--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: i sometimes felt as if these marks on my…" description: "\"i sometimes felt as if these marks on my body were a kind of code, which blossomed, then faded, like invisible ink held to a candle. But if they were a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/margaret-atwood-40_body_i-sometimes-felt-as-if-these-marks-on-my_1878104.jpg" --- # i sometimes felt as if these marks on my body were a kind… ![“i sometimes felt as if these marks on my body were a kind of code, which blossomed, then faded, like invisible ink held to a candle. But if they were a code, who held the key to it? I was sand, I was snow—written on, rewritten, smoothed over.” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/margaret-atwood-40_body_i-sometimes-felt-as-if-these-marks-on-my_1878104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/margaret-atwood-40_body_i-sometimes-felt-as-if-these-marks-on-my_1878104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/margaret-atwood-40_body_i-sometimes-felt-as-if-these-marks-on-my_1878104.jpg) > “i sometimes felt as if these marks on my body were a kind of code, which blossomed, then faded, like invisible ink held to a candle. But if they were a code, who held the key to it? I was sand, I was snow—written on, rewritten, smoothed over.” [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal scars can be seen as hidden messages, but interpreting them requires the right perspective and self‑knowledge. **In simple terms:** Scars are like secret codes needing a key. Key Takeaway Seek self‑understanding to decode personal wounds. Themes identity healing interpretation vulnerability Mood introspective hopeful somber Type therapeutic literary When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - creative writing - journaling - support groups - mindfulness practice Key Concepts Psychology symbolism self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What hidden messages might your experiences hold? - Who can help you find the key to your story? A Different Perspective Not everyone can find a clear “key,” and some wounds resist easy interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Candle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candle/) [Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/code/) [Code Blossomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/code-blossomed-2635845/) [Felt Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-marks-2635843/) [Ink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ink/) [Ink Held](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ink-held-2635844/) [Invisible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mark/) [Marks Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marks-body-946846/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sand/) [Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snow/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Written Rewritten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-rewritten-500611/) ## Related quotes > [ Many a text \[of Scripture\] is written in a secret ink which must be held to the fire of adversity to make it visible. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/many-a-text-of-scripture-is-written-in-a-secret-ink-which-must-be/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I was sand, I was snow—written on, rewritten, smoothed over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-was-sand-i-was-snow-written-on-rewritten-smoothed-over/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The pain I feel goes far beyond the visible marks on my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-dejong/the-pain-i-feel-goes-far-beyond-the-visible-marks-on-my-body/) [Taylor DeJong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-dejong/) > [Yes, I was beaten on every part of my body, and the marks are still on my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/yes-i-was-beaten-on-every-part-of-my-body-and-the-marks-are-still-on/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [“Even by day, and in a place of public resort, when her lover shows her any mark that she may have inflicted on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-vatsyayana/even-by-day-and-in-a-place-of-public-resort-when-her-lover-shows-her/) [M. Vatsyayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-vatsyayana/) > [Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/travel-changes-you-as-you-move-through-this-life-and-this-world-you/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [I remember how I got all the scares and marks in my body simple because I know what I didn't do right but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/i-remember-how-i-got-all-the-scares-and-marks-in-my-body-simple/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/musical-comedies-aren-t-written-they-are-rewritten/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [A good book isn't written, it's rewritten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-a-whitney/a-good-book-isn-t-written-it-s-rewritten/) [Phyllis A. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-a-whitney/) > [Good novels are not written, they are rewritten. Great novels are diamonds mined from layered rewrites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-paul-read/good-novels-are-not-written-they-are-rewritten-great-novels-are/) [Piers Paul Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-paul-read/) > [Everything maybe pre-written but nothing is rewritten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-maybe-pre-written-but-nothing-is-rewritten/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Musicals are written and then rewritten. Those things used to happen on the road. Now they are done in New York during preview performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stone/musicals-are-written-and-then-rewritten-those-things-used-to-happen/) [Peter Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stone/) > [Good novels are not written, they're rewritten!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/good-novels-are-not-written-they-re-rewritten/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“Good stories are not written, they are rewritten”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-a-whitney/good-stories-are-not-written-they-are-rewritten/) [Phyllis A. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-a-whitney/) > [Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/books-aren-t-written-they-re-rewritten-including-your-own-it-is-one/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) ## More by Margaret Atwood > [“I'm fine," said Pilar, "for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-fine-said-pilar-for-the-moment-and-the-moment-is-the-only-time-we/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [And yet it disturbs me to learn I have hurt someone unintentionally. I want all my hurts to be intentional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/and-yet-it-disturbs-me-to-learn-i-have-hurt-someone-unintentionally-i/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Mary: Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/mary-some-call-this-eve-s-curse-but-i-think-that-is-stupid-because/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The birds were singing around me, but I reflected that the very birds were strangers to me, for I did not even know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-birds-were-singing-around-me-but-i-reflected-that-the-very-birds/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Strange how we decorate pain. These ribbons, for instance, and the small hard teardrops of blood. Who are they for? Do we think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/strange-how-we-decorate-pain-these-ribbons-for-instance-and-the-small/) [margaret atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I wanted to forget the past, but it refused to forget me; it waited for sleep, then cornered me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-wanted-to-forget-the-past-but-it-refused-to-forget-me-it-waited-for/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Back at home they drew the curtains and read, with disapproval, with relish, with avidity and glee - even the ones who'd never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/back-at-home-they-drew-the-curtains-and-read-with-disapproval-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [All fiction is about people, unless it's about rabbits pretending to be people. It's all essentially characters in action, which means characters moving through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/all-fiction-is-about-people-unless-it-s-about-rabbits-pretending-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Simon walks back to the house alone. The night is clear and warm, with a moon, almost full, enclosed in a nimbus of mist;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/simon-walks-back-to-the-house-alone-the-night-is-clear-and-warm-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“There is indeed something delightful about being able to combine obedience and disobedience in the same act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-is-indeed-something-delightful-about-being-able-to-combine/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Every time the women appear, Snowman is astonished all over again. They're every known colour from the deepest black to whitest white, they're various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/every-time-the-women-appear-snowman-is-astonished-all-over-again-they/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Once you publish a book, it is out of your control. You cannot dictate how people read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/once-you-publish-a-book-it-is-out-of-your-control-you-cannot-dictate/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The more difficult it was to love the particular man beside us, the more we believed in Love, abstract and total. We were waiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-more-difficult-it-was-to-love-the-particular-man-beside-us-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“She knows she's deceiving herself about that, but she prefers to deceive herself. She desperately needs to believe such pure joy is still possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/she-knows-she-s-deceiving-herself-about-that-but-she-prefers-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) [Explore all 2,072 Margaret Atwood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. 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