--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Frederick? Had she really spoken?…" description: "\"“Frederick? Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried, but her voice had failed to materialize and all she heard was the sound of her nightgown ripp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/timothy-findley-14605_quote_frederick-had-she-really-spoken-certainl_1803705.jpg" --- # Frederick? Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried… ![“Frederick? Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried, but her voice had failed to materialize and all she heard was the sound of her nightgown ripping as Frederick pulled it over her head and threw it aside. He was kneeling now between her ankles, pushing at her, forcing her knees apart and…” quote by Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/timothy-findley-14605_quote_frederick-had-she-really-spoken-certainl_1803705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/timothy-findley-14605_quote_frederick-had-she-really-spoken-certainl_1803705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/timothy-findley-14605_quote_frederick-had-she-really-spoken-certainl_1803705.jpg) > ““Frederick? Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried, but her voice had failed to materialize and all she heard was the sound of her nightgown ripping as Frederick pulled it over her head and threw it aside. He was kneeling now between her ankles, pushing at her, forcing her knees apart and then her arms until she was entirely splayed on the bed beneath him. Nothing was said. Not a word. Ede felt his hand between her legs, forcing the way for the rest of him. Stop, she wanted to tell him. Stop. I don't understand what you're doing. But nothing - still nothing was said. He seemed to be raging inside her, moving his hips in a circular fashion, all the weight of his upper body help above her, resting on his arms, his hands pushing down into the mattress. Stop! But he didn't. Don't! But he did. Nothing. Not one word. The only sound he made was a choking noise in his throat at the end, as tough he might be going to strangle. But when he rolled away from her onto his back, she felt the shudder of his first free breath and she heard him sigh. It was over. Tonight. It was done. Ede could not bare the thought of seeing him, or of being seen. Still without speaking, she rose from the bed and through the dark, found her way to the bathroom. She had brought the torn nightgown wit her, but when she turned on the light and saw it, she threw it down in the corner. Ruined. Spoiled. Everything. When at last, she returned to the bed, Fredrick was sound asleep beneath the covers - and nothing - nothing - nothing was said.”” [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A harrowing scene of sexual violence illustrates the loss of agency, the silence surrounding trauma, and the lingering psychological scars. **In simple terms:** Violence silences victims and leaves lasting pain. Key Takeaway Support survivors and confront abusive power. Themes trauma silence power abuse psychological impact gender violence Mood somber intense Type narrative cautionary When to use this quote - literary analysis - psychology - social work - legal reform - education programs Key Concepts consent violence victimhood emotional aftermath Questions to Reflect On - What can break the silence for victims? - How does trauma affect identity? A Different Perspective May not capture the broader societal context of such violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bed Beneath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed-beneath-2053745/) [Choking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choking/) [Frederick Pulled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frederick-pulled-2053744/) [Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaze/) [Nightgown Ripping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightgown-ripping-2053746/) [Ripping Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripping-frederick-2053743/) ## Related quotes > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [Iggy: "I'll grab a zebra; Gaz, you fill all the bubbles with your trademark scent. so people are choking and gagging; and let's throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/iggy-i-ll-grab-a-zebra-gaz-you-fill-all-the-bubbles-with-your/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“No! He tried to shout out but the water surged into his mouth and lungs choking his cry. Then darkness. And nothingness. Always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-rubart/no-he-tried-to-shout-out-but-the-water-surged-into-his-mouth-and/) [James L. Rubart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-rubart/) > [If you want to dry hump someone you don't know, just act like they were choking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/if-you-want-to-dry-hump-someone-you-don-t-know-just-act-like-they/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [When your rage is choking you, it is best to say nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-your-rage-is-choking-you-it-is-best-to-say-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If a man was choking, what would I do? Well, I’d remove my penis from his throat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-a-man-was-choking-what-would-i-do-well-i-d-remove-my-penis-from/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The truth is always hard to swallow if you're choking on your pride. Love the one you've got, and appreciate who you have, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/the-truth-is-always-hard-to-swallow-if-you-re-choking-on-your-pride/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [CONGRATULATIONS! You've won a lifetime supply of air: Not valid under water, in space, when dead, or while choking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-you-ve-won-a-lifetime-supply-of-air-not-valid-under/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today coming to work, I saw one of those only in New York scenes. It was a rat who had passed out after choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/today-coming-to-work-i-saw-one-of-those-only-in-new-york-scenes-it/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [The truth is hard to swallow when you're choking on your pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-hard-to-swallow-when-you-re-choking-on-your-pride/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I need to learn how to start saying no. Like when someone says ‘please stop choking me.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-need-to-learn-how-to-start-saying-no-like-when-someone-says-please/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-sit-on-a-man-s-back-choking-him-and-making-him-carry-me-and-yet/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I don't think we choked this time. We never played well enough to choke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-matthews/i-don-t-think-we-choked-this-time-we-never-played-well-enough-to-choke/) [Craig Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-matthews/) > [“Nora-leggo it's choking me!! ow!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazunari-kakei/nora-leggo-it-s-choking-me-ow/) [Kazunari Kakei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazunari-kakei/) > [“These Cro-Magnon people were identical to us: they had the same physique, the same brain, the same looks. And, unlike all previous hominids who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/these-cro-magnon-people-were-identical-to-us-they-had-the-same/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More by Timothy Findley > [Time is light, time is dark. You either dance, or you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/time-is-light-time-is-dark-you-either-dance-or-you-fall/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [He said that in a way being loved is like being told you never have to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/he-said-that-in-a-way-being-loved-is-like-being-told-you-never-have/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [There are no beginnings, not even to stories. There are only places where you make an entrance into someone else's life and either stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/there-are-no-beginnings-not-even-to-stories-there-are-only-places/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“I have dreamt of a life you will never know; the life of a loving and caring companion. I simply thought you should know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/i-have-dreamt-of-a-life-you-will-never-know-the-life-of-a-loving-and/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“You will live when you live. No one else can ever live your life and no one else will ever know what you know...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/you-will-live-when-you-live-no-one-else-can-ever-live-your-life-and/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [Complaints about reality are immature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/complaints-about-reality-are-immature/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [In the dark that followed - Lucy said; "where I was born, the trees were always in the sun. And I left that place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/in-the-dark-that-followed-lucy-said-where-i-was-born-the-trees-were/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“With Tom, there had never been a door to close, only the grass to lie on, never a bed; no walls, no ceiling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/with-tom-there-had-never-been-a-door-to-close-only-the-grass-to-lie/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [I still maintain that an ordinary human being has the right to be horrified by a mangled body seen on an afternoon walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/i-still-maintain-that-an-ordinary-human-being-has-the-right-to-be/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“Rodwell wandered into No Man's Land and put a bullet through his ears. On Sunday, Robert sat on his bed in the old hotel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/rodwell-wandered-into-no-man-s-land-and-put-a-bullet-through-his-ears/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [They waited. The door did not open. The rain did not stop. The darkness made a tent and covered them completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/they-waited-the-door-did-not-open-the-rain-did-not-stop-the-darkness/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“When Mrs Ross asked him what he was thinking of, he shrugged. But he was thinking of the time he'd climbed the steeple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/when-mrs-ross-asked-him-what-he-was-thinking-of-he-shrugged-but-he/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“The art of presenting oneself, he had once told Sybil, lies in creating an immediate shock which is countered by a slow retreat into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/the-art-of-presenting-oneself-he-had-once-told-sybil-lies-in-creating/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“music is the worst of them - roiling and boiling - overly emotionalized on the one hand, overly intellectuallized on the other. Bach and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/music-is-the-worst-of-them-roiling-and-boiling-overly-emotionalized/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [“The mud. There are no good similes. Mud must be a Flemish word. Mud was invented here. Mudland must have been its name. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/the-mud-there-are-no-good-similes-mud-must-be-a-flemish-word-mud-was/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) [Explore all 45 Timothy Findley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) ## More Choking quotes > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“Nora-leggo it's choking me!! ow!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazunari-kakei/nora-leggo-it-s-choking-me-ow/) [Kazunari Kakei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazunari-kakei/) > [“I don't think we choked this time. We never played well enough to choke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-matthews/i-don-t-think-we-choked-this-time-we-never-played-well-enough-to-choke/) [Craig Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-matthews/) > [I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-sit-on-a-man-s-back-choking-him-and-making-him-carry-me-and-yet/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I need to learn how to start saying no. Like when someone says ‘please stop choking me.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-need-to-learn-how-to-start-saying-no-like-when-someone-says-please/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The truth is hard to swallow when you're choking on your pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-hard-to-swallow-when-you-re-choking-on-your-pride/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today coming to work, I saw one of those only in New York scenes. It was a rat who had passed out after choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/today-coming-to-work-i-saw-one-of-those-only-in-new-york-scenes-it/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [CONGRATULATIONS! You've won a lifetime supply of air: Not valid under water, in space, when dead, or while choking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-you-ve-won-a-lifetime-supply-of-air-not-valid-under/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is always hard to swallow if you're choking on your pride. Love the one you've got, and appreciate who you have, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/the-truth-is-always-hard-to-swallow-if-you-re-choking-on-your-pride/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [“If a man was choking, what would I do? Well, I’d remove my penis from his throat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-a-man-was-choking-what-would-i-do-well-i-d-remove-my-penis-from/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When your rage is choking you, it is best to say nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-your-rage-is-choking-you-it-is-best-to-say-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to dry hump someone you don't know, just act like they were choking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/if-you-want-to-dry-hump-someone-you-don-t-know-just-act-like-they/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“No! He tried to shout out but the water surged into his mouth and lungs choking his cry. Then darkness. And nothingness. Always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-rubart/no-he-tried-to-shout-out-but-the-water-surged-into-his-mouth-and/) [James L. Rubart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-rubart/) > [Iggy: "I'll grab a zebra; Gaz, you fill all the bubbles with your trademark scent. so people are choking and gagging; and let's throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/iggy-i-ll-grab-a-zebra-gaz-you-fill-all-the-bubbles-with-your/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“These Cro-Magnon people were identical to us: they had the same physique, the same brain, the same looks. And, unlike all previous hominids who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/these-cro-magnon-people-were-identical-to-us-they-had-the-same/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) [Browse all 91 Choking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Frederick? Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried, but her voice had failed to materialize and all she heard was the sound of her nightgown ripping as Frederick pulled it over her head and threw it aside. He was kneeling now between her ankles, pushing at her, forcing her knees apart and then her arms until she was entirely splayed on the bed beneath him. Nothing was said. Not a word. Ede felt his hand between her legs, forcing the way for the rest of him. Stop, she wanted to tell him. Stop. I don't understand what you're doing. But nothing - still nothing was said. He seemed to be raging inside her, moving his hips in a circular fashion, all the weight of his upper body help above her, resting on his arms, his hands pushing down into the mattress. Stop! But he didn't. Don't! But he did. Nothing. Not one word. The only sound he made was a choking noise in his throat at the end, as tough he might be going to strangle. But when he rolled away from her onto his back, she felt the shudder of his first free breath and she heard him sigh. It was over. Tonight. It was done. Ede could not bare the thought of seeing him, or of being seen. Still without speaking, she rose from the bed and through the dark, found her way to the bathroom. She had brought the torn nightgown wit her, but when she turned on the light and saw it, she threw it down in the corner. Ruined. Spoiled. Everything. 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Had she really spoken? Certainly she'd tried, but her voice had failed to materialize and all she…” — Timothy Findley", "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": "Timothy Findley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Frederick? Had she really spoken? 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