--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This was most alarming, what sort of…" description: "\"“This was most alarming, what sort of terrible toil had deranged the poor woman? Would I also have to work day and night till I couldn't stop talking? ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/leonora-carrington-13249_alarming_this-was-most-alarming-what-sort-of-terr_2772835.jpg" --- # This was most alarming, what sort of terrible toil had… ![“This was most alarming, what sort of terrible toil had deranged the poor woman? Would I also have to work day and night till I couldn't stop talking? Perhaps they made her shovel coal for a huge furnace, probably they kept a private crematorium, old people do keep dying off. Maybe they had a chain…” quote by Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/leonora-carrington-13249_alarming_this-was-most-alarming-what-sort-of-terr_2772835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/leonora-carrington-13249_alarming_this-was-most-alarming-what-sort-of-terr_2772835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/leonora-carrington-13249_alarming_this-was-most-alarming-what-sort-of-terr_2772835.jpg) > ““This was most alarming, what sort of terrible toil had deranged the poor woman? Would I also have to work day and night till I couldn't stop talking? Perhaps they made her shovel coal for a huge furnace, probably they kept a private crematorium, old people do keep dying off. Maybe they had a chain gang too and we would have to chop stones and sing sea shanties (this would explain why she wore the yachting cap.)”” [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote imagines a grotesque, oppressive labor scenario highlighting absurdity and suffering. **In simple terms:** It portrays extreme, absurd labor conditions. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist dehumanizing work environments. Themes labor oppression absurdity humanity Mood dark surreal Type social critical When to use this quote - factory work - prison labor - human trafficking - war zones Key Concepts social critique surrealism historical oppression Questions to Reflect On - What real-world systems mirror these absurdities? - How can individuals combat systemic oppression? A Different Perspective Such extremes are rare but symbolize broader exploitation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alarming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarming/) [Day and night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-and-night/) [Deranged Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deranged-poor-3255457/) [Dying Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying-maybe-679454/) [Old people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-people/) [People dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-dying/) [Poor Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-woman-554005/) [Stop talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-talking/) [Work day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-day/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe happiness was just a matter of the little upticks- the traffic signal that said Walk the second you go there- and downticks- the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/maybe-happiness-was-just-a-matter-of-the-little-upticks-the-traffic-2/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Told you my soul was dying. Or maybe it simply belonged to other people. Either way, I needed a new one. Unfortunately, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/told-you-my-soul-was-dying-or-maybe-it-simply-belonged-to-other/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [“Are you afraid of dying?" "I was at first, maybe I still am a little bit. But it's not death that scares me so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-lynn-sletten/are-you-afraid-of-dying-i-was-at-first-maybe-i-still-am-a-little-bit/) [Deanna Lynn Sletten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-lynn-sletten/) > [Maybe it didn’t matter if you were a world-famous heartthrob or a painful geek. Maybe it didn’t matter if you friend was possibly dying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-it-didn-t-matter-if-you-were-a-world-famous-heartthrob-or-a/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [I grew up going to funerals and visiting people in nursing homes. I'm not as afraid of dealing with the dying as maybe some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/i-grew-up-going-to-funerals-and-visiting-people-in-nursing-homes-i-m/) [Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/) > [“Apparently people commonly died when their loved ones were out of the room. Bathroom break. Quick trip down to the cafeteria for a grilled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/apparently-people-commonly-died-when-their-loved-ones-were-out-of-the/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [Failure is my best friend. If I succeeded, it would be like dying. Maybe worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-giacometti/failure-is-my-best-friend-if-i-succeeded-it-would-be-like-dying-maybe/) [Alberto Giacometti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-giacometti/) > [It's hard to refrain from crying even when someone is dying, but maybe death is not the end. Surely, we will never know what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-madriaga/it-s-hard-to-refrain-from-crying-even-when-someone-is-dying-but-maybe/) [Vincent Madriaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-madriaga/) > [“Only think of Mrs. Holder's being dead! Poor woman, she has done the only thing in the world she could possibly do to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/only-think-of-mrs-holder-s-being-dead-poor-woman-she-has-done-the/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Politicizing of kids starts with pregnancy, of course. You shouldn't be drinking wine. You can't be smoking, either. The poor woman is poked and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-mendes/politicizing-of-kids-starts-with-pregnancy-of-course-you-shouldn-t-be/) [Sam Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-mendes/) > [I think people really marry far too much; it is such a lottery after all, and for a poor woman a very doubtful happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/i-think-people-really-marry-far-too-much-it-is-such-a-lottery-after/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [“Make way! Move it, people! Lets make room for this poor woman's hideously disfigured, ginormous brain! She's a fucking genius!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/make-way-move-it-people-lets-make-room-for-this-poor-woman-s/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“When a man don't know his own mind, Miss Shirley, ma'am, how's a poor woman going to be sure of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/when-a-man-don-t-know-his-own-mind-miss-shirley-ma-am-how-s-a-poor/) [Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/) > [“Polly had been washing up when she'd heard the men talking late one night, and it's a poor woman who can't eavesdrop while making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/polly-had-been-washing-up-when-she-d-heard-the-men-talking-late-one/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“What saddens me most is that some poor woman out there has to be Garth's wife. And his three children -- oh, his poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-harrison/what-saddens-me-most-is-that-some-poor-woman-out-there-has-to-be/) [Benjamin Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-harrison/) ## More by Leonora Carrington > [“I am afraid I am going to drift into fiction, truthful but incomplete, for lack of some details which I cannot conjure up today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/i-am-afraid-i-am-going-to-drift-into-fiction-truthful-but-incomplete/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [“Even though you won't believe me my story is beautiful And the serpent that sang it Sang it from out of the well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/even-though-you-won-t-believe-me-my-story-is-beautiful-and-the/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [Reason must know the heart's reasons and every other reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/reason-must-know-the-heart-s-reasons-and-every-other-reason/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [People under seventy and over seven are very unreliable if they are not cats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/people-under-seventy-and-over-seven-are-very-unreliable-if-they-are/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [One is born, one lives, one dies. What death is, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/one-is-born-one-lives-one-dies-what-death-is-i-don-t-know/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [“Do not give up hope entirely in spite of the horror of your situation. I am mobilising all my mental capacities to obtain your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/do-not-give-up-hope-entirely-in-spite-of-the-horror-of-your-situation/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [One has to be careful what one takes when one goes away forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/one-has-to-be-careful-what-one-takes-when-one-goes-away-forever/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [Wouldn't it be wonderful if I won a helicopter in a crossword puzzle competition? There is not much hope though I am afraid, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/wouldn-t-it-be-wonderful-if-i-won-a-helicopter-in-a-crossword-puzzle/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [“Darling stop being philosophical, it doesn’t suit you, it makes your nose red.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/darling-stop-being-philosophical-it-doesn-t-suit-you-it-makes-your/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [You may not believe in magic but something very strange is happening at this very moment. Your head has dissolved into thin air and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/you-may-not-believe-in-magic-but-something-very-strange-is-happening/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [I didn't have time to be anybody's muse; I was too busy rebelling against my parents and learning to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/i-didn-t-have-time-to-be-anybody-s-muse-i-was-too-busy-rebelling/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [Painting is my vehicle of transit. I don't always know where I am going or what it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/painting-is-my-vehicle-of-transit-i-don-t-always-know-where-i-am/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [ \[At age 92:\] There are places I'd like to return to. But not as I was then but as I am now. 'Cause I'm… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/at-age-92-there-are-places-i-d-like-to-return-to-but-not-as-i-was/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [I didn't have time to be anyone's muse... I was too busy rebelling against my family and learning to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/i-didn-t-have-time-to-be-anyone-s-muse-i-was-too-busy-rebelling/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [What would anyone want to write about me for? I'm just an old lady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/what-would-anyone-want-to-write-about-me-for-i-m-just-an-old-lady/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) [Explore all 51 Leonora Carrington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) ## More Alarming quotes > [I've had an alarming amount of concussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-ve-had-an-alarming-amount-of-concussions/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/there-s-a-diversion-between-economic-reality-integration-global/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [It would have been very alarming - morally, and in other ways too - if an attack of that nature, the 11 September attacks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-would-have-been-very-alarming-morally-and-in-other-ways-too-if-an/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [We are being wiped off the face of this earth At an extremely alarming rate And even more alarming is the fact That we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/we-are-being-wiped-off-the-face-of-this-earth-at-an-extremely/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [In all the new states of the Union, land monopolization has gone on at an alarming rate, but in none of them so fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/in-all-the-new-states-of-the-union-land-monopolization-has-gone-on-at/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [In terms of security for wildlife and our society, it's an incredibly alarming situation, and we need to address that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronika-varekova/in-terms-of-security-for-wildlife-and-our-society-it-s-an-incredibly/) [Veronika Varekova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronika-varekova/) > [The committee's finding that China stole sensitive technology from U.S. weapons research labs is alarming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bass/the-committee-s-finding-that-china-stole-sensitive-technology-from-u/) [Charles Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bass/) > [The violence in New Orleans is erupting and it's continuing to grow at an alarming rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrann-mathieu/the-violence-in-new-orleans-is-erupting-and-it-s-continuing-to-grow/) [Tyrann Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrann-mathieu/) > [With so much evidence of depleting natural resources, toxic waste, climate change, irreparable harm to our food chain and rapidly increasing instances of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/with-so-much-evidence-of-depleting-natural-resources-toxic-waste/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) > [We are losing privacy at an alarming rate - we have none left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/we-are-losing-privacy-at-an-alarming-rate-we-have-none-left/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [It's kind of alarming for me to realize that, when I'm writing stories about times I remember, it's already historical fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-s-kind-of-alarming-for-me-to-realize-that-when-i-m-writing-stories/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Once food gets into our fridges, larders and kitchens, ensuring that it gets used up before going off seems like an obvious thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/once-food-gets-into-our-fridges-larders-and-kitchens-ensuring-that-it/) [Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/) > [Through my newspaper comic strip, public speaking, and filmmaking, I try to tell as many people as possible, of all ages and from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-toomey/through-my-newspaper-comic-strip-public-speaking-and-filmmaking-i-try/) [Jim Toomey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-toomey/) > [I'd be totally exhausted by mid-afternoon, and I could barely climb the stairs at home. It was particularly alarming because all my life I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crawford/i-d-be-totally-exhausted-by-mid-afternoon-and-i-could-barely-climb/) [Michael Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crawford/) > [Young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of five to six times the historic rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-putnam/young-americans-are-dropping-out-of-religion-at-an-alarming-rate-of/) [Robert D. Putnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-putnam/) [Browse all 68 Alarming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This was most alarming, what sort of terrible toil had deranged the poor woman? Would I also have to work day and night till I couldn't stop talking? Perhaps they made her shovel coal for a huge furnace, probably they kept a private crematorium, old people do keep dying off. 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