--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal…" description: "\"“Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesn’t reco..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/suzanne-collins-60_first-time_slowly-as-i-would-with-a-wounded-animal_418516.jpg" --- # Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand… ![“Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesn’t recoil. So I continue to gently smooth back his hair. It’s the first time I have voluntarily touched him since the last arena. “You’re still trying to…” quote by Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/suzanne-collins-60_first-time_slowly-as-i-would-with-a-wounded-animal_418516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/suzanne-collins-60_first-time_slowly-as-i-would-with-a-wounded-animal_418516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/suzanne-collins-60_first-time_slowly-as-i-would-with-a-wounded-animal_418516.jpg) > ““Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesn’t recoil. So I continue to gently smooth back his hair. It’s the first time I have voluntarily touched him since the last arena. “You’re still trying to protect me. Real or not real,” he whispers. “Real,” I answer.”” [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## 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 gently offers comfort to a wounded companion, showing trust and protective care despite past trauma. **In simple terms:** Gentle care builds trust after hurt. Key Takeaway Offer calm support to those in pain. Themes trust healing protection vulnerability Mood empathetic reflective Type inspirational emotional When to use this quote - caring for a friend - supporting a teammate after conflict - healing after loss Key Concepts empathy attachment trauma recovery Questions to Reflect On - How can you show steady support without overstepping? - What does protection mean to you? A Different Perspective The gesture may not fully heal deep wounds without further dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Wounded animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounded-animal/) ## Related quotes > [“Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/slowly-as-i-would-with-a-wounded-animal-my-hand-stretches-out-and-2/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [But Gale is not one to keep secrets from me. "Katniss, there is no district twelve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/but-gale-is-not-one-to-keep-secrets-from-me-katniss-there-is-no/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Except for its worst inner-city slums, America is not the primitive capitalist jungle of European imagination, where human beings slink away like wounded animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/except-for-its-worst-inner-city-slums-america-is-not-the-primitive/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [“A wounded animal yet bears teeth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-jo-williams/a-wounded-animal-yet-bears-teeth/) [Billie-Jo Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-jo-williams/) > [“There was something about the sound of a man in pain that resembled the sound of a wounded animal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/there-was-something-about-the-sound-of-a-man-in-pain-that-resembled/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“I cautiously approach him on the bed, thinking about all the times I've been taught what to do when approaching a wounded animal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-lauren/i-cautiously-approach-him-on-the-bed-thinking-about-all-the-times-i/) [Kimberly Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-lauren/) > [I am like a wounded animal in a remote isolated place - How wonderful! - How happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-am-like-a-wounded-animal-in-a-remote-isolated-place-how-wonderful/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“He was a wounded animal who needed to be put down. And Kaz had done it gladly, choked the life from him without pause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/he-was-a-wounded-animal-who-needed-to-be-put-down-and-kaz-had-done-it/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [You have to fear the wounded animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/you-have-to-fear-the-wounded-animal/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [Only when Stephen Strange has his accident and everything that he's ever had in his life falls apart that he becomes pretty monstrous. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/only-when-stephen-strange-has-his-accident-and-everything-that-he-s/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [“John ignored her insult, recognizing it for what it was: a mindless jibe from one wounded animal to another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/john-ignored-her-insult-recognizing-it-for-what-it-was-a-mindless/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“A wounded animal can only run so long before the hunter comes to claim it. The stains of his trail grow darker. They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-colt/a-wounded-animal-can-only-run-so-long-before-the-hunter-comes-to/) [K.J. Colt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-colt/) > [“She felt like she was walking up on a wounded animal, unsure if reaching out to him was going to win her a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-adrian/she-felt-like-she-was-walking-up-on-a-wounded-animal-unsure-if/) [Lara Adrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-adrian/) > [What a strange thing it is to recognize a sound like the shriek of a wounded animal, when you've never heard the shriek of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/what-a-strange-thing-it-is-to-recognize-a-sound-like-the-shriek-of-a/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [When Trump attacks the news media, he's kicking a wounded animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-trump-attacks-the-news-media-he-s-kicking-a-wounded-animal/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## More by Suzanne Collins > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [KEEP CALM and HAVE A SUGAR CUBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/keep-calm-and-have-a-sugar-cube/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [A furious Peeta hammers Haymitch with the atrocity he could become party to, but I can feel Haymitch watching me. This is the moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/a-furious-peeta-hammers-haymitch-with-the-atrocity-he-could-become/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“The same goes for the other captured tributes, Johanna and Enobaria.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/the-same-goes-for-the-other-captured-tributes-johanna-and-enobaria/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [He never lets go of Annie's hand. Not when they walk, not when they eat. 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