"Hope is worth every fight."
Dickinson - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
You'll be the only Dickinson they talk about in 200 years.
— Death
Context:
In Season 1, Episode 1, "Because I could not stop," Emily takes her first carriage ride with Death (Wiz Khalifa). He says this to reassure her of her purpose and predict her eventual triumph over her family's conventional ambitions.
Meaning:
This quote, delivered early in the series, establishes the show's central thesis: Emily's contemporary obscurity is irrelevant compared to her future, immortal legacy. It frames her struggles not as failures, but as necessary parts of a journey toward becoming a literary icon.
Maybe they're scared that if they teach us how the world works, we'll figure out how to take over.
— Emily Dickinson
Context:
In Season 1, Episode 2, "I have never seen 'Volcanoes'," Emily and Sue disguise themselves as men to sneak into a geology lecture at Amherst College, a place forbidden to women.
Meaning:
This line encapsulates the show's feminist core. It articulates Emily's awareness of the systemic oppression of women and reframes their exclusion from education not as a result of inferiority, but as a deliberate strategy by the patriarchy to maintain power.
I have one purpose on this earth and that is to become a great writer.
— Emily Dickinson
Context:
This is said in the first episode of the series, "Because I could not stop," as Emily explains her life's ambition, setting the stage for her artistic journey and her conflicts with her family.
Meaning:
This declaration serves as Emily's mission statement for the entire series. It shows her unwavering focus and commitment to her art above all other societal expectations, such as marriage or domesticity. It is the core of her identity.
Poetry can put them back together again.
— Emily Dickinson
Context:
In Season 3, Emily says this to Death, arguing that her poetry has a purpose that can even counteract the finality of his work. It defines her mission for the final season.
Meaning:
This quote represents the culmination of Emily's arc in Season 3. Faced with the immense grief and division of the Civil War, she realizes that art's true power lies not in fame or self-expression, but in its capacity to heal and create hope in times of darkness.