“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.”
- Source
- Jane Eyre
- Date
- 1847
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Fictional character · Helen Burns
What does this quote mean?
Helen Burns argues that sustained resentment consumes a life already limited by time; her position favors releasing animosity while still naming another person’s conduct as unjust.
Where does it come from?
Jane Eyre, Lowood sequence, Project Gutenberg #1260. Helen Burns says this after Jane recounts Mrs. Reed’s cruelty. Helen then explicitly says she can forgive the person while abhorring the crime, so the passage does not require pretending the wrong was acceptable.
Who voices the line?
Fictional character · Helen Burns. Helen Burns says this to Jane at Lowood after hearing Jane recount Mrs. Reed’s treatment; Helen immediately distinguishes forgiving a person from approving the wrong.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.