Original artwork, not a still
Mansfield Park • 1814
Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker argues that selfishness must be forgiven because it cannot be cured. That reasoning gives tolerance a dry, resigned basis: accepting the fault follows from expecting it to persist. The saying combines an apparent plea for mercy with a pessimistic judgment about change.
Context reviewed
