---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the…"
description: "\"“CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is that an order? CORNELIA: -I don't give orders to you, I make requests. GRACE: -Sometimes the re..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png"
---

#  CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is…

![“CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is that an order? CORNELIA: -I don't give orders to you, I make requests. GRACE: -Sometimes the requests of an employer are hard to distinguish from orders. &#91;She sits down&#93;” quote by Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png)

> ““CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is that an order? CORNELIA: -I don't give orders to you, I make requests. GRACE: -Sometimes the requests of an employer are hard to distinguish from orders. \[She sits down\]””

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Requests can blur into orders, revealing power dynamics in relationships.

**In simple terms:** Requests may feel like orders.

Key Takeaway

Clarify intent in communication.

Themes

power relationships communication authority

Mood

tension reflective

Type

dramatic conversational

When to use this quote

- family discussions
- workplace meetings
- negotiations

Key Concepts

interpersonal dynamics subtle coercion

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you mistaken a request for an order?
- How can you assert boundaries?

A Different Perspective

Power imbalances can be subtle and unintentional.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Grace Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-order-730756/) [Need-for-love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-for-love-129755/) [Order Cornelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order-cornelia-1098848/) [Orders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orders/) [Orders Sits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orders-sits-1098849/) [Requests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requests/) [Requests Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requests-grace-1098851/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Table Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/table-grace-1098850/)

## Related quotes

> [“There is a natural human inclination to take advantage of grace in order to excuse sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-chapell/there-is-a-natural-human-inclination-to-take-advantage-of-grace-in/)

[Bryan Chapell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-chapell/)

> [“..we need more love than we deserve...has God not indeed shown us his greatest love precisely when we deserved it least from the tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-langford/we-need-more-love-than-we-deserve-has-god-not-indeed-shown-us-his/)

[Joseph Langford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-langford/)

> [“I KNOW THE WAY YOU CAN GET I know the way you can get When you have not had a drink of Love: Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/i-know-the-way-you-can-get-i-know-the-way-you-can-get-when-you-have/)

[Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/)

> [The style of studied nonchalance is the psychological triumph of grace over order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-bruce-boyer/the-style-of-studied-nonchalance-is-the-psychological-triumph-of/)

[G. Bruce Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-bruce-boyer/)

## More by Tennessee Williams

> [“Nothing human disgusts me unless its unkind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/nothing-human-disgusts-me-unless-its-unkind/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [These are the intensities that one cannot live with, that he has to outgrow if he wants to survive. But who can help grieving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/these-are-the-intensities-that-one-cannot-live-with-that-he-has-to/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [“Well, you better look out. They got a new bureau in the guvamint files. It’s called U.W. Stands for Useless Wimmen. Tha’s secret plans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/well-you-better-look-out-they-got-a-new-bureau-in-the-guvamint-files/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/people-go-to-the-movies-instead-of-moving-hollywood-characters-are/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [They chatter together like birds on Cypress Hill, but all they say is 'Live, live, live, live, live!' It's all they've learned, it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/they-chatter-together-like-birds-on-cypress-hill-but-all-they-say-is/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [You take it for granted that I am in something that I want to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/you-take-it-for-granted-that-i-am-in-something-that-i-want-to-get-out/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [Guessing isn't knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/guessing-isn-t-knowing/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [I respect a person that has had to fight and howl for his decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-respect-a-person-that-has-had-to-fight-and-howl-for-his-decency/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/life-is-all-memory-except-for-the-one-present-moment-that-goes-by-you/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [Most of the confidence which I appear to feel, especially when influenced by noon wine, is only a pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/most-of-the-confidence-which-i-appear-to-feel-especially-when/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [I cannot write any sort of story unless there is at least one character in it for whom I have physical desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-cannot-write-any-sort-of-story-unless-there-is-at-least-one/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [I know so well what becomes of unmarried women who aren't prepared to occupy a position. I've seen such pitiful cases in the South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-know-so-well-what-becomes-of-unmarried-women-who-aren-t-prepared-to/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [“A drinking man's someone who wants to forget he isn't still young and believing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/a-drinking-man-s-someone-who-wants-to-forget-he-isn-t-still-young-and/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [“As for me, no one will ever love me. But you could get used to me, couldn't you, Jimmy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/as-for-me-no-one-will-ever-love-me-but-you-could-get-used-to-me/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

[Explore all 373 Tennessee Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

## More Need-for-love quotes

> [“..we need more love than we deserve...has God not indeed shown us his greatest love precisely when we deserved it least from the tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-langford/we-need-more-love-than-we-deserve-has-god-not-indeed-shown-us-his/)

[Joseph Langford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-langford/)

> [“I KNOW THE WAY YOU CAN GET I know the way you can get When you have not had a drink of Love: Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/i-know-the-way-you-can-get-i-know-the-way-you-can-get-when-you-have/)

[Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/)

[Browse all 3 Need-for-love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-for-love-129755/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is that an order? CORNELIA: -I don't give orders to you, I make requests. GRACE: -Sometimes the requests of an employer are hard to distinguish from orders. [She sits down]”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tennessee Williams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table-grace-is-that-an-order/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Need-for-love"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table-grace-is-that-an-order/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91f/tennessee-williams-745_need-for-love_cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table_2504902.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the table. GRACE: -Is that an order? CORNELIA: -I don't give orders to you…” — Tennessee Williams",
                "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": "Tennessee Williams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“CORNELIA: -Sit down. Don't leave the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table-grace-is-that-an-order/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/cornelia-sit-down-don-t-leave-the-table-grace-is-that-an-order/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
