For was that all, she thought bleakly, that love ever was? Something that saved one from loneliness? A sort of insurance policy against not counting?
Sarah WatersRead
I felt that thread that had come between us, tugging, tugging at my heart - so hard, it hurt me. A hundred times I almost rose, almost went in to her; a hundred times I thought, Go to her! Why are you waiting? Go back to her side! But every time, I thought of what would happen if I did. I knew that I couldn't lie beside her, without wanting to touch her. I couldn't have felt her breath upon my mouth, without wanting to kiss her. And I couldn't have kissed her, without wanting to save her.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the deep emotional struggle one faces when yearning for a loved one amidst self-restraint.
In this quote, the speaker vividly describes the inner turmoil experienced when feeling an intense emotional connection to someone they care about. Despite the overwhelming desire to approach the person and offer comfort, there's a recognition of the complex emotions involved, which includes longing, the urge to connect physically, and the desire to protect. The quote powerfully illustrates the pain of separation and the courage it takes to hold back from acting on one’s feelings, reflecting both vulnerability and love.
Themes
LoveYearningLongingEmotionsDesireConnectionRestraint
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a romantic setting, capturing the essence of deep emotional connection.
More from Sarah Waters
All quotes →How will a person know, Selina, when the soul that has the affinity with hers is near it?" She answered, "She will know. Does she look for air, before she breathes it? This love will be guided to her; and when it comes, she will know. And she will do anything to keep that love about her, then. Because to lose it will be like a death to her.
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She scissored the curls away, and - toms, grow easily sentimental over their haircuts, but I remember this sensation very vividly - it was not like she was cutting hair, it was as if I had a pair of wings beneath my shoulder-blades, that the flesh had all grown over, and she was slicing free.
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She supposed that houses, after all - like the lives that were lived in them - were mostly made of space. It was the spaces, in fact, which counted, rather than the bricks.
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