Clandestine Quote by Lisa Kleypas
“Recently Mr. Mawdsley’s donkey escaped from his stall, raced down the road, and somehow found his way into an enclosed pasture. Mr. Caird’s prized mare was innocently grazing when the ill-bred seducer had his way with her. Now it appears the mare has conceived, and a feud is raging between Caird, who demands financial compensation, and Mawdsley, who insists that had the pasture fencing been in better repair, the clandestine meeting would never have occurred. Worse still, it has been suggested that the mare is a shameless lightskirt and did not try nearly hard enough to preserve her virtue.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Lady’s Revenge, Lisa Kleypas, 2005
A dispute over responsibility for an unintended pregnancy highlights themes of blame, accountability, and societal expectations of women.
In simple terms: Blame is shifted, but responsibility remains.
Key Takeaway
Consider fairness in assigning blame.
Themes
responsibility
blame
gender roles
justice
Mood
conflicted
dramatic
Type
narrative
dialogue
When to use this quote
- legal dispute
- family drama
- social gossip
Key Concepts
ethical duty
social norms
personal accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- Who truly bears responsibility?
- How do societal expectations shape judgments?
A Different Perspective
Assigning blame can ignore underlying causes.
![“May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down my face make me more radiant: may my hidden weeping bloom… How we waste our afflictions!... [T]hey're really our wintering foliage, our dark greens of meaning…” quote by Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c7/rainer-maria-rilke-193_abode_may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and_52479.jpg)
