--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So he was deserted. The whole world was…" description: "\"“So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their sakes? Food ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/virginia-woolf-49_deserted_so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-c_2284542.jpg" --- # So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill… ![“So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their sakes? Food was pleasant, the sun was hot; and this killing oneself, how does one set about it, with a table knife, uglily, with floods of blood,--by sucking a…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/virginia-woolf-49_deserted_so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-c_2284542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/virginia-woolf-49_deserted_so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-c_2284542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/virginia-woolf-49_deserted_so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-c_2284542.jpg) > ““So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their sakes? Food was pleasant, the sun was hot; and this killing oneself, how does one set about it, with a table knife, uglily, with floods of blood,--by sucking a gaspipe? He was too weak; he could scarcely raise his hand. Besides, now that he was quite alone, condemned, deserted, as those we are about to die are alone, there was a luxury in it, an isolation full of sublimity; a freedom which the attached can never know. Holmes had won of course, the brute with the red nostrils had won. But even Holmes himself could not touch this last relic straying on the edge of the world, this outcast, who gazed back at the inhabited regions, who lay, like a drowned sailor, on the shore of the world.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A solitary individual confronts existential despair, finding a paradoxical dignity in isolation and the impossibility of suicide under societal pressure. **In simple terms:** Isolation can feel noble when one is abandoned. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of life even in loneliness. Themes existentialism isolation despair freedom identity Mood melancholic reflective somber Type literary philosophical existential When to use this quote - mental health crisis - war trauma - prison confinement - loneliness - philosophical reflection Key Concepts nihilism selfhood human condition Questions to Reflect On - What does true freedom mean when you are alone? - How can society better support those who feel abandoned? A Different Perspective Suicide may not solve suffering and can be hindered by physical weakness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Edge of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edge-of-the-world/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-clamouring-kill-yourself-kill/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Now that he was quite alone, condemned, deserted, as those who are about to die are alone, there was a luxury in it, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/now-that-he-was-quite-alone-condemned-deserted-as-those-who-are-about/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Alone, condemned, deserted, as those who are about to die are alone, there was a luxury in it, an isolation full of sublimity; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/alone-condemned-deserted-as-those-who-are-about-to-die-are-alone/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Killing oneself is, anyway, a misnomer. We don't kill ourselves. We are simply defeated by the long, hard struggle to stay alive. When somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-brampton/killing-oneself-is-anyway-a-misnomer-we-don-t-kill-ourselves-we-are/) [Sally Brampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-brampton/) > [Of course, living is another way of killing oneself: its drawback is that it takes so horribly long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imre-kert-sz/of-course-living-is-another-way-of-killing-oneself-its-drawback-is/) [Imre Kertész](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imre-kert-sz/) > [“If there was a common, even official form of killing oneself, suicide would be much easier and much more frequent. But since to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/if-there-was-a-common-even-official-form-of-killing-oneself-suicide/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [Alone, I often fall down into nothingness. I must push my foot stealthily lest I should fall off the edge of the world into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/alone-i-often-fall-down-into-nothingness-i-must-push-my-foot/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The house was left; the house was deserted. It was left like a shell on a sandhill to fill with dry salt grains now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-house-was-left-the-house-was-deserted-it-was-left-like-a-shell-on/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Naturally men are drowned in a storm, but it is a perfectly straightforward affair, and the depths of the sea are only water after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/naturally-men-are-drowned-in-a-storm-but-it-is-a-perfectly/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“He was drowned, he used to say, and lying on a cliff with gulls screaming over him. He would look over the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-was-drowned-he-used-to-say-and-lying-on-a-cliff-with-gulls/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-drowned-under-water-he-thought/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Why should your Majesty expect it? My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader . When she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/why-should-your-majesty-expect-it-my-own-plans-are-made-while-i-can-i/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Jaime smiled. "I hope you're not thinking of taking the black on us, sweet brother." Tyrion laughed. "What, me, celibate? The whores would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/jaime-smiled-i-hope-you-re-not-thinking-of-taking-the-black-on-us/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [It was as if when I looked into his eyes I was standing alone on the edge of the world...on a windswept ocean beach.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/it-was-as-if-when-i-looked-into-his-eyes-i-was-standing-alone-on-the/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Deserted quotes > [Pentagon records show that at least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. Army have deserted since the Iraq war began. Hey, at least somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/pentagon-records-show-that-at-least-8-000-members-of-the-all/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [A woman may live without a lover, but a lover once admitted, she never goes through life with only one. She is deserted, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bulwer-1st-baron-dalling-and-bulwer/a-woman-may-live-without-a-lover-but-a-lover-once-admitted-she-never/) [Henry Bulwer, 1st Baron Dalling and Bulwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bulwer-1st-baron-dalling-and-bulwer/) > [A nice pop star would do you nice on one of those deserted islands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/a-nice-pop-star-would-do-you-nice-on-one-of-those-deserted-islands/) [Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/) > [I deserted the world and sought solitude because I became tired of rendering courtesy to those multitudes who believe that humility is a sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-deserted-the-world-and-sought-solitude-because-i-became-tired-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Later the place was as deserted as Malcolm Muggeridge's Christmas party of fellow intellectuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-donaldson/later-the-place-was-as-deserted-as-malcolm-muggeridge-s-christmas/) [William Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-donaldson/) > [Wealth accumulates, and men decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/wealth-accumulates-and-men-decay/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [He who is always in a hurry to be wealthy and immersed in the study of augmenting his fortune has lost the arms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/he-who-is-always-in-a-hurry-to-be-wealthy-and-immersed-in-the-study/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Our hearts are breaking... We are lonely and deserted, sad and sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-murdoch-mackay/our-hearts-are-breaking-we-are-lonely-and-deserted-sad-and-sick/) [Alexander Murdoch Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-murdoch-mackay/) > [Art as an aesthetic principle was supported by thousands of years of discernment and psychic rewards, but art as a commodity was held up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/art-as-an-aesthetic-principle-was-supported-by-thousands-of-years-of/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. 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For even if a man shall have committed grievous sins once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caesarius-of-arles/god-never-deserts-a-man-unless-he-is-deserted-by-that-man-first-for/) Caesarius of Arles > [The rise of broadband and growing ubiquity of Internet access excites me the most. The world changes a lot when, no matter where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/the-rise-of-broadband-and-growing-ubiquity-of-internet-access-excites/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [It was one of those somber evenings when the sighing of the wind resembles the moans of a dying man; a storm was brewing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/it-was-one-of-those-somber-evenings-when-the-sighing-of-the-wind/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) Browse all 175 Deserted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So he was deserted. 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