---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He held her against him and for once he…"
description: "\"“He held her against him and for once he understood what she had felt every day that he had known her”\" — Melina Marchetta"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png"
---

#  He held her against him and for once he understood what…

![“He held her against him and for once he understood what she had felt every day that he had known her” quote by Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png)

> ““He held her against him and for once he understood what she had felt every day that he had known her””

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He finally empathizes with her daily emotional burden.

**In simple terms:** He understands her pain.

Key Takeaway

Practice deep listening.

Themes

empathy relationships understanding

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

narrative emotional

When to use this quote

- marriage
- friendship
- family conflict

Key Concepts

psychology emotional labor

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you better sense others' feelings?
- What barriers prevent true empathy?

A Different Perspective

Empathy may not resolve underlying issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Day Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-known-574017/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Felt Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-day-2430186/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Held](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held/) [Held Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-understood-3402163/) [Understood Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-felt-864739/)

## Related quotes

> [You could never feel how I felt that day. Until that happens baby you don't know pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/you-could-never-feel-how-i-felt-that-day-until-that-happens-baby-you/)

[Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/)

> [“If I am ever told that I have one day to live, I will head straight for the hallowed halls of Winter Park High…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-i-am-ever-told-that-i-have-one-day-to-live-i-will-head-straight/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [The people I see every day have known me since I was a little fat kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/the-people-i-see-every-day-have-known-me-since-i-was-a-little-fat-kid/)

[Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/)

> [“Initiation Day. The day she had always known would come was here at last. In less than two hours, she would be standing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-christensen/initiation-day-the-day-she-had-always-known-would-come-was-here-at/)

[Andreas Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-christensen/)

> [“So this had been all I wanted, a boy who understood about I felt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/so-this-had-been-all-i-wanted-a-boy-who-understood-about-i-felt/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“It was like she understood something about me that she'd never quite understood before. I always felt that when she looked at me, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/it-was-like-she-understood-something-about-me-that-she-d-never-quite/)

[Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/)

> [So this had been all I wanted, a boy who understood how I felt. Now, though, I sometimes wished for more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/so-this-had-been-all-i-wanted-a-boy-who-understood-how-i-felt-now/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [Well, let's say we acknowledged the School of French Painting - the Paris School of painting as the leading force and vitality of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-krasner/well-let-s-say-we-acknowledged-the-school-of-french-painting-the/)

[Lee Krasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-krasner/)

> [“He said what nobody understood was, she always felt like a bird in a cage--she wanted to be without roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-alcott/he-said-what-nobody-understood-was-she-always-felt-like-a-bird-in-a/)

[Kate Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-alcott/)

> [You speak to be understood, right? And you're understood so you can be felt. And you're felt so you can get what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-majors/you-speak-to-be-understood-right-and-you-re-understood-so-you-can-be/)

[Jonathan Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-majors/)

> [I almost gave up on you today... but then I remembered why I held on so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/i-almost-gave-up-on-you-today-but-then-i-remembered-why-i-held-on-so/)

[Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/)

> [Being shy has never held me back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-firmino/being-shy-has-never-held-me-back/)

[Roberto Firmino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-firmino/)

> [I've never held out. I'm a first-class guy in any relationship. The first way of getting better is showing up, so I'm always going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-brown/i-ve-never-held-out-i-m-a-first-class-guy-in-any-relationship-the/)

[Antonio Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-brown/)

> [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/)

[John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

## More by Melina Marchetta

> [Some of us weren't born for rewards, Froi. We were born for sacrifices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/some-of-us-weren-t-born-for-rewards-froi-we-were-born-for-sacrifices/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [I'm very disturbed to find out that the leader of the Townies has a soul and I'm beginning to develop a bit of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-m-very-disturbed-to-find-out-that-the-leader-of-the-townies-has-a/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [In the games of queens and kings, we leave our dreams at the door and we make do with what we have. Sometimes if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/in-the-games-of-queens-and-kings-we-leave-our-dreams-at-the-door-and/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [And then you came along and you spoke to me and nobody had looked me in the eye for years. (...) But I remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/and-then-you-came-along-and-you-spoke-to-me-and-nobody-had-looked-me/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [Do you want to know something about tyrants? When faced with death, they weep and they beg just like the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/do-you-want-to-know-something-about-tyrants-when-faced-with-death/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [“you do that all the time you know. you ask me questions when you know the answer will piss you off. ask me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/you-do-that-all-the-time-you-know-you-ask-me-questions-when-you-know/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [“When I saw "Ulysses" on Georgie's bedside table and Tom Finch's name written on it in a scrawl so like my old man's, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/when-i-saw-ulysses-on-georgie-s-bedside-table-and-tom-finch-s-name/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [“Our bodies aren't strangers,' he said, his voice ragged. 'Our spirits aren't strangers'. He held her face in his hands. 'Tell me what part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/our-bodies-aren-t-strangers-he-said-his-voice-ragged-our-spirits-aren/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [Phaedra of Alonso’s death was a never-ending pain that gnawed at his insides. It made him a prisoner in his own cottage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/phaedra-of-alonso-s-death-was-a-never-ending-pain-that-gnawed-at-his/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [You know what? You didn't do anything wrong. I did. It's this dumb thing I do. I look into things and see more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/you-know-what-you-didn-t-do-anything-wrong-i-did-it-s-this-dumb-thing/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [Everything's going to be fine. She'll be back at work soon. Let's just keep the house clean." Oh yeah, I want to say, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/everything-s-going-to-be-fine-she-ll-be-back-at-work-soon-let-s-just/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [See them together and you will feel a force that will take your breath away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/see-them-together-and-you-will-feel-a-force-that-will-take-your/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [We don't even love each other. I do a bit, you know. You do what a bit? You know. Like you...whatever...love you a bit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/we-don-t-even-love-each-other-i-do-a-bit-you-know-you-do-what-a-bit/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [I’m scared I’m going to spend the rest of my life in a state of yearning, regardless of where I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-m-scared-i-m-going-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-in-a-state-of/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

[Explore all 602 Melina Marchetta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

## More Every day quotes

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

[Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/)

> [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/)

[Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/)

> [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/)

[Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think naturally I've been kind of a lead-by-doing guy. Just showing up to work every day. You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/)

[Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/)

> [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/)

[Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/)

> [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. I keep pushing forward, keep working hard every day, keep my head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-daniels/being-under-recruited-coming-out-of-highland-i-ve-carried-that-with/)

[Mike Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-daniels/)

> [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/)

[Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/)

> [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/)

[Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/)

> [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/)

[Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/)

> [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/)

[Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/)

> [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/)

[George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/)

> [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

[Browse all 16,614 Every day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He held her against him and for once he understood what she had felt every day that he had known her”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Melina Marchetta"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he-understood-what-she-had-felt/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Every day"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he-understood-what-she-had-felt/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/melina-marchetta-392_every-day_he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he_373428.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He held her against him and for once he understood what she had felt every day that he had known her” — Melina Marchetta",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Melina Marchetta",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He held her against him and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he-understood-what-she-had-felt/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/he-held-her-against-him-and-for-once-he-understood-what-she-had-felt/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
