Skip to content

First time Quote by Robin McKinley

“She looked up at once, pierced to the heart by the sorrow in his voice and knowing, from the question and the sorrow together, that he had no notion of what had just happened to her, nor why. From that she pitied him so greatly that she cupped her hands again to hold a little of the salamander's…” quote by Robin McKinley
Download Open image
““She looked up at once, pierced to the heart by the sorrow in his voice and knowing, from the question and the sorrow together, that he had no notion of what had just happened to her, nor why. From that she pitied him so greatly that she cupped her hands again to hold a little of the salamander's heat, not for serenity but for the warmth of friendship. But as she felt the heat again running through her, she knew at once it bore a different quality. It had been a welcome invader the first time, only moments before; but already it had become a constituent of her blood, intrinsic to the marrow of her bones, and she heard again the salamander's last words to her: Trust me. At that moment she knew that this Beast would not have sent such misery as her father's illness to harry or to punish, knew too that the Beast would keep his promise to her, and to herself she made another promise to him, but of that promise she did not yet herself know. Trust me sang in her blood, and she could look in the Beast's face and see only that he looked at her hopefully.””

Robin McKinley

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, 1984

She empathizes deeply, feeling a shared warmth and promise, seeing the Beast as a hopeful ally despite past pain.

In simple terms: Deep empathy creates a bond of hope and promise.

Key Takeaway

Embrace empathy to find hope in others.

Themes

empathy hope bond trust

Mood

hopeful intense

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • friendship after trauma
  • trust building
  • personal growth

Key Concepts

shared vulnerability promise inner strength

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does trusting someone feel like after betrayal?
  • How can shared pain become a source of strength?
A Different Perspective

Hope may be fragile when pain is recent.

3.0 out of 5 (3 ratings)

More by Robin McKinley

Explore all 225 Robin McKinley quotes

More First time quotes

Browse all 9,317 First time quotes