--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'll burn myself, or I'll cut myself. For…" description: "\"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; wou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/sarah-waters-2758_body_i-ll-burn-myself-or-i-ll-cut-myself-for_504910.jpg" --- # I'll burn myself, or I'll cut myself. For a burn or a cut… ![“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…” quote by Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/sarah-waters-2758_body_i-ll-burn-myself-or-i-ll-cut-myself-for_504910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/sarah-waters-2758_body_i-ll-burn-myself-or-i-ll-cut-myself-for_504910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/sarah-waters-2758_body_i-ll-burn-myself-or-i-ll-cut-myself-for_504910.jpg) > “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.” [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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? 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Then I had that...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pope/i-used-to-be-in-school-like-a-good-boy-medieval-literature-von/) [Paul Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pope/) > [“If you’re not good, I’ll burn your—” “Yeah, I know.” MeShack strolled to his bedroom. “You’ll burn my balls off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-wright/if-you-re-not-good-i-ll-burn-your-yeah-i-know-meshack-strolled-to-his/) [Kenya Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-wright/) > [Nobody prays for the heartless. Nobody gives another penny for the selfish. You're learning how to taste what you kill now. Don't mind me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caraphernelia-pierce-the-veil/nobody-prays-for-the-heartless-nobody-gives-another-penny-for-the/) [Caraphernelia-Pierce The Veil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caraphernelia-pierce-the-veil/) > [I'm a liar. I'll rip your mind up. I'll burn your soul, I'll turn you in to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-m-a-liar-i-ll-rip-your-mind-up-i-ll-burn-your-soul-i-ll-turn-you-in/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“So what if you burned a few books? Those librarians deserve it. When we're older, maybe we'll burn it to the ground together." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/so-what-if-you-burned-a-few-books-those-librarians-deserve-it-when-we/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [The seeds of love have taken hold and if we won't burn together, I'll burn alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/the-seeds-of-love-have-taken-hold-and-if-we-won-t-burn-together-i-ll/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“I’ll burn the world down to save her”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-ll-burn-the-world-down-to-save-her/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“Don't put your life in someone's hands They bound to steal it away Don't hide your mistakes 'Cause they'll find you, burn you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/three-days-grace/don-t-put-your-life-in-someone-s-hands-they-bound-to-steal-it-away/) [Three Days Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/three-days-grace/) > [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Sarah Waters > [“Now, from the crown of my head to the curve of my toe-nails, there was an unguent for every part of me - oil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/now-from-the-crown-of-my-head-to-the-curve-of-my-toe-nails-there-was/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“Miss Craven held up a pair she thought would fit me—monstrous great things they were, of course, and I thought she smiled as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/miss-craven-held-up-a-pair-she-thought-would-fit-me-monstrous-great/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [I barely knew I had skin before I met you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/i-barely-knew-i-had-skin-before-i-met-you/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [I suppose I really seemed mad, then; but it was only through the awfulness of having said nothing but the truth, and being thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/i-suppose-i-really-seemed-mad-then-but-it-was-only-through-the/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [My nan was a nursery maid. Most people weren't in big houses. They were maids of all work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/my-nan-was-a-nursery-maid-most-people-weren-t-in-big-houses-they-were/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [Being in love, you know... it's not like having a canary, in a cage. When you lose one sweetheart, you can't just go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/being-in-love-you-know-it-s-not-like-having-a-canary-in-a-cage-when/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [For was that all, she thought bleakly, that love ever was? Something that saved one from loneliness? A sort of insurance policy against not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/for-was-that-all-she-thought-bleakly-that-love-ever-was-something/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“And yet, I seemed to feel my eyes bound, too, with bands of silk. And at my throat there was a velvet collar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/and-yet-i-seemed-to-feel-my-eyes-bound-too-with-bands-of-silk-and-at/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“No-one speaks. No-one moves (…). We glide, softly, in silence, into our dark and separate hells”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/no-one-speaks-no-one-moves-we-glide-softly-in-silence-into-our-dark/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“She loved these walks through London. She seemed, as she made them, to become porous, to soak in detail after detail; or else, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/she-loved-these-walks-through-london-she-seemed-as-she-made-them-to/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“Oh, for shame! Nancy, have you never seen Florrie's face in a chrysanthemum, or a rose?' 'Never.' I said. 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There are no trams in Trafalgur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/mr-bliss-looked-grave-your-brother-was-very-sensible-to-warn-you-miss/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [I knew Id always be a second-rate academic, and I thought, Well, Id rather be a second-rate novelist or even a third-rate one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/i-knew-id-always-be-a-second-rate-academic-and-i-thought-well-id/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“It is a world that is made of love. Did you think there is only the kind of love your sister knows for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/it-is-a-world-that-is-made-of-love-did-you-think-there-is-only-the/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) [Explore all 148 Sarah Waters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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. 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