Quotes About Independence

Her manner of dress, of speech, of doing her hair, of spending her time, had not changed since it first became apparent to a far younger Morgen that in all her life to come no one was, in all probability, going to care in the slightest how she looked, or what she did, and the minor wrench of leaving humanity behind was more than compensated for by her complacent freedom from a thousand small irritations.

I could help her in her shop, Eleanor thought; she loves beautiful things and I would go with her to find them. We could go anywhere we pleased, to the edge of the world if we liked, and come back when we wanted to.

No one, she thought, can catch me now; they don't even know which way I'm going.

The reassuring bulk of the college buildings showed ahead of her, and she looked fondly up at them and smiled. As she had never been before, she was now alone, and grown-up, and powerful, and not at all afraid.

He is altogether selfish, she thought in some surprise, the only man I have ever sat and talked to alone, and I am impatient; he is simply not very interesting. Why don't you grow up by yourself? she asked him, and wondered how many people—how many women—had already asked him that.

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it; and the little girl glanced at her, and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl." ? Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see you cup of stars again; don't do it; and the little girl glanced at her, and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl.

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it;

It has always been my opinion, you know, that princesses are confined in towers only because they choose to stay confined, and the only dragon required to keep them there was their own desire to be kept.

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again;

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it; and the little girl glanced at her, and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl.

If you don't like my peaches, don't shake my tree.

and whatever walked there, walked alone.

Jonas, I told him, you are not to listen any more to Cousin Charles, and Jonas regarded me in wide-eyed astonishment, that I should attempt to make decisions for him.

insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it;

Why don't you grow up by yourself?

Why do women always look so funny alone at night? she thought. I guess you're so used to seeing them with some one.

It has always been my opinion that princesses are confined in towers only because they choose to stay confined, and the only dragon required to keep them there was their own desire to be kept.

Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it . . .

When I tell a story, I tell it when I want to tell it, not when you want to hear it.

I have neither friends nor relatives, thank goodness. I'm as lonely as a stone.

But—I don't want to knock anyone. Even if you think I do, what do I care?

Never let a husband off the leash. Not even a carpenter knows where the chips will fly.

Just be careful, Mendl, that you don't turn into such a great success that I have to send you your carfare again.