Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Jean Rhys

Quote by Jean Rhys

“Well, let's argue this out, Mr Blank. You, who represent Society, have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month. That's my market value, for I am an inefficient member of Society, slow in the uptake, uncertain, slightly damaged in the fray, there's no denying it. So you have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month, to lodge me in a small, dark room, to clothe me shabbily, to harass me with worry and monotony and unsatisfied longings till you get me to the point when I blush at a look, cry at a word. We can't all be happy, we can't all be rich, we can't all be lucky - and it would be so much less fun if we were. Isn't it so, Mr Blank? There must be the dark background to show up the bright colours. Some must cry so that the others may be able to laugh the more heartily.”

Quote by Jean Rhys

Work

Good Morning, Midnight

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys, a British novelist born on August 24, 1890, in the Dominican Republic, and died on May 14, 1979. Her works are known for their profound psychological descriptions and exploration of the female condition, with notable titles such as 'Wide Sargasso Sea'. more

You May Also Like