--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: over the low flame. He didn’t like the…" description: "\"“over the low flame. He didn’t like the way his voice sounded, but until recent events, he’d never had reason to complain about anything. Now he couldn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/wendy-mass-2733_itch_over-the-low-flame-he-didn-t-like-the-wa_2369142.png" --- # over the low flame. He didn’t like the way his voice… ![“over the low flame. He didn’t like the way his voice sounded, but until recent events, he’d never had reason to complain about anything. Now he couldn’t help it. “They pat me on the arm,” he explained to Henry, “and tilt their heads at me with their eyes as gooey as a fresh batch of chocolate.” It…” quote by Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/wendy-mass-2733_itch_over-the-low-flame-he-didn-t-like-the-wa_2369142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/wendy-mass-2733_itch_over-the-low-flame-he-didn-t-like-the-wa_2369142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/wendy-mass-2733_itch_over-the-low-flame-he-didn-t-like-the-wa_2369142.png) > ““over the low flame. He didn’t like the way his voice sounded, but until recent events, he’d never had reason to complain about anything. Now he couldn’t help it. “They pat me on the arm,” he explained to Henry, “and tilt their heads at me with their eyes as gooey as a fresh batch of chocolate.” It wasn’t until the contest that he’d begun to realize that people had always looked at him with sympathy—or at least ever since he’d gotten the scars. Other than the need to massage aloe into them, and the occasional itch or throbbing, and the fact that the ones on his hands sometimes made it hard for”” [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character feels self‑conscious about his appearance and the pity others show him, leading to discomfort. **In simple terms:** Self‑consciousness about scars. Key Takeaway Accept yourself and set boundaries. Themes self‑image sympathy identity Mood empathetic introspective Type narrative contemporary When to use this quote - school environment - social interactions - self‑esteem Key Concepts social perception body image Questions to Reflect On - How does external sympathy affect self‑esteem? - What strategies help manage unwanted attention? A Different Perspective Sympathy can become invasive and hurtful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gotten Scars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten-scars-5829279/) [Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) [Looked Sympathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-sympathy-5829280/) [O henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/o-henry/) [Scars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scars/) [Scars Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scars-need-5829281/) ## Related quotes > [“a post office box a few states away—didn’t mean anything, either. “Maybe it’s from Daisy,” he suggested to Henry. “It doesn’t look like her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/a-post-office-box-a-few-states-away-didn-t-mean-anything-either-maybe/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“Woods? Do you have a sec?" Ty asks. "Sure." "Alone?" Ty eyes Henry and Jerry Rice, and I jerk my head at Henry. "Fine,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kenneally/woods-do-you-have-a-sec-ty-asks-sure-alone-ty-eyes-henry-and-jerry/) [Miranda Kenneally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kenneally/) > [“As a precursor to this, he oversaw the 1536 Act of Succession, which excluded both Mary and Elizabeth from the royal succession in favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/as-a-precursor-to-this-he-oversaw-the-1536-act-of-succession-which/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Henry keeps dealing. When all the cards have been separated, I pick up my stack and shuffle my cards again. Then I look up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kenneally/henry-keeps-dealing-when-all-the-cards-have-been-separated-i-pick-up/) [Miranda Kenneally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kenneally/) > [I'm a huge 'Nightmare before Christmas' fan, but that was also Henry Selick. I'm a really big fan of 'Sleepy Hollow.' I love 'Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-leth/i-m-a-huge-nightmare-before-christmas-fan-but-that-was-also-henry/) [Kate Leth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-leth/) > [“My life is like an O Henry story…the funniest girl in the world and the boy who never laughs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/my-life-is-like-an-o-henry-story-the-funniest-girl-in-the-world-and/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Take it easy, friend," siad Peter, regaining his balance, quickly understanding the condition Henry was in. "Friend? You left us. In the caves." Henry's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-blakley-cartwright/take-it-easy-friend-siad-peter-regaining-his-balance-quickly/) [Sarah Blakley-Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-blakley-cartwright/) > [“So Henry Adams, well aware that he could not succeed as a scholar, and finding his social position beyond improvement or need of effort,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/so-henry-adams-well-aware-that-he-could-not-succeed-as-a-scholar-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Though his classmates supposedly hailed form "all fifty states, Guam, and twenty-two foreign lands," as President Affenlight said in his convocation address, they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/though-his-classmates-supposedly-hailed-form-all-fifty-states-guam/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [“For years, he’s been listening to her complain about being ignored by Justin and assuring it her it was simply a matter of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-strohmeyer/for-years-he-s-been-listening-to-her-complain-about-being-ignored-by/) [Sarah Strohmeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-strohmeyer/) > [“Ellipses," according to Henry, are "fucking excellent." The exclamation mark is just a weird guy who talks too loudly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/ellipses-according-to-henry-are-fucking-excellent-the-exclamation/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) > [“Sion calls Anne an eel, he calls her a slippery dipper from the slime, and he remembers what the cardinal had called her: my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/sion-calls-anne-an-eel-he-calls-her-a-slippery-dipper-from-the-slime/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Whatever part I'm playing, I always carry with me something that's been used by an illustrious predecessor. I'm a great believer in a touching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sinden/whatever-part-i-m-playing-i-always-carry-with-me-something-that-s/) [Donald Sinden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sinden/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) ## More by Wendy Mass > [“Always keep your eyes open. Don't block your own sunshine. Be filled with wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/always-keep-your-eyes-open-don-t-block-your-own-sunshine-be-filled/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [A wise man once remarked that we can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/a-wise-man-once-remarked-that-we-can-count-how-many-seeds-are-in-the/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [Everything we think we know is really only perceived by our senses,' he explains patiently. 'The sounds we hear are just waves in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/everything-we-think-we-know-is-really-only-perceived-by-our-senses-he/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“If I can’t figure out why I’m here, then I’m just taking up space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/if-i-can-t-figure-out-why-i-m-here-then-i-m-just-taking-up-space/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“I wrote my first poem about a bunny. ‘Bunny, bunny, hop hop hop. White and soft like a little mop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/i-wrote-my-first-poem-about-a-bunny-bunny-bunny-hop-hop-hop-white-and/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“You won’t get what you want, Rory Swenson, until you see what you need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/you-won-t-get-what-you-want-rory-swenson-until-you-see-what-you-need/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“... sometimes grandmothers need to do what they think is best for their grandson and practically adopted granddaughter by opening their eyes to different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/sometimes-grandmothers-need-to-do-what-they-think-is-best-for-their/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [So we stand there, part of a crowd a thousand people strong, beaming up at the sky with wonder. I knew with a sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/so-we-stand-there-part-of-a-crowd-a-thousand-people-strong-beaming-up/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [Whoa!" she says as I plow into her. " What are you DOING? Get off me!" I hang on tight. "Can't a girl just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/whoa-she-says-as-i-plow-into-her-what-are-you-doing-get-off-me-i-hang/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [(T)he world is broken up into pieces, and...it's up to everyone to help put it all back together. It's about recognizing the spark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/t-he-world-is-broken-up-into-pieces-and-it-s-up-to-everyone-to-help/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [LOVE NEVER WAITS BUT SOMETIMES IT OKKAY TO WAIT ON LOVE!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/love-never-waits-but-sometimes-it-okkay-to-wait-on-love/) [WENDY MASS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“Max clapped his hands. “Go, go, go!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/max-clapped-his-hands-go-go-go/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [The meaning of life is to give life a meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/the-meaning-of-life-is-to-give-life-a-meaning/) [wendy mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [A fight is going on inside me," said an old man to his son. "It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-old-man-to-his-son-it-is-a/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“Wisdom is found in the least expected places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/wisdom-is-found-in-the-least-expected-places/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) [Explore all 148 Wendy Mass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) ## More Itch quotes > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“...The devil had long ago taken a shine to Tert Card, filled him like a cream horn with itch and irritation. His middle name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-annie-proulx-author/the-devil-had-long-ago-taken-a-shine-to-tert-card-filled-him-like-a/) [E. Annie Proulx (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-annie-proulx-author/) > [After having played serious drama for so long, I needed to scratch the itch of versatility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/after-having-played-serious-drama-for-so-long-i-needed-to-scratch-the/) [Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/) > [People often want the big dramatic works, not the smaller quieter ones, but I don't worry about how it fits together anymore; I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/people-often-want-the-big-dramatic-works-not-the-smaller-quieter-ones/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) > [“I wear my underwear on the outside of my itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wear-my-underwear-on-the-outside-of-my-itch/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“My fingernail itches. I need to scratch it with my skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-fingernail-itches-i-need-to-scratch-it-with-my-skin/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [As I ponder pass I tend to itch my noggin often rockin to a beat to crop my verse until my urn or coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/as-i-ponder-pass-i-tend-to-itch-my-noggin-often-rockin-to-a-beat-to/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [“I felt a queasy mixture of relief and horror: when you finally stop an itch and realize it’s because you’ve ripped a hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-felt-a-queasy-mixture-of-relief-and-horror-when-you-finally-stop-an/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“As simple an act as reading or writing a sentence must be surrounded by perceptory nap and weave . . . an itch, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/as-simple-an-act-as-reading-or-writing-a-sentence-must-be-surrounded/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [When I don’t understand, I have an unbearable itch to know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/when-i-don-t-understand-i-have-an-unbearable-itch-to-know-why/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The itch of scribbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-itch-of-scribbling/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [A burning itch to know is higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel the burning itch of curiosity requires both that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/a-burning-itch-to-know-is-higher-than-a-solemn-vow-to-pursue-truth-to/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/we-live-one-day-at-a-time-and-scratch-where-it-itches/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [“Being in a room with that many people was starting to make me itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anne-gilman/being-in-a-room-with-that-many-people-was-starting-to-make-me-itch/) [Laura Anne Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anne-gilman/) > [One learns to itch where one can scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-learns-to-itch-where-one-can-scratch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 168 Itch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“over the low flame. He didn’t like the way his voice sounded, but until recent events, he’d never had reason to complain about anything. Now he couldn’t help it. “They pat me on the arm,” he explained to Henry, “and tilt their heads at me with their eyes as gooey as a fresh batch of chocolate.” It wasn’t until the contest that he’d begun to realize that people had always looked at him with sympathy—or at least ever since he’d gotten the scars. 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