I was a fool to fancy for a moment that she valued Edgar Linton's attachment more than mine - If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years, as I could in a day. And Catherine has a heart as deep as I have; the sea could be as readily contained in that house-trough, as her whole affection be monopolized by him - Tush! He is scarcely a degree nearer than her dog, or her horse - It is not in him to be loved like me, how can she love in him what he has not?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker dismisses Edgar Linton's capacity to love deeply, asserting their own affection is far greater and cannot be monopolized by him.
- In plain terms
- I love far more than Edgar could ever love anyone.
- What can you take from it?
- Trust your own capacity for deep affection over superficial matches.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is love about intensity or mutuality?
- How do you value affection?
Another view
It frames love as a competition of intensity rather than mutual respect.
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