These source-exact passages are selected from the public-domain text and paired with concise reading commentary.
All excess is vicious; even that sorrow, which is amiable in its origin, becomes a selfish and unjust passion, if indulged at the expence of our duties
I would not annihilate your feelings, my child, I would only teach you to command them; for whatever may be the evils resulting from a too susceptible heart, nothing can be hoped from an insensible one
Read interpretation
This nuanced advice underscores Radcliffe’s romantic ideal, valuing deep emotional sensitivity while demanding the rational self-governance necessary to prevent it from causing ruin. (Chapter 2: CHAPTER II)
I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul. SHAKESPEARE
Read interpretation
This Shakespeare quotation is used to foreshadow the intense, distressing emotional trials that the novel’s central characters will face in the unfolding narrative. (Chapter 2: CHAPTER II)
Read interpretation
St. Aubert articulates a central moral tenet of the novel, cautioning Emily that grief, however natural, becomes a destructive vice when it supersedes one’s responsibilities to self and others. (Chapter 2: CHAPTER II)