--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But her mother had looked at her…" description: "\"“But her mother had looked at her curiously, gravely, puzzled by this creature who seemed all contradictions - at one moment so hard, at another so gen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/radclyffe-hall-13929_mother-and-daughter_but-her-mother-had-looked-at-her-curious_848232.jpg" --- # But her mother had looked at her curiously, gravely… ![“But her mother had looked at her curiously, gravely, puzzled by this creature who seemed all contradictions - at one moment so hard, at another so gentle, gentle to tenderness, even. Anna had been stirred, as her child had been stirred, by the breath of the meadowsweet under the hedges; for in…” quote by Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/radclyffe-hall-13929_mother-and-daughter_but-her-mother-had-looked-at-her-curious_848232.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/radclyffe-hall-13929_mother-and-daughter_but-her-mother-had-looked-at-her-curious_848232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/radclyffe-hall-13929_mother-and-daughter_but-her-mother-had-looked-at-her-curious_848232.jpg) > ““But her mother had looked at her curiously, gravely, puzzled by this creature who seemed all contradictions - at one moment so hard, at another so gentle, gentle to tenderness, even. Anna had been stirred, as her child had been stirred, by the breath of the meadowsweet under the hedges; for in this they were one, the mother and daughter, having each in her veins the warm Celtic blood that takes note of such things - could they only have divined it, such simple things might have formed a link between them.”” [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother and daughter share a deep, instinctive bond, recognizing each other's contradictions and tenderness through shared heritage. **In simple terms:** Mother and daughter feel a deep, instinctive connection. Key Takeaway Notice and honor subtle bonds. Themes family identity contradiction heritage Mood reflective intimate Type literary emotional When to use this quote - parent‑child relationships - cultural heritage exploration - self‑acceptance journeys Key Concepts Celtic mythology emotional resonance intergenerational empathy Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize hidden connections with loved ones? - What role does shared heritage play in understanding others? A Different Perspective The quote assumes a mystical link that may not resonate with all readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother and daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-and-daughter/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Simple things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-things/) ## Related quotes > [“My speech impediment had been absent for some time now—four months and six days. I’d almost imagined myself cured. 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"Oh God, some guy's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-used-to-tell-your-mother-she-looked-like-sophia-lauren-he-looks-at/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [My mother looked like a combination of Jackie O and Maria Callas. She always said 'Be original.' I understand that now more than ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/my-mother-looked-like-a-combination-of-jackie-o-and-maria-callas-she/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [“The word skirted her to a halt. She had never heard anyone describe her as being impulsive. That implied some kind of excitement, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laekan-zea-kemp/the-word-skirted-her-to-a-halt-she-had-never-heard-anyone-describe/) [Laekan Zea Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laekan-zea-kemp/) > [“From diapers on, I felt like there was something not good about me, but it was invisible to everybody but my mother. And whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/from-diapers-on-i-felt-like-there-was-something-not-good-about-me-but/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“The tear on my mother’s cheek got larger and larger. It detached from her face and became a shiny globe, widening outward like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-chappell/the-tear-on-my-mother-s-cheek-got-larger-and-larger-it-detached-from/) [Fred Chappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-chappell/) > [“A girl?" Her mother looked at her, curiously, as if the word were unknown to her; ancient and puzzling as an artifact behind a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-slovin/a-girl-her-mother-looked-at-her-curiously-as-if-the-word-were-unknown/) [Abby Slovin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-slovin/) > [My mother looked after me for 18 years, IAF architectured my attitude and character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yssubramanyam/my-mother-looked-after-me-for-18-years-iaf-architectured-my-attitude/) [Yssubramanyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yssubramanyam/) ## More by Radclyffe Hall > [“this thing seems more dreadful than anything else that has ever happened, more utterly dreadful — but you’ll find that it will pass and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radclyffe-hall/this-thing-seems-more-dreadful-than-anything-else-that-has-ever/) [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) > [Language is surely too small a vessel to contain these emotions of mind and body that have somehow awakened a response in the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radclyffe-hall/language-is-surely-too-small-a-vessel-to-contain-these-emotions-of/) [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) > [“Stephen, why are you shivering?' 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Very few of them can behave like gentlemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radclyffe-hall/a-great-many-women-can-feel-and-behave-like-men-very-few-of-them-can/) [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) > [“Strange it is, but unforgettable moments are often connected with very small happenings, happenings that assume fictitious proportions, especially”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radclyffe-hall/strange-it-is-but-unforgettable-moments-are-often-connected-with-very/) [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) > [The world hid its head in the sands of convention, so that by seeing nothing it might avoid Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radclyffe-hall/the-world-hid-its-head-in-the-sands-of-convention-so-that-by-seeing/) [Radclyffe Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) [Explore all 48 Radclyffe Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radclyffe-hall/) ## More Mother quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. 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