Deborah Kerr Quotes - Best Lines & Interviews

Memorable Quotes from Deborah Kerr

9 quotes

The Innocents

Imagination and Truth in Conversation

The Uncle Miss Giddens, may I ask you a somewhat personal question? Do you have an imagination?

Miss Giddens Oh! Oh, yes, I can answer that. Yes.

[chuckles]

The Uncle Good. Truth is very seldom understood by any but imaginative persons... and I want to be quite truthful.

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The Innocents

Questioning Truth in Innocence

Miss Giddens Flora saw her, too.

[referring to Miss Jessel]

Mrs. Grose Did she tell you so?

Miss Giddens No, of course not. She lied to me. Well, it amounted to a lie.

Mrs. Grose Oh, now, miss, I've never known either of the children to tell lies. Why would they?

Miss Giddens Why? Because they are both playing, or being made to play some monstrous game. I can't pretend to understand what its purpose is. I only know that it is happening. Something secretive and whispery and indecent. I tell you, believe me, the children are in dreadful peril.

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The Sundowners

Struggles of Women in a Man's World

Ida Carmody This is a good country for sheep and it's not bad for men, but it's hard on us women. The men come here because of the sheep, and we come here because of the men, and most of us finish up looking like the sheep. Wrinkled faces, knotty hair, and not even much of a mind of our own.

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The Innocents

Past Governess and Its Impact on Flora

Miss Giddens The children... have they had a governess before?

The Uncle Yes, unfortunately. Not that there was anything wrong with Miss Jessel. She was an excellent governess and a most respectable woman. The children quite liked her especially little Flora. Oh, which reminds me: Be careful not to broach that subject to Flora unless she broaches it to you first which I doubt will happen. She was so fond of Miss Jessel and it did come as an appalling shock.

Miss Giddens I'm not certain that I understand you, sir.

The Uncle She died.

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The Innocents

Searching for Miss Jessel

Miss Giddens And where, my pet, is Miss Jessel? Where is she, Flora?

Mrs. Grose Miss Giddens!

Miss Giddens Where is she? You know you can see her!

Mrs. Grose Miss!

Miss Giddens Look, Flora! Look! There! You know you can see her!

Flora I can't! I can't!

Miss Giddens Admit it! She's there! You know you can see her!

Flora I can't! I can't!

Miss Giddens But look, she's there!

Flora Help me, I'm frightened!

Mrs. Grose Please, miss.

Miss Giddens But you can see her! You must!

Mrs. Grose Hush! Hush, dear, hush! She isn't there. How could she be? She's dead and buried. Hush, Flora.

Flora I can't see anything! I've never seen anything! You're cruel! You're wicked! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

Miss Giddens Flora!

Flora Take me away from her! She's cruel! Take me away! Please take me away! Don't look at her! Don't look at her! She frightens me so!

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The Innocents

The Complex Nature of Love and Suffering

Miss Giddens We must try to learn what it is these horrors want. Think, Mrs. Grose. The answer must lie in the past. Were Quint and Miss Jessel in love? They were in love, weren't they?

Mrs. Grose Love? Oh, I suppose that's what she called it. But it was more like a sickness. A fever that leaves the body burned out and dry. There was no cruelty she wouldn't suffer. If he struck her - oh, yes, and I've seen him knock her to the floor - she'd look at him as though she wanted the weight of his hand. No pride, no shame. Crawl to him on her hands and knees, she would. And him laughing at her. Such a savage laugh he had. Oh, it hurts me to remember. Bad she was, but no woman could have suffered more.

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The Innocents

Servants' Absence Raises Questions

Miles Where are the servants?

Miss Giddens They've gone home.

Miles Oh. Did you send them, or did they take fright and run away?

Miss Giddens What do you mean?

Miles Well, you're afraid and perhaps you made them so.

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The Innocents

Secrets and Confessions in The Innocents

Mrs. Grose A person ought to keep quiet about it.

[referring to Peter Quint and Miss Jessel's abusive relationship]

Miss Giddens You must tell me.

Mrs. Grose Oh, miss, there's things I've seen I... I'm ashamed to say.

Miss Giddens Go on.

Mrs. Grose Rooms... used by daylight... as though they were dark woods.

Miss Giddens They didn't care that you saw them? And the children?

Mrs. Grose I can't say, miss. I... I don't know what the children saw. But they used to follow Quint and Miss Jessel, trailing along behind, hand in hand, whispering. There was too much whispering in this house, miss.

Miss Giddens Oh, yes, I can imagine. Yes, I can imagine what sort of things they whispered about. Quint, Miles. I can hear them together.

Mrs. Grose But there was nothing wrong in Master Miles wanting to be with Quint. Quint taught him to ride and took him walking. The poor lad needed someone to...

Miss Giddens To corrupt him?

Mrs. Grose But Master Miles is a good boy, miss. There's nothing wicked in him.

Miss Giddens Unless he's deceiving us. Unless they're both deceiving us. The innocents.

Mrs. Grose Innocents they are, miss. It's not fair. You have no right to accuse them of...

Miss Giddens Oh, forgive me, Mrs. Grose. I'm not accusing. I'm just trying to put it together, to understand. Tell me, were the children happy?

Mrs. Grose Oh, they seemed to be. The same as now. But sometimes I used to wonder if they really cared for them, those two... or if they weren't just using them.

Miss Giddens Using them?

Mrs. Grose Yes, of course they were... and still are.

The Innocents

A Desire to Protect and Love Children

Miss Giddens All I want to do is save the children, not destroy them. More than anything, I love children. More than anything. They need affection. Love. Someone who will belong to them, and to whom they will belong.