The quote suggests that women will indulge not in happiness or pleasure but in suffering, relentlessly seeking what they fear most. It reflects a view that women’s pursuits are driven by a paradoxical desire to experience pain rather than joy, implying an inherent conflict or depth in their nature or journey.

This perspective portrays women as figures caught in a cycle of searching for hardships, highlighting themes of pain, fear, and longing. It emphasizes a darker, possibly philosophical exploration of human desire and the human condition, as seen through the lens of the quote from Lawrence Durrell's "Justine."