She put her arm around my neck, tears in her eyes. I just stood and looked at her. She offered me her mouth but I couldn't believe her, it was bound to be a sacrifice on her part, a means of getting it over with. She said something, it sounded to me like "I love you anyway!" She said it very softly and indistinctly, I may not have heard it correctly, perhaps she didn't say exactly those words. But she threw herself passionately on my neck, held both arms around my neck a little while, even raised herself on tiptoe to reach well up, and stood thus. Afraid that she was forcing herself to show me this tenderness, I merely said "How beautiful you are now!" That was all I said. I stepped back, bumped against the door and walked out backward. She was left standing inside.”” [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desperate, mistrustful encounter leads to a conflicted, emotionally charged exchange. **In simple terms:** Mistrustful intimacy. Key Takeaway Recognize emotional boundaries. Themes relationships trust vulnerability Mood melancholic intense Type literary psychological When to use this quote - romantic encounters - personal crises - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychological conflict intimacy Questions to Reflect On - What drives the protagonist’s doubt? - How does mistrust shape intimacy? A Different Perspective Interpretation may vary by reader. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Held Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-arms/) [Held Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-hand/) [Looked Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-distrust-5446349/) [Love Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-said/) [Tenderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderness/) ## Related quotes > [A Walk With You I use to call you My knight in shining armor, For you have reseved my weeping heart in bitter fervor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-shah/a-walk-with-you-i-use-to-call-you-my-knight-in-shining-armor-for-you/) [Samir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-shah/) > [“Finally, he smiled, and although his smile was bumpy because some of his teeth were jagged and broken, it was a warming, infectious smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/finally-he-smiled-and-although-his-smile-was-bumpy-because-some-of/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [How can I, that girl standing there, My attention fix On Roman or on Russian Or on Spanish politics? 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The first time you ever saw me cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/and-how-you-held-me-in-your-arms-that-september-night-the-first-time/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [By morning, she was raw and sore, and knew walking would be an effort. By morning, she could barely remember what it had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/by-morning-she-was-raw-and-sore-and-knew-walking-would-be-an-effort/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“I snuggle closer to him in my sleep and my whimpering subsides to a contented sigh. It almost hurts to see Raffe closing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/i-snuggle-closer-to-him-in-my-sleep-and-my-whimpering-subsides-to-a/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) > [“Arms wrapped around him, she kissed him, halting the flow of his words. He decided he would allow the kiss, but since he couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/arms-wrapped-around-him-she-kissed-him-halting-the-flow-of-his-words/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“Don't, Violet. I won't let you. Just... come here." Abruptly, he (Matthew) held out his arms to me, and I allowed him to gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-cook/don-t-violet-i-won-t-let-you-just-come-here-abruptly-he-matthew-held/) [Kristi Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-cook/) > [“I held her in my arms last night," he said quietly. "And when I felt her every response, I thought, 'There's nothing else I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/i-held-her-in-my-arms-last-night-he-said-quietly-and-when-i-felt-her/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [“One deep breath, one last step and out into oblivion where death held out its arms into a welcoming embrace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-craig/one-deep-breath-one-last-step-and-out-into-oblivion-where-death-held/) [Stephen Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-craig/) > [“To be held in his arms I long for that day The da that I get to see more wonderful things”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-nichole/to-be-held-in-his-arms-i-long-for-that-day-the-da-that-i-get-to-see/) [April Nichole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-nichole/) > [“Henri held herself as if only her arms could keep her pieced together, and I saw that behind all her fake control—throwing herself at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-taylor/henri-held-herself-as-if-only-her-arms-could-keep-her-pieced-together/) [Jessica Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-taylor/) > [“The horror of what I saw chilled me to the bone. Blood glistened on my friend's lips. He knelt down and whispered something I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-coulson/the-horror-of-what-i-saw-chilled-me-to-the-bone-blood-glistened-on-my/) [Stella Coulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-coulson/) ## More by Knut Hamsun > [“Well, God be with you,’ she said as she finally left him. ’I’m sure He is,’ he replied. She gave a start. ’Are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/well-god-be-with-you-she-said-as-she-finally-left-him-i-m-sure-he-is/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“De sier hun er melle firti og femti, men hun er mindst seksti, ropte han, og er slikt menneskelig? Gå og vifte med næseborene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/de-sier-hun-er-melle-firti-og-femti-men-hun-er-mindst-seksti-ropte/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [No worse fate can befall a young man or woman than becoming prematurely entrenched in prudence and negation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/no-worse-fate-can-befall-a-young-man-or-woman-than-becoming/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Værsåartig, her var nu litt om bær, vore bærsorter...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/v-rs-artig-her-var-nu-litt-om-b-r-vore-b-rsorter/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“The ships whose masts I saw outlined against the sky looked, with their black hulls, like silent monsters that were raising their hackles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/the-ships-whose-masts-i-saw-outlined-against-the-sky-looked-with/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [And love became the world's origin and the world's ruler, yet littered its path is with flowers and blood, flowers and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/and-love-became-the-world-s-origin-and-the-world-s-ruler-yet-littered/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [But what really matters is not what you believe but the faith and conviction with which you believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/but-what-really-matters-is-not-what-you-believe-but-the-faith-and/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [No, I don't admire the genius. But I admire and love the result of the genius's activity in the world, of which the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/no-i-don-t-admire-the-genius-but-i-admire-and-love-the-result-of-the/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Gud hvor De ser ut som en sån melankolsk fabelkat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/gud-hvor-de-ser-ut-som-en-s-n-melankolsk-fabelkat/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Daniel var en mand som forstod adskillig, han hadde været ute for et og andet i livet, hadde mistet både sin farsgård og sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/daniel-var-en-mand-som-forstod-adskillig-han-hadde-v-ret-ute-for-et/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“I imagined I had discovered a new word. I rise up in bed and say, "It is not in the language; I have discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/i-imagined-i-had-discovered-a-new-word-i-rise-up-in-bed-and-say-it-is/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Poteten det var en ny frukt, det var intet mystisk ved den, intet religiøst, kvinnfolk og barn kunne være med og få den satt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/poteten-det-var-en-ny-frukt-det-var-intet-mystisk-ved-den-intet/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Solen er forlængst dukket under synsranden, fjældene er blit hvitlig grønne, de ser ut i sin fjærnhet og i sin vælde som en verden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/solen-er-forl-ngst-dukket-under-synsranden-fj-ldene-er-blit-hvitlig/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“If I happened to find a diamond one day, I would call it Dagny, because the very sound of your name thrills me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/if-i-happened-to-find-a-diamond-one-day-i-would-call-it-dagny-because/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [There are some people who cannot help giving. Why? Because they experience a real psychological pleasure in doing so. They don't do it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/there-are-some-people-who-cannot-help-giving-why-because-they/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) [Explore all 197 Knut Hamsun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) ## More Tenderness quotes > [He lacked tenderness; he was rude; and he had more than a streak of cruelty in him; he was a thief and a liar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/he-lacked-tenderness-he-was-rude-and-he-had-more-than-a-streak-of/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [“Lord Thornbeck lifted her onto the saddle. 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More significantly can one say that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/no-one-it-has-been-said-will-ever-look-at-the-moon-in-the-same-way/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [If a man is pictured chopping off a woman's breast, it only gets an R rating; but if, God forbid, a man is pictured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-struthers/if-a-man-is-pictured-chopping-off-a-woman-s-breast-it-only-gets-an-r/) [Sally Struthers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-struthers/) > [“I thought you might supply some tenderness I lacked But out of all the things I offered you took my breath away and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-thought-you-might-supply-some-tenderness-i-lacked-but-out-of-all/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [“Love has a certain element of tenderness, which alone pierces through the heart and binds us more intimately than any force in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-soriano/love-has-a-certain-element-of-tenderness-which-alone-pierces-through/) [Jocelyn Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-soriano/) > [“Rachel was a girl who depended on small, recurrent rituals - that was one of the things he'd come to know about her, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/rachel-was-a-girl-who-depended-on-small-recurrent-rituals-that-was/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-most-powerful-symptom-of-love-is-a-tenderness-which-becomes-at/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [And there is not anything in the world stronger than tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-suyin/and-there-is-not-anything-in-the-world-stronger-than-tenderness/) [Han Suyin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-suyin/) > [“She'd get out of the shower the next morning, and it would be written in the steam on the mirror. Dance. Dress. Try a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/she-d-get-out-of-the-shower-the-next-morning-and-it-would-be-written/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [We bear the sole, relentless tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-bear-the-sole-relentless-tenderness/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“i want to stay curled and cosied and chocolated…forever in my mother’s arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanober-khan/i-want-to-stay-curled-and-cosied-and-chocolated-forever-in-my-mother/) [Sanober Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanober-khan/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Age, per se, may claim tenderness and pity, but not respect; that only comes when the years have brought humanity and wisdom and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/age-per-se-may-claim-tenderness-and-pity-but-not-respect-that-only/) [Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/) [Browse all 830 Tenderness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I looked at her full of distrust. Was she doing this freely, with a light heart? Or was she doing it just to get rid of me? She put her arm around my neck, tears in her eyes. I just stood and looked at her. She offered me her mouth but I couldn't believe her, it was bound to be a sacrifice on her part, a means of getting it over with. She said something, it sounded to me like \"I love you anyway!\" She said it very softly and indistinctly, I may not have heard it correctly, perhaps she didn't say exactly those words. But she threw herself passionately on my neck, held both arms around my neck a little while, even raised herself on tiptoe to reach well up, and stood thus. Afraid that she was forcing herself to show me this tenderness, I merely said \"How beautiful you are now!\" That was all I said. I stepped back, bumped against the door and walked out backward. 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