Quote by Anita Desai: “She felt a great longing for an existence outside herself.”

This line expresses a deep yearning to transcend one's own limitations and circumstances, seeking fulfillment or escape in an imagined external reality. It speaks to the human desire for liberation from self.

Desai's novels often explored the psychological landscapes of women feeling trapped by domesticity or societal roles in India. This quote reflects the internal struggle for freedom and self-definition.

Indian novelist and short story writer, born in Mussoorie in 1937, and three-time Booker Prize shortlistee. Her novels — including Clear Light of Day, Baumgartner's Bombay, and In Custody — explore the inner lives of women and the textures of post-independence Indian society with psychological precision.