The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.
Henry JamesRead
..her smile, which was her pretty feature, was never so pretty as when her sprightly phrase had a scratch lurking in it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The beauty of a person's smile can be enhanced by their playful or witty nature, especially when it has a hint of mischief.
Henry James suggests that a smile's beauty is not just in its physical appearance but also in the personality behind it. When a smile carries a playful or sprightly phrase, especially one that suggests a bit of mischief or depth, it becomes more captivating and charming, indicating complexity and character in the person.
Themes
SmileBeautyPlayfulnessPersonalityCharm
In practice
Example use cases
In a romantic setting, one might use this quote to describe their partner's smile during a light-hearted moment.
More from Henry James
All quotes →What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
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Never say you know the last word about any human heart.
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I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I really much respect.
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We care what happens to people only in proportion as we know what people are.
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A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.
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