--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...while Norah described to me her plans…" description: "\"“...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 s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg" --- # ...while Norah described to me her plans for carpets and… ![“...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…” quote by Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg) > ““...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.”” [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother Draped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother-draped-5820461/) [Courtship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtship/) [Courtship Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtship-brother-5820460/) [Curtains Showed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curtains-showed-5820462/) [Decorating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decorating/) [Norah Described](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norah-described-5820458/) [Sister in law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister-in-law/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wondered Courtship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wondered-courtship-5820459/) ## Related quotes > [The only siblings I have are half-siblings. My nuclear family would have been an extra-suffocating threesome. Instead, I have an interesting brother and sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/the-only-siblings-i-have-are-half-siblings-my-nuclear-family-would/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [If the marriage were valid, she'd be your sister-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-the-marriage-were-valid-she-d-be-your-sister-in-law/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Even his highly emotional Italian mother didn't believe that true love could blossom overnight. Like his brothers and sisters-in-law, she wanted nothing more for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/even-his-highly-emotional-italian-mother-didn-t-believe-that-true/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [My sister-in-law believes that few narratives are so tightly constructed that you can't skip boring bits and still keep abreast of what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/my-sister-in-law-believes-that-few-narratives-are-so-tightly/) [Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/) > [My big sister Melissa, is such a stud and my little sister Suzanna, has always had a perfect body and big blue eyes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/my-big-sister-melissa-is-such-a-stud-and-my-little-sister-suzanna-has/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The absence of marriages will result in all kinds of financial burdens that gay people wouldn't face if they could get married. If my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/the-absence-of-marriages-will-result-in-all-kinds-of-financial/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I love my sister in-law. Like this night has just changed how much I really trust & rely on her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-my-sister-in-law-like-this-night-has-just-changed-how-much-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This show has shown me how to throw a punch. But watching my future sister-in-law go through breast cancer has also shown me how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-ross/this-show-has-shown-me-how-to-throw-a-punch-but-watching-my-future/) [Charlotte Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-ross/) > [“Scarlett permitted the embrace - because in the dark smoke- fill the kitchen, there had been born a greater respect for her sister in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/scarlett-permitted-the-embrace-because-in-the-dark-smoke-fill-the/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [Gosh I love hanging out with my sister-in-law. I love that girl to death!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gosh-i-love-hanging-out-with-my-sister-in-law-i-love-that-girl-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I saw in Chicago, on the street where I was visiting my sister-in-law, this "Urban Renewal" and it means one thing: "Negro removal." But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-saw-in-chicago-on-the-street-where-i-was-visiting-my-sister-in-law/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [To his sister-in-law: What a contrast between us! You live a warm and glowing life, surrounded by loved ones whom you care for and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nobel/to-his-sister-in-law-what-a-contrast-between-us-you-live-a-warm-and/) [Alfred Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nobel/) > [My grandfather was a teacher, my grandmother on my mom's side, four of my aunts, my sister-in-law, my best friend. So I've always, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rhee/my-grandfather-was-a-teacher-my-grandmother-on-my-mom-s-side-four-of/) [Michelle Rhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rhee/) > [My sister-in-law found a real surprise in her stockings - my brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/my-sister-in-law-found-a-real-surprise-in-her-stockings-my-brother/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/you-can-either-give-negativity-power-over-your-life-or-you-can-choose/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) ## More by Shirley Hazzard > [It's nervous work. The state you need to write in is the state that others are paying large sums of money to get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/it-s-nervous-work-the-state-you-need-to-write-in-is-the-state-that/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [I wasn't convinced a shop girl would know the word 'Oedipal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/i-wasn-t-convinced-a-shop-girl-would-know-the-word-oedipal/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Great literature is like moral leadership; everyone deplores the lack of it, but there is a tendency to prefer it from the safely dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/great-literature-is-like-moral-leadership-everyone-deplores-the-lack/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [When people say of their tragedies, 'I don't often think of it now,' what they mean is it has entered permanently into their thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/when-people-say-of-their-tragedies-i-don-t-often-think-of-it-now-what/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/but-that-s-a-way-to-go-on-loving-a-place-or-a-person-to-miss-it-in/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“I see that you are highly defensive." . . . Caro said, "I withhold my analysis of your own attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/i-see-that-you-are-highly-defensive-caro-said-i-withhold-my-analysis/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“... although the sufferings of children are the worst, being inextinguishable--children themselves seldom have a proper sense of their own tragedy, discounting and keeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/although-the-sufferings-of-children-are-the-worst-being/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [ “I said, "Some people do know more than others. That contributes to the impression that someone, somewhere,knows the whole thing." \[p. 38\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/i-said-some-people-do-know-more-than-others-that-contributes-to-the/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Dark had meant Dora, had meant words and events sordid with self. Struggling to the light from Dora's darkness, Caro had acquired conscience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/dark-had-meant-dora-had-meant-words-and-events-sordid-with-self/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Marriage is like democracy - it doesn't really work, but it's all we've been able to come up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/marriage-is-like-democracy-it-doesn-t-really-work-but-it-s-all-we-ve/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Sometimes, as now, her heart twisted and broke under his determination to wound her. At others, she was almost convinced that she felt nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/sometimes-as-now-her-heart-twisted-and-broke-under-his-determination/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Chief Coordinator of DALTO – the Department of Aid to the Less technically Oriented, working to induce backwards nations to come forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/chief-coordinator-of-dalto-the-department-of-aid-to-the-less/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Occasion revived an illusion of discovery, as if one woke in a strange room to wonder afresh not only where but who one was;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/occasion-revived-an-illusion-of-discovery-as-if-one-woke-in-a-strange/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [When you realize someone is trying to hurt you, it hurts less." "Unless you love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/when-you-realize-someone-is-trying-to-hurt-you-it-hurts-less-unless/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Since the moment of the United Nations' inception, untold energies have been expended by governments not only toward the exclusion of persons of principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/since-the-moment-of-the-united-nations-inception-untold-energies-have/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) [Explore all 75 Shirley Hazzard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) ## More Courtship quotes > [There are so many spiders, and their rituals, their mating rituals, their courtship ritual, can be very, very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/there-are-so-many-spiders-and-their-rituals-their-mating-rituals/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [“Courtship is the time during which the girl decides whether or not she can do any better. Anonymous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/courtship-is-the-time-during-which-the-girl-decides-whether-or-not/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [“Courtship is an activity whereby one losses oneself … whilst trying to win someone’s love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/courtship-is-an-activity-whereby-one-losses-oneself-whilst-trying-to/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Love is a blazing, crackling, green-wood flame, as much smoke as flame; friendship, married friendship particularly, is a steady,intense, comfortable fire. Love, in courtship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/love-is-a-blazing-crackling-green-wood-flame-as-much-smoke-as-flame/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [So far, I haven't met anyone, and with an average fifteen-hour workday schedule, I hardly think it's probable... For the sake of my making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-burr/so-far-i-haven-t-met-anyone-and-with-an-average-fifteen-hour-workday/) [Raymond Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-burr/) > [I didn't want to tell the story of what makes two people come together, although that's a theme of great power and universality. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-didn-t-want-to-tell-the-story-of-what-makes-two-people-come/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Women are angels, wooing: Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing: That she beloved knows naught, that knows not this-- Men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/women-are-angels-wooing-things-won-are-done-joy-s-soul-lies-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The first six months are what I call the La La Land phase. This is what a lot of romantic novels, songs, and movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-cummins/the-first-six-months-are-what-i-call-the-la-la-land-phase-this-is/) [Pamela Cummins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-cummins/) > [Ladies, A real man does more than loving and caring for you¦He loves Jesus more than you could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loveleah/ladies-a-real-man-does-more-than-loving-and-caring-for-you-he-loves/) [Loveleah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loveleah/) > [Over the years of courtship and being together, we realized that there was no value left for anything. People just want to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareena-kapoor/over-the-years-of-courtship-and-being-together-we-realized-that-there/) [Kareena Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareena-kapoor/) > [“Courtship had a new rule book. Somewhere. She’d never read it and doubted anyone else in her generation had either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-lomax/courtship-had-a-new-rule-book-somewhere-she-d-never-read-it-and/) [Carrie Lomax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-lomax/) > [When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/when-you-are-courting-a-nice-girl-an-hour-seems-like-a-second/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The loss of courtship in modern days - like, people don't court anybody anymore. There's no beauty about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-vassilieva/the-loss-of-courtship-in-modern-days-like-people-don-t-court-anybody/) [Sofia Vassilieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-vassilieva/) > [“Careful,” he said. “If you keep blushing like that I may do more than just draw you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/careful-he-said-if-you-keep-blushing-like-that-i-may-do-more-than/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [The natural world is full of females falling hard for stupid male display behavior, including bright feathers, big antlers, and bombastic courtship rituals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-conniff/the-natural-world-is-full-of-females-falling-hard-for-stupid-male/) [Richard Conniff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-conniff/) [Browse all 245 Courtship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...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.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Hazzard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-for-carpets-and-curtains-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courtship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-for-carpets-and-curtains-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/shirley-hazzard-9123_courtship_while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-fo_1554944.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...while Norah described to me her plans for carpets and curtains, or showed me the sample of bedspread…” — Shirley Hazzard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shirley Hazzard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...while Norah described to me her...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-for-carpets-and-curtains-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/while-norah-described-to-me-her-plans-for-carpets-and-curtains-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```