Childbirth Quote by Sylvia Plath
““Later Buddy told me the woman was on a drug that would make her forget she'd had any pain and that when she swore and groaned she really didn't know what she was doing because she was in a kind of twilight sleep. I thought it sounded just like the sort of drug a man would invent. Here was a woman in terrible pain, obviously feeling every bit of it or she wouldn't groan like that, and she would go straight home and start another baby, because the drug would make her forget how bad the pain had been, when all the time, in some secret part of her, that long, blind, doorless and windowless corridor of pain was waiting to open up and shut her in again.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, 1963
A drug that erases pain also erases awareness, leaving a dangerous cycle of forgetting and recurring suffering.
In simple terms: Pain‑relief drugs can mask deeper suffering.
Key Takeaway
Beware of numbing pain without addressing its source.
Themes
addiction
pain
memory
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- medical treatment
- mental health care
- addiction counseling
- personal coping strategies
Key Concepts
psychology
philosophy
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- Can pain be truly healed without feeling it?
- What are the risks of escaping suffering with drugs?
A Different Perspective
Temporary relief may lead to greater long‑term harm.
