Alice James Quotes

A collection of quotes by Alice James.

Alice James (1848-1892) was an American diarist and sister of renowned philosopher William James and novelist Henry James. Born into a prominent intellectual family, Alice struggled with chronic illness throughout her life, which led to her confinement and limited social interactions. Despite her physical limitations, she channeled her intellect and wit into writing a poignant and introspective diary. Alice's diary entries, published posthumously as "The Diary of Alice James," provide a unique perspective on 19th-century society and offer a glimpse into the mind of a woman battling illness and societal constraints.

How sick one gets of being 'good,' how much I should respect

How sick one gets of being 'good,' how much I should respect myself if I could burst out and make everyone wretched for twenty-four hours embody selfishness.

I wonder whether if I had an education I should have been mo

I wonder whether if I had an education I should have been more or less a fool that I am.

How sick one gets of being good, how much I should respect m

How sick one gets of being good, how much I should respect myself if I could burst out and make everyone wretched for twenty-four hours; embody selfishness.

I suppose one has a greater sense of intellectual degradatio

I suppose one has a greater sense of intellectual degradation after an interview with a doctor than from any human experience.

It is an immense loss to have all robust and sustaining expl

It is an immense loss to have all robust and sustaining expletives refined away from one! At. moments of trial refinement is a feeble reed to lean upon.

Profanity Vulgarity

The difficulty about all this dying, is that you can't tell

The difficulty about all this dying, is that you can't tell a fellow anything about it, so where does the fun come in?

Death

One has a greater sense of degradation after an interview wi

One has a greater sense of degradation after an interview with a doctor than from any human experience.

Medical

The success or failure of a life, as far as posterity goes,

The success or failure of a life, as far as posterity goes, seems to lie in the more or less luck of seizing the right moment of escape.

Failure