Heart Quote by Marcel Proust
““Sometimes he hoped that she would die, painlessly, in some accident, she who was out of doors in the streets, crossing busy thoroughfares, from morning to night. And as she always returned safe and sound, he marvelled at the strength, at the suppleness of the human body, which was able continually to hold in check, to outwit all the perils that environed it (which to Swann seemed innumerable, since his own secret desire had strewn them in her path), and so allowed its occupant, the soul, to abandon itself, day after day, and almost with impunity, to its career of mendacity, to the pursuit of pleasure.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1, 1913
The narrator reflects on a desire for a woman's death, yet admires the body's resilience and the soul's capacity to pursue pleasure despite danger.
In simple terms: He wishes her death but respects human endurance and the soul's indulgence.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the tension between destructive thoughts and admiration for life.
Themes
mortality
desire
human resilience
pleasure
danger
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- literary analysis
- psychological introspection
- ethical debate
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
dualism
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives the desire for her death?
- How does resilience shape moral judgment?
A Different Perspective
It may romanticize harmful wishes.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
