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Books Quote by Virginia Woolf

“Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose," she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How restful! All the odds and ends of the day stuck to this magnet; her mind felt swept, felt clean. And then there it was, suddenly entire; she held…” quote by Virginia Woolf
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““Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose," she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How restful! All the odds and ends of the day stuck to this magnet; her mind felt swept, felt clean. And then there it was, suddenly entire; she held it in her hands, beautiful and reasonable, clear and complete, here--the sonnet. But she was becoming conscious of her husband looking at her. He was smiling at her, quizzically, as if he were ridiculing her gently for being asleep in broad daylight, but at the same time he was thinking, Go on reading. You don't look sad now, he thought. And he wondered what she was reading, and exaggerated her ignorance, her simplicity, for he liked to think that she was not clever, not book-learned at all. He wondered if she understood what she was reading. Probably not, he thought. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her beauty seemed to him, if that were possible, to increase.””

Virginia Woolf

About This Quote

Source Novel: Mrs Dalloway, 1925 (excerpt)

Reading a sonnet brings the woman peace and clarity, while her husband watches, questioning her intellect.

In simple terms: A poem calms her; husband doubts her.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate art’s calming power.

Themes

art reading gender dynamics perception intimacy

Mood

introspective thoughtful

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

  • literature
  • psychology
  • social commentary

Key Concepts

literary analysis psychology relationship dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • Does the husband’s attitude undermine her experience?
  • How does literature provide refuge?
A Different Perspective

The husband’s condescension may reflect broader societal biases.

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