Body Quote by Sarah Waters
“I'll burn myself, or I'll cut myself. For a burn or a cut might be shown, might be nursed, might scar or heal, would be a miserable kind of emblem; would anyway be there, on the surface of her body, rather than corroding it from within. Now the thought came to her again, that she might scar herself in some way. It came, like the solution to a problem: I won't be doing it like some hysterical girl. I won't be hoping she'll come catch me at it. It won't be like lying on the sitting-room floor. I'll be doing it for myself, as a secret.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters, 1998
A character contemplates self-harm as a means of externalizing inner pain, seeking control over her own narrative rather than being victimized.
In simple terms: She considers harming herself to make internal suffering visible.
Key Takeaway
Seek healthier ways to express and process inner turmoil.
Themes
self-harm
control
identity
pain
secrecy
Mood
distressed
reflective
somber
Type
personal
cautionary
literary
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- confessional writing
- support groups
- personal crisis
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
psychology
trauma
agency
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- What internal pain are you trying to make visible?
- How can you reclaim agency without self‑destruction?
A Different Perspective
Self‑harm may provide temporary relief but often deepens underlying issues.
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
