As a bookish child in Calcutta, I used to thrill to the adventures of bad girls whose pursuit of happiness swept them outside the bounds of social decency. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina lived large in my imagination. The naughty girls of Hollywood films flirted and knew how to drive.

Summary

This quote reflects the speaker's childhood fascination with female characters in literature and Hollywood films who defied societal norms in their pursuit of happiness. The speaker identifies icons such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Emma Bovary, and Anna Karenina as powerful influences that projected a sense of liberation and adventure. These "bad girls" became sources of inspiration for the speaker, evoking a sense of thrill and admiration for their boldness, romantic exploits, and confident attitudes, which stood outside the boundaries of social decency.

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