“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
— Margery Williams, Velveteen Rabbit
This quote comes from “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams, a classic children’s book about how toys—and by extension, people—become “Real” through the experience of love. In the context of the story, the quote is spoken by the Skin Horse to the Velveteen Rabbit, explaining what it means to be Real, a state of being that toys achieve through the love of a child.
The quote delves into the transformative power of love and the inherent beauty of authenticity. It suggests that becoming “Real” is a process marked by physical wear and tear, symbolizing the trials and tribulations one faces in life.
The reference to losing hair, eyes dropping out, becoming loose in the joints, and looking shabby reflects the physical and emotional scars that accumulate as a result of deep, genuine connections with others.
These changes are portrayed not as losses but as badges of honor, evidencing a life lived with love.
The essence of the quote lies in its assertion that these physical imperfections “don’t matter at all” because being Real transcends physical appearance.
Once something or someone is Real, their value is not diminished by their outward condition.
Instead, their authenticity and the depth of their relationships render them beautiful in a way that is incomprehensible to those who “don’t understand”—those who perhaps have not yet experienced such profound connections or who value superficial appearances over genuine interactions.
This message is particularly resonant in a children’s book, as it teaches young readers to value emotional bonds and inner beauty over external appearances.
It also speaks to adults, reminding them of the importance of authenticity, the beauty of aging, and the transformative power of love.
The Velveteen Rabbit, through this quote and its narrative, thus becomes a timeless meditation on what it means to live, love, and become Real in the most profound sense.
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