Charlotte Brontë > Quotes

“Uma forma humana animada de sopro demoníaco — um espírito necrófago, um gênio do mal, um Afrita.”
― Charlotte Brontë

“And, reader, do you think I feared him in his blind ferocity? - if you do, you little know me.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“I hold another creed: which no one ever taught me, and which I seldom mention; but in which I delight, and to which I cling: for it extends hope to all: it makes Eternity a rest—a mighty home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with this creed, I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and his crime; I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last: with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre: The Original 1847 Unabridged and Complete Edition

“Dr. John,” I began, “Love is blind;” but just then a blue subtle ray sped sideways from Dr. John’s eye: it reminded me of old days, it reminded me of his picture: it half led me to think that part, at least, of his professed persuasion of Miss Fanshawe’s naïveté was assumed; it led me dubiously to conjecture that perhaps, in spite of his passion for her beauty, his appreciation of her foibles might possibly be less mistaken, more clear-sighted, than from his general language was presumable. After all it might be only a chance look, or at best the token of a merely momentary impression. Chance or intentional real or imaginary, it closed the conversation.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Villette

“For when I say that I am of his kind, I do not mean that I have his force to influence, and his spell to attract; I mean only that I have certain tastes and feelings in common with him. I must, then, repeat continually that we are for ever sundered:—and yet, while I breathe and think, I must love him.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre: The Original 1847 Unabridged and Complete Edition

“He saw nature – he saw books through me; and never did I weary of gazing for his behalf, and of putting into words the effect of the field, tree, town, river, cloud, sunbeam – of the landscape before us; of the weather round us and impressing by sound on his ear what light could no longer stamp on his eye.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Mr. Rochester, if ever I did a good deed in my life – if ever I thought a good thought – if ever I prayed a sincere and blameless prayer – if ever I wished a righteous wish, I am rewarded now. To be your wife is, for me, to be as happy as I can be on earth.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“when we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard . . . so as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“If you wish me to speak more plainly, show me your palm.” “And I must cross it with silver, I suppose?” “To be sure.” I gave her a shilling: she put it into an old stocking-foot which she took out of her pocket, and having tied it round and returned it, she told me to hold out my hand. I did. She approached her face to the palm, and pored over it without touching it. “It is too fine,” said she. “I can make nothing of such a hand as that; almost without lines: besides, what is in a palm? Destiny is not written there.” “I believe you,” said I. “No,” she continued, “it is in the face: on the forehead, about the eyes, in the lines of the mouth. Kneel, and lift up your head.” “Ah! now you are coming to reality,” I said, as I obeyed her. “I shall begin to put some faith in you presently.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre: The Original 1847 Unabridged and Complete Edition

“Who can tell what a dark, dreary, hopeless life I have dragged on for months past? Doing nothing, expecting nothing; merging night in day; feeling but the sensation of cold when I let the fire go out, of hunger when I forgot to eat: and then a ceaseless sorrow,”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“I am glad you are no relation of mine: I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty.” “How dare you affirm that, Jane Eyre?” “How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Then learn from me, not to judge by appearances:”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“To me he seems now all sacred, his locks are inaccessible, and, Lucy, I feel a sort of fear, when I look at his firm, marble chin, at his straight Greek features. Women are called beautiful, Lucy; he is not like a woman, therefore I suppose he is not beautiful, but what is he, then? Do other people see him with my eyes? Do you admire him?” “I’ll tell you what I do, Paulina,” was once my answer to her many questions. “I never see him. I looked at him twice or thrice about a year ago, before he recognised me, and then I shut my eyes; and if he were to cross their balls twelve times between each day’s sunset and sunrise, except from memory, I should hardly know what shape had gone by.” “Lucy, what do you mean?” said she, under her breath. “I mean that I value vision, and dread being struck stone blind.” It was best to answer her strongly at once, and to silence for ever the tender, passionate confidences which left her lips sweet honey, and sometimes dropped in my ear—molten lead. To me, she commented no more on her lover’s beauty.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Villette

“—and yet, while I breathe and think, I must love him.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“I often wonder, Shirley, whether most men resemble my uncle in their domestic relations, whether it is necessary to be unfamiliar to them in order to seem agreeable or estimable in their eyes; and whether it is impossible to their natures to retain a constant interest and affection for those they see every day.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Shirley

“I have a regard for her; and now that I know she is, in a sense, parentless- forsaken by mother and disowned by you, sir- I shall cling closer to her than before. How could I possibly prefer spoilt pet of a wealthy family, who would hate her governess as a nuisance, to a lonely little orphan, who leans towards her as a friend?”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“—Señor, no creo que tenga usted derecho a mandarme por el mero hecho de ser mayor que yo o porque haya visto más mundo; la superioridad dependerá del uso que haya hecho usted de su edad y experiencia.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“My disposition is not so bad as you think. I am passionate, but not vindictive.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“I find you lonely: I will be your companion—to read to you, to walk with you, to sit with you, to wait on you, to be eyes and hands to you. Cease to look so melancholy, my dear master; you shall not be left desolate, so long as I live.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“All my heart is yours, sir: it belongs to you; and with you it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence for ever.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Whatever menaced, harassed, warned, I passed impetuous by. Still bright on clouds of suffering dim Shines that soft, solemn joy.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Sono per natura un tipo allegro: e poi la sfortuna non mi ha mai perseguitato. L’avversità ha rivolto a me e a mia madre qualche smorfia passeggera e una strusciatina, ma noi l’abbiamo sfidata o, meglio, abbiamo riso di lei, e se n’è andata.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Villette

“Do you think I am an automaton?–a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!–I have as much soul as you,–and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh;–it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal,–as we are!”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“True, generous feeling is made small account by some[.] [...] Feeling without judgment is a washy draught indeed; but judgment untempered by feeling is too bitter and husky a morsel for human deglutition.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Formerly,” I answered, “because you did not love me; now, I reply, because you almost hate me. If I were to marry you, you would kill me. You are killing me now.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Do you think, because I'm poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you!”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Cu un ceas mai înainte o auzisem pe domnișoara Scatcherd pedepsind-o ca a doua zi să mănânce numai pâine goală și apă, fiindcă pătase cu cerneală foaia caietului, pe când transcria un exercițiu. Așa-i alcătuită biata fire omenească! Pete ca cele ale lui Helen Burns se află pe discul celei mai curate planete, dar ochi ca ai domnișoarei Scatcherd nu pot zări decât aceste nimicuri și rămân orbi în fața desăvârșitei străluciri a globului întreg.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Ще пиша, защото не мога да се спра”
― Charlotte Brontë

“I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, weather male or female, till I had passed the out-works of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart's very hearth-stone.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“She looks as if she were thinking of something beyond her punishment—beyond her situation: of something not round nor before her. I have heard of day-dreams—is she in a day-dream now? Her eyes are fixed on the floor, but I am sure they do not see it—her sight seems turned in, gone down into her heart: she is looking at what she can remember, I believe; not at what is really present.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre