Pity Quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne
““Returning to the arched window, she lifted her eyes- scowling, poor dim-sighted Hepzibah, in the face of heaven!- and strove hard to send up a prayer through the dense grey pavement of clouds. Those mists had gathered , as if to symbolize a great, brooding mass of human trouble, doubt, confusion, and chill indifference, between earth and the better regions. Her faith was too weak; the prayer to heavy to be thus uplifted. It fell back, a lump of lead, upon her heart. It smote her with the wretched conviction that Providence intermeddled not in these petty wrongs of one individual to his fellow, nor had any balm for these little agonies of a solitary soul; but shed it's justice , and it's mercy, in a broad, sunlike sweep, over half the universe at once. It's vastness made it nothing. But Hepzibah did not see that, just as there comes a warm sunbeam into every cottage window, so comes a lovebeam of God's care and pity for every separate need””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “The Minister’s Black Veil,” 1836
A character’s weak faith and heavy prayer illustrate how personal suffering feels isolated, yet divine care spans all humanity, offering a broader, comforting perspective.
In simple terms: Faith feels weak, but divine care is universal.
Recognize broader compassion beyond personal pain.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- moments of doubt
- seeking meaning
- contemplating suffering
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does universal compassion mean to you?
- How can you find solace in broader perspectives?
May oversimplify complex theological debates.