The concept of physical beauty as a virtue is one of the dumbest, most pernicious and destructive ideas of the Western world, and we should have nothing to do with it.
Toni MorrisonGimme hate, Lord,โ he whimpered. โIโll take hate any day. But donโt give me love. I canโt take no more love, Lord. I canโt carry it...Itโs too heavy. Jesus, you know, you know all about it. Ainโt it heavy? Jesus? Ainโt love heavy?
Toni MorrisonWhat do you say? There really are no words for that. There really aren't. Somebody tries to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' People say that to me. There's no language for it. Sorry doesn't do it. I think you should just hug people and mop their floor or something.
Toni MorrisonIf he looked into her face, he would see those haunted, loving eyes. The hauntedness would irritate him - the love would move him to fury. How dare she love him? Hadn't she any sense at all? What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How? What could his calloused hands produce to make her smile? What of his knowledge of the world and of life could be useful to her? What could his heavy arms and befuddled brain accomplish that would earn him his own respect, that would in turn allow him to accept her love?
Toni Morrison