Quotes: Character (16)

The idea in the bold-face print is a summary of the quote. The number is the page on which the quote was found.

Character 22 His life consisted of weaving and hoarding money, for neither of which he had a clear purpose. "His life had reduced itself to the functions of weaving and hoarding, without any contemplation of an end toward which the functions tended." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 32 His strength could not help him when the dangers he confronted could not be knocked down. "That big muscular frame of his held plenty of animal courage, but helped him to no decision when the dangers to be braved were such as could neither be knocked down nor throttled." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 65 His spirit was negative and he was proud of it. "Mr. Dowlas was the negative spirit in the company, and was proud of his position." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 81 He's not hurt. He only hurts other people. “ 'Hurt?' said Godfrey, bitterly... 'He’ll never be hurt--he’s made to hurt other people.' ” George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 101 She seeks out the sad things in life and thinks about them. "Mrs. Winthrop...was a very mild, patient woman, whose nature it was to seek out all the sadder and more serious elements of life, and pasture her mind on them." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 150 If she's dead, I'll marry Nancy and be a good person from then on; somehow the child will be taken care of. "Godfrey: If she is [dead], I may marry Nancy; and then I shall be a good fellow in future, and have no secrets, and the child—shall be taken care of somehow." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 173 She has been tested in life, but she has lost none of her best qualities. "The firm yet placid mouth, the clear, veracious glance of the brown eyes, speak now of a nature that has been tested and has kept its highest qualities." George Eliot, Silas Marner.

Character 370 Her heart had withstood the daily blows, but it fell apart at the first feeling of nostalgia. "Her heart of compressed ash, which had resisted the most telling blows of daily reality without strain, fell apart with the first waves of nostalgia." Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Character 375 As a child, he was terrified of everything in life. "The terror-filled nights of his childhood were reduced to that corner where he would remain motionless until it was time to go to bed, perspiring with fear on a stool under the watchful and glacial eyes of the tattle-tale saints…had a terror of everything around him and he was prepared to be frightened at anything he met in life…which led only to disillusionment and madness—everything, in short, everything, that God had created in his infinite goodness and that the devil had perverted." Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Character 110 All he wants out of life is to eat, drink and grow fat. "Oh! no doubt he is very sincere in preferring an income ready made, to the trouble of working for one; and has the best intentions of doing nothing all the rest of his days but eat, drink and grow fat." Austen, Mansfield Park.