I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott Little Women, Part II, Chapter XLIV (1868)
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When and why it was written
- When
- From Little Women, published in 1868 and 1869.
- Why
- Amy, newly married, describes her life to her family.
What it means
Amy is not claiming the weather will be fine. She is saying she is learning the skill to meet it.
That is a steadier kind of confidence than optimism.
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
Read the source
Little Women, 1868
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