Courtship Quote by Shirley Hazzard
““...while Norah described to me her plans for carpets and curtains, or showed me the sample of bedspread material she had hung over a chair to see if she could live with it. When I began to know her, I wondered if their courtship had been, for her, something of the same -- my brother draped over a chair for the statutory length of time, to see if she could live with him. In that case she might have noticed that he did not really go with the surroundings; perhaps she did see this, but knew that he would fade to a better match.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard, 1980
A woman compares a lover’s tentative presence to a piece of furniture placed temporarily to test compatibility, suggesting relationships are often provisional experiments.
In simple terms: Relationships are like trial placements to see if they fit.
Key Takeaway
Treat early relationship signs as experiments.
Themes
relationships
compatibility
assessment
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- dating
- moving in together
- long‑term partnership
Key Concepts
provisional commitment
testing
observation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you know when a trial period ends?
- What signs indicate true compatibility?
A Different Perspective
Provisional may overlook deeper incompatibilities.
![“But that's a way to go on loving--a place, or a person. To miss it. In fact, to go away, to put yourself in the state of missing, is sometimes the simplest way to preserve love. [p. 56]” quote by Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c8/shirley-hazzard-9123_away_but-that-s-a-way-to-go-on-loving-a-place_217052.jpg)
![“I said, "Some people do know more than others. That contributes to the impression that someone, somewhere,knows the whole thing." [p. 38]” quote by Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b33/shirley-hazzard-9123_people-know_i-said-some-people-do-know-more-than-oth_287729.jpg)
