Gaze Quote by Wilkie Collins
““Now, tell me, my dear, I said, what are you crying about? About the years that are gone, Mr. Betteredge," says Rosanna quietly. My past life still comes back to me sometimes. Come, come, my girl, I said, your past life is all sponged out. Why can't you forget it? "She took me by one of the lappets of my coat. I am a slovenly old man, and a good deal of my meat and drink gets splashed about on my clothes. Sometimes one of the women, and sometimes another, cleans me of my grease. The day before, Roseanna had taken out a spot for me on the lappet of my coat, with a new composition, warranted to remove anything. The grease was gone, but there was a little dull place left on the nap of the cloth where the grease had been. The girl pointed to that place, and shook here head. The stain is taken off, she said. But the place shows, Mr. Betteredge--the place shows!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Woman in White, 1859 (excerpt)
The narrator describes a past life’s lingering stain, symbolizing memories that cannot be fully erased.
In simple terms: Memories leave lasting marks despite attempts to clean them.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and learn from past scars.
Themes
memory
regret
identity
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- therapy
- creative writing
- personal growth
- memorializing
Key Concepts
past trauma
self‑reflection
healing
Questions to Reflect On
- What “stains” from your past still linger?
- Can you transform a stain into something useful?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overemphasize permanence of past pain.
