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here was a silence between them for a moment, and she wondered if all women, when in love, were torn between two impulses, a longing to throw modesty and reserve to the winds and confess everything, and an equal determination to conceal the love forever, to be cool, aloof, utterly detached, to die rather than admit a thing so personal, so intimate.
Daphne Du Maurier
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote explores the internal conflict women face when in love, torn between expressing their feelings and maintaining emotional distance.

In this quote by Daphne Du Maurier, the author captures the complex emotions of women in love, highlighting the struggle between the desire to openly express affection and the instinct to maintain composure and emotional detachment. It reflects the societal pressures and personal apprehensions that can make admitting one's feelings a challenging and vulnerable act, revealing the depth of love's connection intertwined with fear of exposure.

Themes

LoveEmotionsInternal ConflictVulnerabilityIntimacy

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the complexities of romantic relationships, this quote could illustrate the struggle many people experience.

More from Daphne Du Maurier

...the routine of life goes on, whatever happens, we do the same things, go through the little performance of eating, sleeping, washing. No crisis can break through the crust of habit.
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She had to live in this bright, red gabled house with the nurse until it was time for her to die... I thought how little we know about the feelings of old people. Children we understand, their fears and hopes and make-believe.
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We are all ghosts of yesterday, and the phantom of tomorrow awaits us alike in sunshine or in shadow, dimly perceived at times, never entirely lost.
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How pleasant,' Dona said, peeling her fruit; 'the rest of us can only run away from time to time, and however much we pretend to be free, we know it is only for a little while - our hands and our feet are tied.
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A familiar name on its own, however, does not carry its bearer far unless the talent is there, and the will to work.
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Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone.
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