--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would have surprised Mrs. Thornton…" description: "\"“It would have surprised Mrs. Thornton very much to have been told that hitherto she had meant practically nothing to her children. She took a keen int..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/richard-hughes-34704_art_it-would-have-surprised-mrs-thornton-ver_1884776.jpg" --- # It would have surprised Mrs. Thornton very much to have… ![“It would have surprised Mrs. Thornton very much to have been told that hitherto she had meant practically nothing to her children. She took a keen interest in Psychology (the Art Babblative, Southey calls it). She was full of theories about their upbringing which she had not time to put into…” quote by Richard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/richard-hughes-34704_art_it-would-have-surprised-mrs-thornton-ver_1884776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/richard-hughes-34704_art_it-would-have-surprised-mrs-thornton-ver_1884776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/richard-hughes-34704_art_it-would-have-surprised-mrs-thornton-ver_1884776.jpg) > ““It would have surprised Mrs. Thornton very much to have been told that hitherto she had meant practically nothing to her children. She took a keen interest in Psychology (the Art Babblative, Southey calls it). She was full of theories about their upbringing which she had not time to put into effect; but nevertheless she thought she had a deep understanding of their temperaments and was the center of their passionate devotion.”” [Richard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hughes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage shows a mother’s self‑delusion about her importance to her children, juxtaposed with her superficial engagement in psychology. **In simple terms:** A mother overestimates her influence while being distracted by theories. Key Takeaway Recognize genuine connection over pretended expertise. Themes family psychology self‑deception parenting illusion Mood reflective critical empathetic Type dramatic psychological When to use this quote - parent‑child communication - family therapy - self‑reflection - literary analysis - psychological critique Key Concepts maternal identity theoretical pretense emotional neglect Questions to Reflect On - Do you value perception over reality? - How can one balance theory with authentic care? A Different Perspective Her misreading of affection may ignore children's actual needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Babblative Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babblative-southey-2685816/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motherhood/) [Mrs Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mrs-thornton-2167168/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Surprised Mrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised-mrs-2685817/) [Theories Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theories-upbringing-2685815/) [Thornton Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thornton-told-2685814/) ## Related quotes > [“Mrs. Thornton; the only mother he has, I believe,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/mrs-thornton-the-only-mother-he-has-i-believe/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [“wish we were not so terribly poor, Grant," said Mrs. Thornton, in a discouraged tone. 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